​"Age, lovers and glasses of wine should never be counted"



Our Top 5 Wineries



There are so many winemakers in Puglia that I suspect everyone will disagree with the following selection of our Top 5 wineries. Our selection has been made based on the following criteria: the quality of wine, the story behind the winery, the surroundings of the winery / vineyard and vicinity to the Masseria. We think that you will be delighted with any of the wines from these producers. If you feel inspired to visit any of the wineries, you will typically need to book a few days in advance or you can leave the car behind and come on an organised tour with transport provided!


1. Feudo Croce
Feudo Croce is run by the Tinazzi family who have been making wine on the shores of Lake Garda for three generations. The family bought the estate, based just outside the town of Carosino near San Giorgio Jonico, in 2001 and have completely overhauled the entire business. One of the highlights of a visit to their masseria is the barrel room where classical (and obviously Italian!) music is constantly played to allegedly help the wine relax!
They now produce 10 wines under the Feudo Croce brand (6 reds, 1 rosato and 3 whites) based primarily on local grape varieties including; primitivo, negroamaro, aglianico, malvasia nera and fiano.
We like all of their wines; Amarosé is an excellent rosato and their flagship wine Imperio LXXIV was in Wine Spectator magazine's Top 100 Wines in the World in 2014 and 2015 (and yet is still widely available locally for under €20 a bottle).
The family also own the nearby Cantine San Giorgio , famous for its 21m tall wine tower which was designed to provide a natural way to prevent the wine from overheating in the summer. The wines under this label are also well worth looking out for, particularly Kleio which just missed out on our list of top rosatos .


2. Consorzio Produttori Vini
CP Vini
is one of the oldest wine co-operatives in Puglia, dating back to 1932. It is a collective organisation of around 400 local farmers based around the city of Manduria and has around 1,000 hectares of vines. The majority of farmers own around 1 - 2 hectares of vines and so would struggle to produce wine on their own. However, by working as a collective it was possible for them to pool their resources and build one of the most important wineries in the region. The winery has a fascinating museum of wine making and agricultural life in Puglia housed in the old, underground concrete vats where wine used to be stored many years ago.
​The winery has three basic standards of wine: table wine (which is sold out of petrol pumps), standard bottled wine and its flagship riserva wines. As you would expect, the winery's main focus is on Primitivo wine but does also produce some negroamaro, fiano and chardonnay wines.
Aka is a very interesting rosato wine, made from primitivo, that is a vibrant coral red colour and is extremely drinkable. This is a great winery to use in order to assess how different production techniques can impact on the final product by trying two or three different wines in their range of primitivos. For something very different try Madrigale a Primitivo di Manduria DOCG Dolce Naturale - for me it is a real Jekyll & Hyde wine. Taste it on its own and, for my taste, it is far too sweet and not something that I would choose. However, try it with something sweet (at the winery they serve it with little almond pastry biscuits) and it changes completely, suddenly the sweetness is neutralised and it tastes absolutely delicious. Proof that pairing the right wine with the right food can dramatically enhance both.


3. Castello Monaci
Castello Monaci is located near the small town of Salice Salentino (see Wine Varities ) and is one of the oldest wineries in the region. It is based on the grounds of an impressive castle dating from around 1500 that originally housed an order of Basilian monks (hence Castle of the Monks). It has since been the private residence of some of the most important (and rich!) noble families in the area. It is now used primarily as a wedding / events venue and hosts weddings almost every day of the year (and in the summer there are often two a day). The barrel room / cellar is particularly impressive and is also used by the winemaker to store bottles of their flagship brands under perfect conditions so that they can record exactly how their wines evolve over time (and differ between vintages) so that they can better forecast how new wines will perform in the future.
The winery is managed by Gruppo Italiano Vini and has two different brands. Feudo Monaci is their entry level label and is available from many supermarkets in the area, covering 7 different wines (5 red, 1 rosato and 1 white). They all represent excellent value for money. Their main Castello Monaci brand includes 13 wines (2 grand reservas, 5 reds, 1 rosato, 4 whites and 1 dessert white). We particularly like the summery Petraluce white wine and Coribante which is an interesting blend made from syrah and malvasia nera di Lecce grapes. Since the vineyards are located just a few kilometres outside the Manduria wine region, they cannot produce a Primitivo di Manduria DOC wine. Pilùna is an excellent example that the different wine classifications in Italy do not necessarily represent a quality scale and that a Primitivo Salento IGT cannot be the measure of any DOC from the neighbouring region.


4. Masseria Altemura

Masseria Altemura (High Walls Manor) is an important historic building just outside the town of Torre Santa Susanna and is one of the closest vineyards to our Masseria. The masseria was originally part of a long line of defences running from the Castle at Oria all the way to the Adriatic Coast. It is famous locally for the sixteenth century frescoes in its private chapel, used originally by the owner's family and the farm labourers who worked for him.
The estate was purchased in the late 1990s by the Zonin family (who own vineyards across the world) and has been completely renovated. The vines have all been re-planted and a new winery building has also be constructed to cater for the full production process.
The vineyard produces 12 different wines (6 reds, 1 rosato, 3 whites and 2 sparkling wines (1 white, 1 rosato). ​
Particular favourites of ours are Rosamaro a sparkling rosato made from negroamaro - which is probably one of my favourite sparkling wines from Puglia. It is a great wine to enjoy on a summer afternoon with a picnic sitting in the shade of an olive tree. The estate borders the boundary of the Manduria wine region and so interestingly has two main primitivo labels: Sasseo (a Primitivo Salento IGT) and Altemura (a Primitivo di Manduria DOC). If you have the chance to try both I would highly recommend it. Personally, I find that they are very difficult to split them - some days I prefer Altemura and on others Sasseo . Further proof that wine classifications are not all about quality!


5. Masseria Li Veli
Masseria Li Veli was originally built by the Marquis Antonio de Viti de Marco, a famous Italian economist, professor and politician. His vision was to build a model winery for the whole of Southern Italy to copy. It was purchased in 1999 by the Falvo family who have completely renovated the entire property and vineyards. The family also own a bistro in Covent Garden in London where you can get your fix of Puglian wine and food!
​Of particular interest is the layout of the vineyards which are in the settonce pattern (devised originally by Roman military engineers). This is formed by planting six vines, one on each corner of a hexagon and then a seventh in the middle. Using this pattern, whichever direction you look in you will see a straight row of vines. Aside from pleasing weirdos like me, this layout has numerous advantages for the plants and the farmer.
The winery make 14 wines (9 reds, 2 rosatos, 2 whites and a dessert red) plus a rather good grappa. I particularly like the story behind the naming of Passamante (passing lovers) which also happens to be a very good wine. I am also a big fan of their interesting flagship wine MLV which is a delicious blend of primitivo, negroamaro and cabernet sauvignon.