“‘I chose to be a winemaker at my age because I’m a bit crazy and I hope that my sons won’t blame me for the investment made in Puglia. As an Abruzzese, today I consider the Vigneto Abruzzo a mature region. And as a lover of native grape varieties, I decided to marry Puglia, which is far behind and therefore has a great future ahead of it.”
This is said by Bruno Vespa, anchorman of “Porta a Porta” and producer of the winery “Vespa Vignaioli per Passione”, during “Rosso Mediterraneo”, the tasting promoted by the Consortium for the protection of Primitivo di Manduria DOP and Docg and organized by the association GnamGlam in Rome. The consortium brings together about 40 bottling companies, with a dozen or so large cooperatives and a flourishing number of small producers, which have been growing in recent years. “I’ve been passionate – added Vespa – for 40 years about wines, a student of Veronelli, I taste different labels at every meal”.
I ask the Consortium to keep up the quality and therefore also the prices. The Consortium is an area of protection that must ensure that there are tight brakes on quality in the denomination area. For Primitivo di Manduria – Vespa stressed – the space for development is enormous; in California they are enthusiastic about it. And I want to participate in the redemption of the Primitivo di Manduria”.
Meanwhile, in Rome, a guided tasting of ten labels from the 18 municipalities in two provinces of the appellation area, brought to light identity wines with a characteristic sapid note from the characteristic alberello vine on the Apulian coast, as well as the rare production of “natural dessert”, from overripe grapes left in the plant.