Radici del Sud Highlights & Insights into Southern Italy’s Wine Scene
Here's the big picture from a hosted wine week in Puglia with deep dives coming soon.
My dearest wine lovers! I am popping back into your inboxes after a very brief hiatus due to lots of travels. First, a quick week in Sardinia, half of which was spent working in our vineyards. Followed by an unforgettable week in Puglia (Apulia in English) for the 20th edition of Radici del Sud!
For those who may not be familiar, Radici del Sud is an annual wine extravaganza showcasing the wines of Southern Italy. The organization hosts journalists, importers, and buyers for numerous days of winery visits, masterclasses, and dinners amongst the vines. Then, the journalists spend two days blind tasting wines to be awarded via the Radici del Sud competition, while the buyers have speed-dating style B2B meetings and tastings with producers who have chosen to participate. On the final day, the winning wines receive their awards and there is also a grand tasting that’s open to the public, too.
It was a whirlwind week and a smashing good time filled with incredible meals, exciting wine discoveries, and great connections with new friends. In this week’s newsletter, I’m going to give you some of the highlights. Then, the next 3 newsletters will dive into more detail as follows:
Primitivo Reimagined: Uncovering the Distinct Styles of Gioia del Colle and Manduria
Exploring the Lesser Known Indigenous Varieties of Southern Italy (a lot of new-to-me wines worth checking out!)
My Top Standout Wines from Radici del Sud & Key Takeaways from a Memorable Wine Week
Most will be free except for the last one because I’m thinking of brining some of these wines into the wine club I’ve been working on launching behind the scenes, and paid subscribers get first dibs. So, subscribe accordingly.
Winery Visits
Throughout the first two full days of our trip, Radici del Sud organized two winery visits per day so that we could experience two different terroirs with varied expressions of Primitivo, as well as other wines. We visited two wineries in the heart of Murgia, the wider geographic area that runs down the heel of Italy and is a karst topographic plateau encompassing Bari, Barletta-Andria-Tran, and extending into the provinces of Brindisi and Taranto. The two wineries were Azienda Agricola Fatalone in Gioia del Colle and Tenuta Viglione in Santeramo in Colle. On the second day, we headed further south to Manduria to visit Masseria Cuturi and Masseria Borgo dei Trulli.
It was special to experience two Apulian regions and gain an understanding of how their different elevations, climate, and soils influence the expressions of Primitivo and other Southern Italian varieties. I’ll dive deeper into this in next week’s newsletter as there is a lot to cover, and I’ll share more about each winery’s story, winemaking philosophy, and my top wine picks. One of these wineries was my favorite producer on this trip and really gave me one of those wow moments that you hope for when visiting a new wine region.
Puglian Winery & Vineyard Dinners
As you might expect, the Southern Italian hospitality did not disappoint. For the first three nights, we were hosted by three different wineries to be wined and dined in true Apulian fashion.
Giovanni Aiello - Enologo per Amore
For the first evening at Radici del Sud, we felt the love for Puglia at Giovanni Aiello’s winery. His approach is personal, intuitive, and rooted in place. His wines represent the passion for his home terroir, which called him back to his roots after years spent working in prestigious wineries in France, California, Australia, and beyond.
After getting a tour of the winery, including an underground cave that once served as a nightclub, we enjoyed live music and regional specialties in a charming courtyard illuminated by ambient string lights. The evening felt more like a gathering of friends and for me, that’s what wine is all about.
The food was incredible. From arrosticini, caciocavallo cheese melted over the fire, Panzerotti, and a whole assortment of cheeses and salumi, the whole spread was eye-catching and delectable. Yet the wines were even better!
Each of his wines are represented by Chakras, capturing the nuances and energies of Puglia. I was enjoying myself and the live music that set the festive tone for the evening, so I didn’t take any tasting notes. But you can review his range of wines here.
My favorites of the night were the Chakra Blu – basically a refermented sparkling white wine with no disgorgement made with Verdeca, Maruggio, and Marchione (a style of sparkling wine I tasted several examples of throughout the trip). And the Chakra Rosato made with 100% Primitivo that was so fresh yet had a lovely harmonious texture from battonage. From vineyards to bottle, each step is handled with the utmost care at Giovanni Aiello, including the hand stamped labels!
It’s always refreshing encountering a winemaker who leads with curiosity, emotion, and a deep respect for the land. You can taste that philosophy in every glass. Oh, and he has an interesting story with old vineyards and the elderly couple who used to tend them.
Roberto Seripani Firulli
Roberto Seripani Firulli and family hosted us for dinner amongst the vines the next evening in Gioia del Colle. They went above and beyond to set up a stunning tablescape right next to their organically farmed vineyards with a trulli right next to us. We learned these trulli were often used as a place for agricultural workers and their animals to rest in the heat of the day.
They, too, went all out with the meal, serving antipasti like different frittatas, eggplant parmigiana, stracciatella, fresh ricotta, vegetables, and more. They threw a grigliata (barbecue) and served sausage and these delicious little bites that are called bombetti (though I’m not sure I’m recalling the name correctly), which are made from the animal innards. So flavorful, though I get if that’s not your thing. Basically everything we consumed was made right there on their organic farm!
Roberto generously led a wine tasting of his various styles of Primitivo wine, including a rosato and three reds. I loved the Partager rosato! Though I can’t seem to find a website to direct you, too. But you can find him on Instagram. His mom cooked everything we enjoyed, so you know it was as authentic and delicious as it could possibly be. AND his 90+ year old nonna joined us for the meal and even got up to dance when the music started. A night to remember indeed!
