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IGT Primitivo Puglia: What makes the Primitivo wine so special?  Apulia can boast over two thousand years of satisfied customers: during the time of Emperor Augustus, the Roman poet Horace celebrated the wine of Apulia and Tarentum (the main city in Apulia) as one of the best in Italy. As did Pliny the Elder a century later. The tradition of excellent wines continues to this day in this beautiful part of the country, which is the largest wine producing region in Italy .

This particular Primitivo is labeled IGT, which stands for “ Indicazione Geografica Tipica” (Typical Geographic Indication); it was selected because it is the result of a particularly superior vintage as Apulia enjoyed a predominantly warm weather during the period in which the grapes ripened. Vinicola Tombacco was particularly impressed by the fact that the finish for this particular bottle of Primitivo wine was not overripe and did not feature any of the alcohol burn as in some previous vintages.

The Apulia Primitivo is the genetic twin of the California Zinfandel as proved by Carole Meredith, the renowned University of California-Davis geneticist. Those that are fond of Zinfandel will buy the Primitivo to compare it with their favorite wine to find great similarities and interesting differences. The Vinicola Tombacco Wine experts agree that the differences between Zinfandel and Primitivo depend mostly on the local environmental factors of a particular vintage and on the age of the vineyards.

Varietal : Primitivo. The vineyards are located in the heart of one of the most ancient wine producing areas in Italy, near Taranto , which was known as " Tarentum" in Roman times and sung by Horace and Pliny the Elder. The plains in this area are protected by the Gargano Peninsula mountains to the north, while the Adriatic Sea to the east and the Ionic Sea to the west and south ensure a constant breeze, which is fundamental to the welfare of the vineyards and grapes. The soil is ancient and winemaking is a skill that comes from passion and commitment and it is passed from generation to generation regardless of technologies and available resources.

About the Producer : The Vinicola Tombacco wine cellar was established almost a century ago, in Trebaseleghe, a small rural village in the heart of the northeast of Italy, between the cities of Venice and Padua. As the Italian wine commerce shifted to this area, the cellar expanded its markets and commercial activities beyond this region. Aware of its heritage, the cellar reached out by diligently developing trusting relationships with a number of winemakers and by seizing the opportunity to select the best wines, both locally and throughout Italy . As the Vinicola Tombacco continues in the tradition of offering wines that span a broad range of styles, this year the cellar is proud to announce the promotion of the Primitivo IGT Puglia: Apulia is one of the most ancient and the largest wine producing areas of Italy and like the Veneto region , it is mostly a plain protected by the Gargano Peninsula mountains to the north.

Tasting Notes :   The color is a vivid deep ruby grading to garnet at the rim. The bouquet is forward and enticing with ripe plum and blackberry scents backed by nuances of raspberry, cocoa, vanilla, earth, herbs and black pepper. The flavors are generous and full with raspberry and blackberry elements underscored by subtleties of toasty oak, herbs, earth, and black pepper.

Recommended Food Pairings: The Primitivo wine is ideal when paired with cold cuts and/or semi-firm or hard cheese. It is also ideal for meat roasts (beef, lamb, pork, veal), grilled or broiled steaks, and even barbecue. For pasta lovers we recommend ragout pasta or pasta with mushrooms. This would also be an excellent wine to pair with hearty dishes, from rich pastas to hearty stews to spicy casseroles. It shows the ripe lusciousness found in other Apulian wines like Salice Salentino along with a zesty, red fruit nuance that some consider reminiscent of California Zinfandel.