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Primitivo di Manduria
Just looking at this wine's deep red colour you get the feeling that it is not exactly a lightweight. And you'd be right. Primitivo di Manduria is known for its powerful spicy flavour, which makes it a particularly good match for meat and cheese. At the same time, however, its berry-filled, fruity aroma makes it extremely enjoyable on its own.
Primitivo – a well-travelled grape
Primitivo di Manduria comes from the southern Italian region of Apulia, which is not only one of Italy's biggest winegrowing areas, with around 145,000 hectares under vine, but is also Italy's best-known producer of the Primitivo grape variety. The southern region, which enjoys an equable Mediterranean climate, produces powerful, concentrated red wines from the grape, which are sold under the name Primitivo di Manduria.
Primitivo is not an indigenous Italian grape. It originally comes from Croatia, where it is known as Crljenak Kaštelanski. At least as well known, however, is the Zinfandel grape – a close relative with the same ancestors. DNA analysis carried out in 2001 confirmed that winemakers must have taken Croatian vines to America and Italy and planted them there. Differences in climate and soil properties led to the two varieties evolving in rather different ways. Nevertheless, the similarities between Zinfandel and Primitivo wines remain indisputable.
Primitivo di Manduria Dolce Naturale – Apulia’s first DOCG wine
- Primitivo di Manduria must have an alcohol content of at least 13.5% by volume, and 85% of the grapes used to produce it must be Primitivo. The remaining maximum of 15% must be red grape varieties that have no or very little aroma of their own and which may be officially grown in the region.
- Primitivo di Manduria Riserva must have an alcohol content of at least 14% by volume. It has a particularly long ageing period of at least two years, a minimum of nine months of which must be in an oak barrel. This gives it its characteristically velvety, full-bodied flavour.
- Primitivo can also be used to produce a sweet wine – Primitivo di Manduria Dolce Naturale. This wine must be made entirely from Primitivo grapes – must be a single varietal, in other words – and have an alcohol content of at least 16%. In contrast to conventional wine-making, the grapes are dried before they are vinified. This guarantees a residual sugar content of at least 50 grams per litre.
What occasions should you buy Primitivo di Manduria for?
