Puglia Autentica

Three friends with a passion for jazz music and for the indigenous grape varieties of the Tavoliere, an underground cellar with an irresistible charm and sparkling wines that gather admirers from all over the world. There is nothing lacking in the history of Cantine d'Araprì: friendship, love for their land, a far-sighted project and an uncommon entrepreneurial flair.     At the basis of the company was the conviction that it would be possible to produce fine sparkling wines in the south too, using the indigenous Capitanata grape variety: 'Bombino bianco'. This is how the three friends, Girolamo d'Amico, Louis Rapini and Ulrico Priore created their dream in 1979. Cantine d'Araprì is the first company in Apulia to produce sparkling wine using the classic method.     A courageous choice, which over time has proved successful and led to numerous awards. Entering their cellar, one cannot fail to notice the dozens of awards won over the years for the skill with which they enhance the territory. The building housing Cantina d'Araprì, dating back to the beginning of the 18th century and located in the historic centre of San Severo (fg), seems almost like a house that holds extraordinary treasures.     We discover to our amazement that beneath our feet are a thousand square metres of underground cellar accessed through a maze of tunnels and galleries. The space periodically hosts cultural events and exhibitions. The environment welcomes and guards the precious sparkling wine that rests placidly waiting to be ready to be uncorked.     We almost feel as if we are witnessing a ceremony, in the silence of the basement and surrounded by stacks of bottles whose contents follow precise artisanal protocols refined through experience. Among the sparkling wines we find the vintage rosé 'Sansevieria', obtained from the manual harvesting of Nero di Troia grapes with its gentle colour and sweet citrus scent.     For dry lovers, the 'Pas Dosè' made from Bombino Bianco and Pinot Nero is a sparkling wine with a convincing character softened by hints of pastry. Montepulciano and Pinot Noir are the precious ingredients of 'Brut Rosè', a sparkling wine with a fine, rounded flavour and aromas of bread and toasted fruit.     Ethereal and gentle is the bouquet of 'Brut', the first sparkling wine to be produced by the house, which envelops the consumer with fruity scents of apple, yellow peach and orange. Leading us on this sparkling wine journey are Anna d'Amico, daughter of Girolamo, and Daniele Rapini, son of Louis.     Because one of the characteristics of the winery is the interweaving of friendship and familiarity that binds the members of the company. The three founding partners were joined in 2019 by the so-called 'new generation' embodied by the three children: Anna d'Amico, Daniele Rapini and Antonio Priore, all three of whom are driven by the desire to carry on the tradition started by their fathers.     Each bottle of d'Araprì sparkling wine is like a perfect jazz melody: it slowly reveals its amazing notes, telling of a product that smells of Apulia and friendship.    

The destination of our journey is the OLEIFICIO COOPERATIVO CIMA DI BITONTO, a proud bastion of a thousand-year-old tradition in our Apulia region. We are in Bitonto (ba), a few kilometres from the Apulian capital, in the heart of Puglia's extra virgin olive oil production.     An expanse of olive trees as far as the eye can see appears before the eyes of those travelling through the Bari hinterland. Once there, we cannot help but breathe in the intense scent of vegetation, as if we were immersed in an expanse of centuries-old olive trees. After all, nature is not so far away from us here, with the lush greenery of the adjacent Lama Balice, a treasure trove of wild flora and fauna biodiversity.     Waiting for us is Pasquale Mastandrea, President of the Oleificio Cooperativo. From his very first words we sense his boundless love for this generous land and its fruits. The Cima di Bitonto Cooperative has a history of more than sixty years and with its 350 members manages to pursue the incredible commitment of obtaining the best 'olive juice' made in Puglia.     A commitment clearly manifested in the Oleificio's logo, in which the word 'Puro', referring to oil, stands out against the elements of nature. Sun, rain, earth and the fruit that is born: all very important aspects to give the consumer an oil that tastes of tradition. In its years of activity, the Cooperative has managed to safeguard the land and the farmers thanks to a synergic work established with its numerous members.   {IMAGE_0}{IMAGE_1} From them comes the promise to preserve the olive cultivars and to make the area in which they grow known. It is no coincidence that the cultivated varieties are 70% Ogliarola and 30% Coratina: both originate from the growing area and are processed within a few hours of their harvest.     The agronomic methods used by the Cooperative's members are inspired by ancient local traditions and those notions handed down over the centuries that allow the plant to grow healthy and robust. The pruning system adopted allows the best nourishment to the shoots and young branches, so as to obtain a truly exceptional juice.     Cima di Bitonto brand oils are all extra virgin. The decisive character of the Coratina is mitigated by the sweetness of the Cima di Bitonto and the result is an extra virgin oil that combines the peculiarities of both cultivars, resulting in an intense yellow oil with a balanced presence of fruit and herbaceous hints. In addition to the classic extra virgin olive oil, much appreciated for its medium fruitiness, in the Oleificio's product basket we discover the D.O.P Terra di Bari, a harmonious, slightly spicy extra virgin with herbaceous fragrances.     From organic farming comes the 'Biologico' extra virgin olive oil. In this oil, the olive, with its strong flavour, and the almond, which is more delicate, stand out very well and do not alter the taste of a dish but, on the contrary, enhance it as it deserves.    

