The Wine of Puglia: Castello Monaci Artas
The heel of Italia’s boot, Puglia (or Apulia, as it is sometimes called) is a region of prolific wine production. In past, this region often surpassed Sicily and Venetia in volume.
As the traditional markets for heavy and strong wines gradually decreased, local producers put more and more emphasis on top quality wines. They are now producing dry and well balanced red, white and pinkish wines of excellent quality.
Puglia can be separated roughly in two big wine-making sectors by an imaginary line drawn west from Brindisi. North of this line, the ground is hilly and the climate in certain heights on the plateau of Binge is moderate. Dry wines of this sector have a strength moderated with fruity impressions, good acidity and ample bouquet.
Red wines are generally developed from the local Uva di Troia or Bombino Nero grape varietals, as well as Montepulciano and Sangiovese grapes. The whites are dominated by the Verdeca grape, although Bianco d’ Alessano, Malvasia, Trebbiano and Bombino Bianco varietals are also utilized.
Castello Monaci’s Artas Wine
The vineyards of Castello Monaci, in the region of Puglia, harvest their grapes by hand, very early in the morning. In the wine cellar, the recently pressed product is immediately cooled and preserved in the cold for several days to protect all the intrinsic characteristics of the original grapes.
The wine making, with a maceration of fifteen days, sensibly incorporates frequent but non-aggressive reassemblies and the skillful use of changes in temperature. The wine is decanted in small oak barrels for approximately six months to reach maturity and another six months in big barrels.
Artas, made with 100% Primitivo grapes, has a brilliant, deep ruby red color, a very pronounced, complex bouquet and strong marks of forest fruits. The flavor is full, warm, soft and very captivating with flexible and elegant tannins. The wine finishes with one pleasant finale of red berries.
Hello! I’d like to order some Castello Monaci wine to ship to MA as a gift following a family trip to the winery. Both the wine and the vineyard were amazing! Do you have any recommendations for me; I’m striking out with distributors able to ship to MA. Thank you!