Wines made from Nerello mascalese grapes of Puglia
Discover the best wines made with Nerello mascalese as a single variety or as a blend of Puglia.
A very old grape variety grown in Italy, more precisely in the north of Sicily on the slopes of Mount Etna and in Sardinia. Its origin would be Greek because it was reported in Greece in the 7th century B.C. It is the result of a natural intraspecific crossing between sangiovese or nielluccio and mantonico bianco. It should not be confused with nerello capuccio and pignatello nero. It should be noted that Nerello mascalese seems to be a grape variety adapted to altitude, as is the case in Sicily where it is planted at a rate of 6,000 and 9,000 vines per hectare. It is practically unknown in other wine-producing countries, which is certainly due to its late ripening.
Puglia (Apulia to many English speakers) is a Long, slender wine region in the extreme Southeast corner of Italy's "boot". To use the shoe analogy often used to illustrate the shape of Italy, Apulia extends from the tip of the heel to the mid-calf, where the spur of the Gargano Peninsula juts out into the Adriatic Sea. The heel (the Salento peninsula) occupies the southern half of the region and is of great importance for the identity of Puglia. Not only are there cultural and geographical differences from Northern Puglia, but the wines are also different.