A story that has its roots far back in time, because far back Don Riccardo Agresti has always been able to look: all it takes is a farm and many hands just asking to be used for something good. This is how the taralli of 'a Mano Libera' were born, thanks to the Diocese of Andria's 'Senza Sbarre' project.     We are in the Andria countryside, enjoying a beautiful panorama, with Castel del Monte standing out in the background, symbol of an ancient and true Apulia. Here we find the fortified masseria San Vittore.     San Vittore has become a place of rehabilitation and reintegration for dozens of inmates and ex-convicts with its ten hectares of land. The bright colours of the fruit, the fragrances of the vegetable garden, the sound of the wind passing through the branches of the olive trees are accessories to the scent coming from the kitchens.     Don Riccardo tells us that the "Senza sbarre" project and the "a Mano Libera" cooperative produce handmade taralli with quality natural raw materials and km 0. They are truly handmade, because there are no industrial machines to shape the taralli to the grains being processed: the busy and skilful hands of the operators move with precision on the counters and arrange those rounded shapes of pure love on the baking trays.     In addition to the classic fennel seed taralli, tasty varieties have been added, such as the one already mentioned with cereals, then the one with sun-dried tomatoes, which combines one of the most identifying flavours of the Apulian territory with a typical product, and the taralli with Nero di Troia: usually taralli are kneaded with white wine, while here one of the most acclaimed local varieties is chosen.     The scent coming from the oven spreads throughout the premises dedicated to production, which starts with dough made from quality local flours. The dough is shaped strictly by hand and then boiled, after which the taralli end up in the oven, the author of those fragrances that can be savoured well before entering the premises.     "a Mano Libera" was born as an alternative measure to prison, giving hope and new perspectives to its operators, but also quality traditional products for all the world's gluttons.     The proceeds from the sale of the taralli go back into circulation, reinvested to give other people who have seen prison in their path a chance at redemption.

A wonderful village, known as the Pearl of Gargano, stands on a bluff overlooking the crystal clear sea, kissed by white sand and embraced by towering rocky cliffs.     We are in Peschici, and in this incredible landscape that smells of salt and Mediterranean vegetation, GARGANO DELIZIE® was born, an artisan distillery that shares the history of the territory through its products.      Started in 2002 by Michele and Patrizia Caputo, the couple immediately based their production on quality and craftsmanship, resulting in a series of unique creations. Crossing the threshold of the small laboratory, we are immediately attracted to the tanks containing delicious infusions and delighted by the contagious enthusiasm that Michele and Patrizia have for their work.     Production takes place in Ischitella (fg), a town a few kilometres from Peschici, but the salespoint is found in the historic city centre of Peschici (fg), in an area brimming with tasty shops full of local goodness. The Peschici shop also offers other local specialities and traditional gastronomy, such as jams, preserves, pâtés, and much more, offering a variety of products that fully reflects our culinary culture.   {IMAGE_0}{IMAGE_1}   Sharing all the unique characteristics of a territory, passing down its traditions and unearthing its cultural heritage, is a great undertaking. Each liqueur by Gargano Delizie (of which there are about forty) is born from a careful study of the local traditional recipes, but most importantly from the scrupulous search for raw materials that are processed according to the artisanal and homemade methods used by our ancestors. Michele and Patrizia tell us about their flagship product, the "Amaro della Suocera", a sweet elixir from 1900 also known as the “cherry of the grandmothers".     "Amaro della Suocera" is made with local Primitivo wine and black cherry juice, and it was their 90-year-old uncle who shared its ancient secrets with them. Patrizia also tells us about their "Amico", another greatly enjoyed liqueur dedicated to their customers to celebrate 18 years of production.     The idea came from a childhood memory of her grandfather dunking a slice of peach into his glass of wine. That's why "Amico" is made with Falanghina PGI wine and Gargano peaches, an elixir in which the goodness of the fruit is enhanced by the alcohol. In this family-run workshop, two other products must be mentioned: the "Lemolivo", a lemon liqueur made with local orange peels and olive leaves which infuse it with a green colour reminiscent olives, and the "Gargano's” artisan beer, developed from a recipe by Michele and Patrizia that includes, among other ingredients, peels from the Gargano bitter orange.     A product that symbolises the territory in its very label: a pearl resting in an oyster with a historical “trabucco” fishing machine, with citrus fruits crowning the beautiful Pearl of Gargano.  

