Flat as a billiard table and sun-scorched throughout the long summer, Puglia is as close as Italy gets to California’s Central Valley or to Australia’s Riverina.  If you’re a grape grower, the living is easy.  Rain falls obediently during the winter months, there is an abundance of ancient, unirrigated vineyards, and land values are a tenth of what they are in the industrial north.  Perhaps because it’s just so easy to grow grapes here the quality remains resolutely low. 

In 2006 I spent three weeks visiting just about every Puglian winery from the boutique cellars of wealthy industrialists to the sprawling refineries of the cantine sociale.  Precious little was of interest.  Boutique producers were more concerned with growing Cabernet and Chardonnay than on resurrecting Puglia’s native varietals and the leviathan cooperatives were faithfully churning out the truly undrinkable.  The bright spot in all of this was Lisa Gilbee, an Australian who first worked with Stefano Inama before falling in love with the deep south.

Puglia Estate Details...