Castel del Monte, Puglia

Lecce - the medieval walls of the city

Pompeii

Puglia and Campania

9 - 15 April 2012

Our 2012 wine tour of Southern Italy explores the fascinating regions of Puglia and Campania. The Ancient Greeks called Southern Italy Oinotria, “the land of staked vines”, and they left behind a legacy of grape varieties that makes the provinces of Puglia and Campania so viticulturally exciting today. This is one of the areas of the world where the so called ‘international varieties’ have made the least progress, allowing us the pleasure of Primitivo, Aglianico, Greco, Fiano, Falanghina and many others.

We begin in Puglia, the heel of Italy, one of Italy’s powerhouse wine regions. The production is more than Germany and almost as much as Australia. This may seem surprising but it is not new, Puglia has been producing a lot of good wine for a long time. Only for the last couple of decades it has been sold as Puglian as opposed to being ‘cross regionally blended’. (This was usually done illicitly!). The regional identity, having been hidden for so long is now really appreciated.

The low-lying, hot coastal plains of Puglia, surrounded by the sea on three sides, are subjected to strong winds in summer. The wines have a character and depth of flavour all their own which is in part from the extreme climate.

Historically the south is a treasure trove of early Romanesque architecture and history. A generation before William of Normandy invaded England, minor Norman barons arrived in Southern Italy to carve out what ultimately became a kingdom that covered Sicily and all of Italy south of Rome. It riches were legendary and its power challenged the Pope, Venice, and both the Western and Eastern Empires. The Normans in the south have left us with the heritage of their spectacular castles and cathedrals, built in the local limestone, bleached blonde by time. Although none have interior decoration to match the Norman Sicilian churches, Puglia’s range of coastal cathedrals rank as some of the finest of all. Built during the 11th – 13th centuries, they are stunning and surprisingly varied. We’ll see Bitonto, Ruvo, Trani and Molfetta as well as visiting the fascinating Castel del Monte.

From our bases of the Baroque town of Lecce and the coastal town of Trani, we will discover the delights of wines from the grape varieties of Primitivo, Negroamaro and Uva di Troia – including some from ancient vines. From the lovely city of Lecce, we explore wines such as Salice Salentino with firms such as Conti Zecca and Due Palme.

From our base in northern Puglia, the Romanesque town of Trani, we visit Rivera, maker of superb Castel del Monte wines. We head west to Campania’s wine heartland, inland from Naples. Here we find the superb Fiano di Avellino, Taurasi, Greco di Tufo at Feudi di San Gregorio and Mastroberardino. On the last morning, you have the option to visit Pompeii, where the Villa dei Mistieri is particularly fascinating to wine lovers.

Spring is one of the most delightful times to visit the area, both for the profusion of flowers and for the wonderful range of vegetables that give the robust cuisine its wonderful flavours. Call soon, there are only a few places left on this tour, which is led by Lys Hall.

Itinerary

Monday 9th April

BA flights from London for evening arrival in Bari, where we pick up our local transport for onward journey to the beautiful city of Lecce. We stay in a 4* hotel in the centre of Lecce, a comfortable residence in a converted traditional town house, which is an ideal centre for exploring the architectural surprises of the city and is in easy walking distance of cafes and restaurants. Due to an airline schedule change as of 12th December, the flight now will arrive in the evening and so a late arrival at the hotel. We will organize a welcome drink and some light canapes on arrival for those who wish.

Tuesday 10th April

Our first visit is to the village of Copertino, originally famous for its levitating monk, but now better known for its flavoursome red wine from a blend of Negroamaro and Primitivo grapes. Our tasting here is at the Casa Vinicola Apollonio. Founded over a century ago, the quality of its wines has always been admired locally, but it has taken the current generation to bring them to international attention. We return to Lecce with plenty of time to explore and enjoy the evening.

We continue in the wine appellation of Salice Salentino, where we visit Cantine Due Palme. This growers’ co-operative is of very high quality and consistently wins gold at international wine competitions. Due to the number of members the range of wines is wide and offers the opportunity to taste some of the more obscure indigenous grape varieties of the region as well as the Cantina’s star wines. We will finish our visit with lunch in their private dining room.

Wednesday 11th April

Leisurely drive to Manduria, famous for its individual expression of the Primitivo grape. Here we visit the Feudi San Marzano, founded in 2003 to nurture the precious heritage of ancient vines still producing grapes of high quality. In addition to tasting these fine red wines, we will have the opportunity to try their range of delicious, modern whites that are also gaining an international reputation. We then move on to the appellation of Leverano where our hosts, Conti Zecca, have been established since the 1500s. We join them for a comprehensive tutored tasting lunch of traditional and modern styles. We return to Lecce late afternoon for an evening at leisure.

Thursday 12th April

Today we move from Baroque Lecce to Romanesque Trani, via the impressive Norman cathedrals in the province of Bari: Bitonto, Ruvo, Molfetta and glorious Trani itself. Lunchtime is free in Molfetta. After checking into our next hotel, our evening visit is to the Rivera wine estate for a tasting and dinner. Our hotel in Trani is a converted convent, complete with vaulted ceilings and perfectly situated on the harbour in Trani.

Friday 13th April

Visit to the vineyards in the triangle between Trani, Barletta and Andria, and those around Emperor Frederick’s enigmatic castle. We begin with a tasting visit to the Torrevento estate, where the cellars and tasting room are in a converted monastery. We then drive a short distance to Tormaresca’s beautiful Tenuta Bocca di Lupo estate, where we will enjoy our tasting lunch overlooking the the vines that provided the wines that we will be drinking.We end with a guided tour of Castel del Monte, a mysterious and fascinating monument that dominates the land around and has given its name to the wine appellation.

In the evening we return to Trani, with time to explore this charming town.

Saturday 14th April

We cross into the viticultural heartland of Campania, which is inland from the vibrant city of Naples. Here we find the excellent wines of Taurasi, Greco di Tufo and Fiano di Avellino. We have an early departure for Campania, where we will visit the cellars of the Mastroberardino family, whose legendary Taurasi red was for decades the lone focal point of exceptional quality, until recently joined by a handful of other fine producers. Here we enjoy a simple lunch of local specialities. We check into our hotel in Atripalda before our evening visit.

One of the best wine producers, not only of the region but of of Italy, is Feudi di San Gregorio where we will have our tutored tasting followed by dinner in their unforgettable Michelin starred restaurant, to showcase the local produce, but in a stylish and modern presentation. The cuisine of Campania is what comes to most people’s mind when they think of Italian food – tomato and olive oil based dishes, delightful fish dishes, mozzarella, a wide variety of antipasti plus spagetti and pizza. With basic ingredients of great quality, the local cuisine is simple, letting the primary flavours shine through. But at the Feudi restaurant, their chef uses these ingredients in a stylish and inventive way, to pair with their outstanding wines.

Sunday 15th April

It is a short drive from Avellino to Naples, so there is the opportunity of visiting the ruins at Pompeii (entrance fee not included) before returning to Naples airport for the return flight to Gatwick.

If you would like to extend in Naples at the end of the tour, please call for details.

If you would like a special night out in Naples, please note that there is a ballet performance at the beautiful Teatro San Carlo in Naples – Strauss’s Il Pipistrello, on the 15th April.