We have been exceptionally lucky with the weather as more pristine blue sky and 25 degrees awaited our day to Noci and Locorotondo. These two towns nestle right in the heart of the Itrian Valley – a limestone depression that marks the boundary between north and south Puglia and about 90 minutes back up the coast past Brindisi towards Bari. Our first visit was to the small family owned estate of I Pastini. With just 14 hectares, they classify as a boutique winery relative to the vast quantities that are produced in Puglia. Gianni Carparelli, 2nd generation and winemaker showed us round which included a fascinating tour of some 17th century trulli that are on the property. Trulli are the conical roofed stone shelters or storehouses that are very common in the Itrian Valley – with the town of Alberobello being a Unesco World Heritage on account of its extraordinary density of trulli.
I Pastini mainly make white wines thanks to the limestone soil and once again we experienced some wonderful indigenous grape varieties. Verdeca, Bianco d’Alessano and Minutolo are not grapes that many people have ever tasted but they hold their own in the Itrian Valley. We also tasted a sparkling Verdeca (a first for me!) and a wonderfully fruity red made from the Susumaniello grape – yet another indigenous grape that deserves more attention.
From I Pastini, we took a short hop north to Noci (literally a town called walnuts) and met Mark Shannon at a beautiful Masseria – farmhouse restaurant. Mark is a Californian who set up A Mano wines with his Italian partner Elvezia back in 1998 and they very quickly established a reputation for making brilliant wines – particularly from Primitivo. We tasted through the range and had lunch. However – the last sentence in no way does justice to the extraordinary afternoon we experienced. Mark is very entertaining and passionate as a winemaker and conveyed not only the pleasure he takes in making wine but in the whole Puglian culture. The lunch was a mind blowing selection of Puglian antipasti that mesmorised the tastebuds: stuffed artichokes, courgettes in many forms, bread salad, aubergine creations and a host of delicious dishes that were totally new experiences for everyone. It showed Puglian cuisine in a truly glorious shining light of creativity and flavour.
We didn’t want to leave – surely the ultimate compliment!