A typical mildly hilly Murgia landscape, made more barren by the paths of the karst blades that furrow its path. We are in ACQUAVIVA DELLE FONTI (ba), a small village in Puglia that, like a precious ancient mosaic, delights visitors with its beauty.     In this area that encloses ancient farms surrounded by the inimitable dry-stone walls, trulli and underground caves, the Iannone Farm was founded in 1996, producing the Red Onion and the Red Sponzale of Acquaviva delle Fonti flanked by the Black Chickpea of the Murgia Carsica, a triad of goodness that over the years has won the coveted Slow Food Presidium.     Leading us on this journey that speaks of traditional and incredibly territorial productions is Vito Abrusci, farm manager, whom we meet directly in the field in one of the districts that hosts the cultivation of onion, sponzale and black chickpea following the dictates of organic farming.     One can speak of a genuine advantage that such areas offer to this type of product due to the uniqueness of the organic richness that positively impacts the land. The excellent quality of the deep, potassium-rich, well-drained and aerated soils allow these crops to be born and grow abundantly, preserving all the incredible organoleptic and beneficial characteristics contained by nature.     The cultivation and harvesting of the Iannone company's red onion is manual, and the product is distinguished by its flattened shape and weight that are difficult to replicate. In this vegetable, the outer color is clearly distinguishable, evoking a palette of beautiful shades ranging from red to magenta almost purple and then showing the pale pink interior fading to white.     The sweet taste and intense aroma make the Red Onion perfect for fresh consumption or as a processed product. Speaking of red onion, we cannot fail to mention the sponzale, which is the bulb that is born by reproduction from the mature onion. The company cultivates it according to traditional methods, and the sponzale, also known as sponsale, keeps the delicate and light flavor of the onion intact.     An ancient vegetable whose name of Latin origin evokes the flatbread that was eaten during the sponsàlia, the ceremony that celebrated the future spouses. To think that the black chickpea of the Murgia Carsica has gone into space is something that leaves one astonished. The space chickpea, in every sense of the word, was chosen for its incredible properties for astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti's soup.     It is different from other legumes because of its dark color and hooked, wrinkled shape. Already known in the nineteenth century, Vito explains that Black Chickpea has always been the staple of the agricultural diet as a substitute for meat, at that time a food prerogative only of wealthy families.     The "poor man's meat," as the legume was once called, is palatable and very rich in fiber and iron. A peasant food that opens the door to a wonderful land.    

