More stunning weather greeted us on Saturday morning for our final full day in beautiful Puglia.
So far, the trip has been a revelation as we have been threading together the incredible wine story and witnessing the dramatic changes that the region has been undergoing. Our first stop was Conti Zecca – a family owned estate that dates back 500 years and situated in the town of Leverano to the south west of Lecce. Conti Zecca are pretty big with an annual production of three million bottles but have retained a friendly feel. We were hosted by the charming Greta who took us through the range. Another version of Verdeca was followed by some easy drinking Negroamaro rose. The reds started to get a bit more serious with a full bodied Salice Salentino Riserva and a real highlight – their Nero 2004. A Primitivo/Cabernet Sauvignon blend with 12 years age. Despite the fact the 2004 was a difficult year in Puglia, this wine showed plenty of life with the Cab Sauv giving some wonderfully earthy claretty characteristics.
We headed back to Lecce for a quick relax and then it was back in the bus for our dinner event at Castello Monaci. This castle is dripping in history with originally French owners but has been in Italian family hands for the past three hundred years. The castle is stunning with a roof top view of 300 hectares of vineyards which was magnificent to behold. Castello Monaci is also a wedding venue and boutique hotel and having tasted a terrific range of wines in the winery we headed out to the poolside for some pre-dinner drinks and canapes. It was a delightful setting, warm with a soft breeze and we quickly forgot that it was due to snow in Oxford.
A superb dinner followed with a delightful selection of antipasti, pasta stuffed with ricotta and basil, beef and porcini mushrooms and a succulent apple and Chantilly cream pastry creation. A cracking end to a fascinating tour!