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Italy

Puglia

Curated by Michele Edington, Certified Sommelier

Puglia stretches along the Adriatic in a landscape of olive groves, limestone villages, vineyards, and endless Mediterranean sunshine. Around Bari, the countryside quickly opens into wine country, while farther south the vines soak up even more warmth across Salento and Manduria. The wines have the same generous feeling as the food here, especially beside orecchiette, burrata, grilled vegetables, seafood, and anything finished with local olive oil.

Grapes

red: Primitivo (Zinfandel), Negroamaro, Nero di Troia
white: Verdeca

Wines & pairings

Primitivo di Manduria
Starters
  • Frisella with Manduria tomatoes and oregano — A crisp frisella softened with water and piled with ripe tomato, oregano, olive oil, and salt feels made for this part of Puglia. Primitivo’s blackberry and plum give the sweet tomato even more depth, while the oregano and olive oil bring out the wine’s warm Mediterranean herbs.
  • Pampanella with grilled bread — Soft, delicate pampanella cheese with warm bread and olive oil gives Primitivo a creamy, savory contrast. The cheese softens the wine’s generous structure, while its mild sweetness makes the ripe cherry and blackberry in the glass feel even juicier.
  • Roasted peppers with capers and breadcrumbs — Sweet roasted peppers layered with capers, garlic, herbs, and toasted breadcrumbs have enough flavor for Primitivo while still leaving the wine plenty of room. The peppers bring forward its ripe fruit, and the capers and herbs pull out a more savory, spicy side.
Entrées
  • Pizzarieddi with pork ragù — These traditional handmade pasta twists from the Manduria area are perfect with a slow tomato and pork ragù. Primitivo’s plum, blackberry, and spice melt right into the sauce, while its generous texture feels completely at home with the rich pork.
  • Bombette pugliesi — Little rolls of pork wrapped around cheese and cooked until smoky and juicy are gorgeous with Primitivo. The wine’s dark fruit loves the grilled pork, while black pepper, melted cheese, and char bring out its warmer spice and savory side.
  • Braciole di cavallo al sugo — Thin rolls of horse meat slowly braised in tomato sauce with herbs create exactly the kind of deep flavor Primitivo handles beautifully. The tomato brings forward the wine’s ripe fruit, while the slow-cooked meat gives its richness and spice plenty to work with.
Desserts
  • Cartellate with vincotto — These delicate fried pastry spirals are traditionally finished with sweet vincotto, creating layers of caramelized grape flavor and crisp dough. Primitivo’s plum and dried fruit fit beautifully with the vincotto, while its warm spice echoes the toasted pastry.
  • Purcidduzzi with honey — These tiny pieces of fried dough are coated with honey and often finished with nuts or colorful sprinkles. The honey brings out Primitivo’s ripe, almost luscious fruit, while the fried pastry and nuts pull forward its warmer, spicier side.
  • Scarcella pugliese — This traditional Easter sweet is made from a softly sweet dough shaped into decorative forms and often finished with a baked egg or colorful icing. Primitivo’s ripe cherry and plum give the simple pastry more depth, while its warm spice works beautifully with the lightly baked flavors.
Negroamaro
Starters
  • Rustico leccese — Flaky pastry filled with béchamel, tomato, mozzarella, and black pepper has plenty of richness for Negroamaro. The tomato brings out the wine’s dark cherry and plum, while the pepper and golden pastry pull forward its spice and savory herbal character.
  • Pittule salentine with olives — These little fried dough bites are a Salento favorite, especially when olives or herbs are folded into the dough. Negroamaro brings ripe red fruit and spice beside the crisp exterior, while the olives connect beautifully with the wine’s earthy Mediterranean side.
  • Scapece gallipolina — Small fried fish layered with breadcrumbs, vinegar, saffron, and herbs give this Gallipoli specialty an incredible mix of savory, tangy, and aromatic flavors. Negroamaro’s fruit works beautifully with the saffron and spices, while its structure has plenty to work with beside the fried fish.
Entrées
  • Pezzetti di cavallo al sugo — Horse meat slowly cooked in tomato sauce is one of Salento’s most traditional dishes. Negroamaro feels completely at home beside it, with dark cherry and plum meeting the tomato while herbs, pepper, and spice echo the long-cooked sauce.
  • Sagne ’ncannulate with ricotta forte — These twisted ribbons of pasta are a Lecce specialty, especially good with tomato, basil, and a little ricotta forte. Negroamaro brings ripe fruit to the tomato while the wine’s savory spice fits beautifully with the intense cheese and rustic pasta.
  • Ciceri e tria — Chickpeas and pasta, with part of the pasta fried until crisp, make this one of Salento’s most recognizable dishes. Negroamaro brings juicy dark fruit and herbs beside the earthy chickpeas, while those crunchy pieces of pasta make the wine’s warmer spice even more noticeable.
Desserts
  • Pasticciotto leccese — The famous Lecce pastry filled with warm custard is especially good with a softer, fruit-forward Negroamaro. The buttery crust brings out the wine’s warmer spice, while the creamy filling gives its ripe cherry and plum flavors a richer feel.
  • Fruttone leccese — Fruttone layers almond paste and jam inside pastry before covering everything with dark chocolate. Almond, fruit, and cocoa all find something in Negroamaro, bringing forward its dark berries, spice, and earthy chocolate-like flavors.
  • Mustazzoli salentini — These traditional Salento cookies are made with almonds, cocoa, citrus, and warm spices beneath a chocolate glaze. Negroamaro’s dark fruit and spice fit right into those flavors, while the almond and cocoa bring out a deeper, rounder side of the wine.

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Common questions

What wine is Puglia known for?
Puglia, in Italy, is known for Primitivo di Manduria, Negroamaro, made from grapes such as Primitivo (Zinfandel), Negroamaro, Nero di Troia, Verdeca.
What grapes are grown in Puglia?
Primitivo (Zinfandel), Negroamaro, Nero di Troia, Verdeca.
What food pairs with Puglia wines?
Classic local pairings include Pasticciotto leccese, Pezzetti di cavallo al sugo, Rustico leccese, Cartellate with vincotto, Pizzarieddi with pork ragù.