A brief history of Zinfandel

Puglia, the heel of Italy’s boot, is the home of the Zinfandel grape (or as the Italians called it, Primitivo). Conquered by Spartans originally, Puglia was considered an important part of the Hellenistic world as it was considered the political, cultural, and commercial capital of the Greek colonies.

Puglia is home to many indigenous grapes like Nero di Troia

Puglia rests on the carsico plateau, and most of the land is either flat or low hills. Carsico (or karst) is eroded limestone with caverns and underground rivers. In Murge, Puglia’s central region, people used to live in trulli (round huts built from locally mind limestone).

Unlike the rest of Italy, Puglia’s landscape is far less mountainous. 55% plains 45% low hills

Most of Puglia sits on limestone plateaus and its soils are rich in calcium. Limestone subsoil is covered by a thin layer of fertile soil, sometimes with very poor organic content. As a result, the plateau is seen as the ideal habitat for the vines, because their roots reach deep into the eroded limestone. Vines often have naturally low yields per hectare, and a great supply of minerals.