Showing posts with label BOMINO BIANCO. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BOMINO BIANCO. Show all posts

Saturday, May 28, 2022

I Discover Puglian Whites

 




Locorotondo

Apulia





Locorotondo

Puglia



In May of 2022 I took was taking my first vacation since the beginning of the Cioid 19 pandemic. Due to Covid19, the last time I was in Italy was the Spring of 2019, when I went to Positano, Ischia, Naples, Capri, and Salerno. This was my first trip in almost 3 years, and I was ready. When my cousin Tony told me he was going to Puglia with his wife Debbie, I asked if he wouldn't mind if I went along with them. Tony told me, "Of course. You're always welcome." And so I was set. 

We had to go to Salerno for a couple days first, to take care of some family business. Tony and Debbie already had their plane tickets, so I was to meet them in Salerno, on May 5th. We were going to Puglia, but naturally we would enjoy the food and wine in Salerno and on the Amalfi Coast for two days first. And we did. We ate at a few of our regular spots. After I arrive and checked into the Hotel Plaza in Salerno, Tony & Debbie were at the bar across from my hotel and they told me to meet them there. I went outside and they already were drinking a couple Aperol Spritz. Tony asked if I wanted one? Of course. My Aperol Spritz came. Debbie was saying how good they were, and we all concurred. We had many more Spritz's on the trip and they were all judged against the one in the bar by the Hotel Plaza. We already knew we were going to have lunch at our favorite place in Salerno, at L'Archetto Pizzeria Ristorante, to get some tasty Pizza made by Gerardo, our favorite Pizzaiolo in all of Southern Italy, Gerardo is the best. I guess I should cut this short, as I'm supposed to be talking about the White Wines of Puglia. So I will. In a nutshell, we had Pizza and Insalta Frutta di Mare at L'Archetto, we had dinner at La Spagnola, and a great lunch the next day at Lo Smeraldo, our favorite restaurant in the town of Amalfi, (they make great Pizza too). We had a nice bottle of Biancolella that Tony really loved, and then we bought a couple bottles at a wine shop in town. Anyway, we drank Biancolella, Falanghina, and several Aperol Spritz's each those two days in Salerno, and on Saturday May 7, 2022, we got in the car and headed to Bari (Puglia).

We make it to Bari a few hours later. We settle in at the Hotel Hi, and then head over to Barivecchia. We walk around a bit, then bop into a wine bar for some Aperol Spritz's and a little lite afternoon lunch. We walked around, then went back to the hotel, and we decided to have dinner at the hotel that evening.  

The next day we head down to Lecce. We walk around, go to the Cathedrale, check everything out, then pick out a nice little trattoria for lunch. 


Verdecca is a white grape grown almost exclusively in Puglia but is slowly falling out of favor in the wine world.  It is a very neutral flavored grape and historically was most commonly used in vermouth production. Now it is typically found in blends. But don’t count Verdeca out! It’s very easy drinking and refreshing with notes of citrus, pineapple, and Bergamot.

Color is straw yellow with a touch of green.  It has a clean minerality that’s almost flinty, with herbal and citrus notes.  Due to acidity, drink young.

Bombino Bianco

Bombino Bianco is an easy growing, resistant grape varietal with high yields.  Though typically blended with red grapes or used in sparkling wines, Bombino Bianco can be found in still wines on its own.  Unlike many wine varieties, it is also used to make raisins.

Wine Profile: Color is lemon yellow with hints of pale green.  This is a very neutral and subtle grape that can sometimes express soft citrus fruit and floral notes with touches of minerality.


Greco Bianco

This grape reportedly has Greek origins and has an incredibly long history of over 2500 years.  It is genetically similar to the variety Asprinio. The late maturing Greco Bianco is almost always used in a blend with other Apulian varieties, though a passito dessert wine called Greco di Bianco can also be made in Calabria.

FALANGHINA

Of Greek origins, Falanghina arrived in Italy through the landings of the Greeks on the shores of the Gargano, then it spread and affirmed in Campania region too.


LOCOROTONDO  DOC

The town produces a white Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) Italian wine that can be made in a still or sparkling Spumante style. The DOC includes 1,650 hectares of vineyards. All grapes destined for DOC wine production must be harvested to a yield no greater than 13 tons per hectare. The wine is made predominantly (50-65%) from Verdeca and Bianco d'Alessano which can make up 45-50% of the blend. Additional grapes are permitted up to a maximum of 5% including Bombino biancoFiano and Malvasia Toscana. The finished wine must attain a minimum alcohol level of 11% in order to be labelled with the Locorotondo DOC designation.









Founded in 1665 by the Spanish Duke Oronzo, Earl of Lemos, in the Italian region of Puglia, Leone de Castris has been exporting wine since the beginning of the 19th century. The wines are the product of culture, innovation and a centuries-old tradition of dedication and passion. Leone de Castris’ entire range of wines has won awards and received prestigious recognition from all over the world. Their products are present not only in European markets, but also in the USA, Canada, Brazil, Australia, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, and more. Located close to the winery is Leone de Castris’ high-end restaurant and hotel, Villa Donna Lisa, where they host travelers, foreign delegations and Italians wishing to visit the winery. For centuries Leone de Castris has worked only in Puglia, producing only Apulian products. While some may view this as a limitation, for Leone de Castris, it is a specialty to be proud of. Their mission is to make the highest-quality products possible in the land where they were born and raised. Leone de Castris’ Five Roses Rosato was first produced in 1943. It was the first rosé bottled in Italy and the first to be sold in the U.S. For several generations, each de Castris had five children, hence the name, Five Roses. Along with their famous rosé, the winery produces a wide range of red and white DOC wines (Salice Salentino, Primitivo di Manduria) and interesting IGT Salento and Puglia wines.