Curtomartino
Our last hosted dinner was one for the books at the stunning winery of Curtomartino in Acquaviva delle Fonti. We were graciously welcomed by founder Pasquale Gentile into his modern, edgy, art forward space with tantalizing smells of our meal to come and beats by a DJ gracing the airwaves.
Pasquale went right to work behind the bar, generously pouring us his full range of wines, including two whites, a rosato, two Primitivo, and one international blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. While the Primitivo wines from Gioia del Colle were clean and well-made, the standout wine for me was the 100% Minutolo called Cretaceo. I’ll cover Minutolo in my coming newsletter diving into the indigenous varieties discovered on this trip, but know this wine was precise on the palate with lifted freshness and a delicate floral framework.
Pasquale was a fabulous host, allowing us to tour the winery, check out his beautiful amphorae, and taste samples straight from the barrel. The wine was flowing and the food was insane. The chef cooked up one of the best, most succulent porchetta I’ve ever had and they prepared orecchiette three ways, each one more delicious than the next.
They definitely live well in Puglia!
Gioia del Colle Primitivo & Oliena Cannonau Masterclasses
Our week with Radici del Sud also included two masterclasses on Primitivo and Cannonau respectively. Although I’d probably call them more of a tasting than a masterclass based on how they were presented. The Primitivo masterclass was held outside in the garden of a charming house called Casa Patessa in Sannicandro di Bari. We were served eleven Primitivo wines all from the Gioia del Colle DOC with a brief presentation of the region led by Marianna Annio of Pietraventosa. As with our winery visits earlier that day, we learned that Gioia del Colle is characterized by higher elevations than other winegrowing areas in Puglia, to the tune of 300-500 meters above sea level. Soils here are mainly limestone with some clay and despite its central location far from the sea, the region still receives beneficial influences from eastern and western sea breezes. Plus, a beneficial diurnal temperature shift from day to night.
All of which culminate in a style of Primitivo with fresh acidity, bright fruit, lifted aromatics, and a balanced structure. It was easy to find these similarities throughout all of the wines, despite variations in quality and oak influence. Additionally, all of the wines were 15% abv or higher, which one might expect from a hot area like Puglia, but they were balanced. As with any region, there are always varying styles in winemaking. We all have different tastes after all! True to form, I generally preferred the wines with less oak influence, though the Pietraventosa Riserva was a favorite. My top wines from the evening were:
Lanzolla Bartolomeo Le Murgé Primitivo Gioia del Colle DOC 2021 - For me, this wine popped out from the glass the most with dark fruits and violet/floral aromas. An elegant bouquet and well-integrated palate.
Centovignali Pentomime Gioia del Colle DOC 2021- Loved the nose on this one with more chocolate, earthy aromas and dark fruits. The palate was more savory with great body and grippy, mouth-coating tannins.
Vigna Liponti Nasciddó Gioia del Colle DOC 2019 - Really pretty nose and elegant profile with violet notes and velvety tannins. An interesting project with some regional history. Will share more on this one soon.
Pietraventosa Gioia del Colle DOC Riserva 2019 - From 60-year-old bush-trained vines. Beautiful tannins with a balanced palate, concentrated dark fruit flavors and mouth watering acidity.
Agra Girardi Bartolo Gioia del Colle DOC Riserva 2019 - Quite elegant on the nose with dark berries and hints of spice. A voluptuous palate that's beautifully balanced with great concentration.
We also had a masterclass on Sardinian Cannonau from the mountainous area of Oliena with the wines from ASCOS, which is an association of small vignerons from Nepente and Oliena (Associazione Produttori del Nepente e del Vino di Oliena). The region is situated amidst the Supramonte di Oliena, Monte Corrasi, which is a limestone-dolomitic massif. The tasting was set alongside a seafood focused dinner, an interesting choice, and I didn’t take notes that evening. But these were the wines served:
Salis - Galu Cannonau di Sardegna DOC Nepente di Oliena 2023
Biscu - ZioBi Cannonau di Sardegna DOC Nepente di Oliena 2022
Vignaioli di Oliena - S’Incontru Cannonau di Sardegna DOC Nepente di Oliena 2022
Ruju Sardu - Pupusu Cannonau di Sardegna DOC Nepente di Oliena 2022
Guthiddai - Mannoi Cannonau di Sardegna DOC Nepente di Oliena Riserva 2021
Gostolai - Cannonau di Sardegna DOC N epene di Oliena Classico 2019
The first two were my favorites, Galu from Salis and ZioBi from Biscu. Ruju Sardu also makes a really lovely bright, fruity rosato called Iscastau.
My Biggest Takeaways from the Trip
As is often the case with many European wine regions, at least in Italy anyway, there seems to be a refocusing on quality over quantity, embracing native varieties over international grapes, and a general consensus of a need to come together as a region to enhance the perception of Southern Italian wines throughout the world market. Hence organizations like Radici del Sud.
I heard from several producers that historically, there has been a persistent trend of price competition throughout Puglia. Wineries offer increasingly lower prices in order to secure sales and exports over their regional competitors. Yet this results in an overall decreased perception of wine quality throughout international markets, a perception that, from what I experienced, is undue. I uncovered several high quality wines and producers dedicated to crafting wines made with respect to the environment through organic farming practices. Wines that speak of territory with a true sense of place, which was a delight for me to discover especially in some of the countless Primitivo wines we tasted throughout the week. There’s a different side to Italian Primitivo than what’s widely available on the global market that we’ll talk about in next week’s newsletter.
As always, what’s in the glass tells the true story. It reflects the care and dedication in the vineyard, revealing the difference between a passionate producer deeply committed to their craft and one who may have other advantages.
Stay tuned for coming newsletters diving into wine discoveries and indigenous varieties tasted throughout our B2B tastings and the final wine salon/grand tasting.
Sounds like a fabulous time!