FRA_GG_N46-WEB

ITALY
– DISCOVERY –
climate is characterised by the gentle influence of the
sea breeze, which regulates temperatures, encouraging
regular ripening.
In Salice Salentino, the soil is deeper and more clayey,
with medium texture – it is richer in organic substance.
This is the isthmus of land where the distance from the
two seas, the Ionian and the Adriatic, is the shortest,
and is therefore optimally influenced by the sea. Here,
mainly black grapes are grown for full-bodied wines.
Salento is mainly home to Negroamaro and Primitivo,
the grape varieties that probably spearheaded the
rebirth of Puglian viticulture, but Conti Zecca also
believes in white Malvasia and Moscato. Conti Zecca’s
primary grape though is Negroamaro, which forms the
backbone of several wines. The belief here is that the
Puglia ‘brand name’ has gained a lot of traction in recent
years thanks predominantly to tourism, which has put
Puglia on the map as a top gourmet food destination.
Tourists in particular have helped Puglian wine make
its mark, enhancing it as a national and international
brand through its strong regional ties.
The company produces approximately 2,800,000 bottles
of wine, but its Conti Zecca 1580 – earmarked for top
restaurants and wine shops – is released on a smaller
scale of 200,000 bottles. 30% of production is shipped
abroad, mainly to Germany and the English-speaking
world, as well as Japan, China and Thailand. 70% of the
wines though are sold in Italy, mainly in Puglia.
The vineyards owned by the Conti Zecca family cover 320 hectares in the
province of Lecce, mainly in Leverano and Salice Salentino
CANTINA DUE PALME
Cantine due Palme is an agricultural co-operative founded
in 1989 by 10 members, rising to a current 1,000 or so
members and over 2,500 hectares of vineyards in the
provinces of Brindisi, Lecce and Taranto. Production
is centred on Negroamaro, the flagship vine variety of
Salento, which is used to make D.O.P. Salice Salentino,
Brindisi and Squinzano. Production of D.O.P. Primitivo
di Manduria is handled by the Cantina San Gaetano, in
Lizzano, acquired in 2012 with the aim of being part of
the D.O.P.
The Due Palme group also owns the Angelini winery in
San Pietro Vernotico, Riforma Fondiaria and Produttori
Agricoli in Cellino San Marco – where the grapes are
raisined to produce passito – and lastly Cantina Arnesano.
The hub of Cantine Due Palme, in Cellino San Marco, an example of high-tech
winemaking
WINTER 2021 GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE 95