Puglia IGP
Grape Negroamaro

Immaculate, fresh, dry rosé. A lovely strawberry and cream texture, sharpened with crunchy white berry fruit flavours. This wine is not just for summer, it is a fine winter aperitivo and excellent with vegetable dishes. 13%

link to the Cantina Sampietrana producer page

The rosé (rosato) of Puglia has long been acknowledged as one of Italy’s finest. It is the Pugliese thirst quencher as their climate is a little oppressive for most white varieties. Sampietrana have been quick to recognise that rosato is becoming fashionable again, and they have utilised their old Negro Amaro vines to make a not too pale, absolutely dry, wonderful and characterful modern wine.

The vineyards around San Pietro are on chalky, clay soils. The vines are grown using an old Alberello Pugliese (like a small tree) system, this keeps the yields low (and the costs high). Picking is a week earlier than the main red harvest, it is done by hand. Almost everything is by hand when the vineyards resemble crazed micro-orchards and the grapes have to be transported in small crates to the winery to ensure the skins are not broken. Fermentation is in concrete tanks with limited temperature control, time on the skins is just a few hours. The technology and facilities are limited at Sampietrana, the expertise is not.