Mapping the Sparkling Wines of Italy: Puglia

The Salento Peninsula of Puglia is the heel of the thigh-high boot that one can envision when looking at a map of peninsular Italy. Puglia can be divided into north and south by an imaginary line running between Brindisi, on the Adriatic Sea, and Taranto, on its namesake gulf (which separates the heel of the boot from its platform).

The northern and southern portions of the region are culturally, geographically, and climatically different. The north is less flat, has a more temperate climate (it can be cool in some parts of the Murge plateau), and is more aligned with the customs and winemaking processes of central Italy. The south, on the other hand, is flatter, has a Mediterranean climate, and "retains a strong connection with its Greco-Roman past."

Overall, the region can be characterized as having a Mediterranean climate with cooling sea breezes.

Puglia is a major contributor to the Italian agricultural economy with olive trees, wheat fields, and vineyards adorning its surface. It is responsible for 50% of Italy's olive oil production and is second only to Veneto in wine production; that wine has been mostly red and has garnered a reputation for poor quality, suitable only for blending with wines from the regions to its north. As the world has pursued wines of quality, Puglian winemakers have sought to improve the quality of its red wines through technology advancements, yield reduction, and increased attention to indigenous varieties.

While red wine are oh so dominant in the region, two whites merit mention (especially seeing as how we are writing about the sparkling wines of the region): (i) Bombino Bianco is a versatile, high-acid grape with a lean bouquet which "yields excellent classic method sparkling wines;" (ii) Verdeca, an indigenous variety which produces full-bodied wines that had been used primarily in the making of Vermouth, has now been getting a second look as the source of quality white wines.

The sparkling wine map of Puglia is presented below.

Some observations:

• Fully 75% of the sparkling wine appellations are in the region's more southerly provinces
• The most intense sparkling wine label versatility occurs in three proximate DOCs: Brindisi, Squinzano, and Salice Salento
• Those three DOCs have similar varietal sparkling wine labels but Brindisi and Squinzano have higher varietal content requirements than does Salice Salento
• The Chardonnay grape is the most ubiquitous sparkling wine component.

Puglia is truly red wine country.


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