"You have to love what you do to want to do it every day" With this love comes achievement!!!!!  In the picture you don't find the producer, the president, a leader. You find the cross-section of a community-our own!"   An almost 100-year-old winery and an area naturally suited for the production of rich and fine wines. These elements would be enough to describe L'ANTICA CANTINA DI SAN SEVERO (fg) one of the most dynamic and long-lived Apulian wineries in the region.    Telling us the story of Antica Cantina is Ciro Caliendo, the winery's president, whom we meet in the San Severo plant. Behind him, as has happened numerous times before for other historic businesses like this one, is a wall crowded with awards and recognitions, many of which are true historical relics.   The Antica Cantina di San Severo is actually a social winery founded in 1933 and, just as it was a vine, it has its roots in local culture and culture. It is no coincidence that San Severo saw the first Apulian DOC recognized in 1968, a tangible sign of a peasant and winemaking custom that to define millenary is reductive.   The strong point of the Antica Cantina's wine production is not only the synergic and joint work with its members who confer the quality grapes, but it is also represented by a thousand hectares cultivated according to a system of company certification and traceability that contributes to producing wines that represent the harmonious, joyful and elegant synthesis of the typicality of this land.   In the fertile Daunia, the dream of many farmers has come to life: to offer the consumer the sensations that express at the same time the pleasantness and passion that the land of San Severo offers.  It is the way to get to know our history and the culture of the land, toward which all the locals nurture a boundless passion, the same as there is in San Severo DOP.   {IMAGE_0}{IMAGE_1}   San Severo Bianco as early as 1932, was recognized as a typical local wine. Castrum San Severo Bianco is made from a blend of Bombino, Trebbiano and a touch of Malvasia. Rosso and Rosato round out the San Severo DOP offering. The Castrum Rosso is a wine with just the right structure. It releases aromas of plums and black cherry that blend with the floral of violets and cyclamen. Castrum Rosato" with its delicacy offers a fruity, intense bouquet with hints of peach to satisfy even the most sensitive palate.   With the Nobiles line we find the typical varietals. Noble and positively austere is the Nobiles IGP obtained from Nero di Troia grapes, one of the native vines of lands cultivated on the slopes near the Gargano. With its almost impenetrable color, Nobiles Nero di Troia has a full-bodied but refined structure and a taste of red fruits and spices that intrigue and intoxicate the palate.    

In the heart of Brindisi, a thriving land rich in millennia-old archaeological wonders, the Cantine Pandora winery was born.       Officially, the history of the business begins in 2017, but that of its founder has somewhat more remote origins. The owner, Francesco Fumarulo, owes his fortune to the land and his work as a farmer. With pride and transportation, Francesco explains that his passion for winemaking began as a child, and then over the years became a real profession culminating in the creation of Cantine Pandora.       The establishment stands in the midst of nature, among majestic olive trees, grazing animals, long rows of grapes and vast expanses of fields. Cradled by the healthy, placid air of Brindisi, Cantine Pandora's grapes turned into excellent red, white and rosé wine are almost all from Salento.       Francesco's willingness to contribute to the growth of his area is attested to by a very specific choice: to use largely native vines of Primitivo, Negramaro, Malvasia Nera and Malvasia Bianca grown according to organic standards.       With incredible respect for tradition and the aid of modern winemaking technology, Cantine Pandora is now a successful winery. The bottles are a small masterpiece that encapsulate the hard work, the love of the land, the work in the vineyard and in the cellar and, not surprisingly, they can all bear the IGP label.   {IMAGE_0}{IMAGE_1}   As the legend about the ancient Pandora's Box tells us, uncorking a bottle from this winery is tantamount to discovering all the good and beautiful of the land of origin.  Wine, otherwise also known as "nectar of the gods," for Cantine Pandora has an actual connection with divinity, to the point of deserving names that recall mythology.       To one of the "kings" of Salento, Primitivo, is dedicated Zeus, appellation of the highest Olympian deity. Zeus is a purplish-colored red produced from hand-picked grapes in the area's ancient vines, soft and enveloping with hints of red fruit.       Negramaro and Malvasia are the vines from which the grapes of Prometeo come, another red wine made from historic vines bred to trees that give the wine a delicate, broad, intense and pleasantly dry and full-bodied flavor. Then we find Ermes, Negramaro del Salento vinified in purity with the traditional method, tannic and structured to the right point. To Athena and Aphrodite are dedicated two of the rosés, both obtained from Negroamaro grapes and with intense fruity and very balanced scents. Among the whites we find Gea, a Malvasia Bianca del Salento wine with a refined, structured and persistent character or the charming Era, created from Chardonnay grapes that stands out for its golden hues and fine, dry but harmonious flavor.       Cantine Pandora's flagship product is the red '71 IGT, aged 6 months in French oak barrels. Strong, generous and intense are its aromas, so reminiscent of dried figs, which in this wine produced from Primitivo vines give it an original and strong-willed character.       Wines that fascinate the consumer for their overpowering and vigorous content, just like the territory from which they come.