Puglia: Ancient Land, Simple Dishes, Wines Re-energizing.

Becky Sue — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:28:35 +0000

Creamy white mozzarella for any meal

I now require soft, fresh white mozzarella cheese every morning. And sometimes as a first course in the evening , too. Strewn with red, juicy cherry tomato halves, a drizzle of this season’s gold-green olive oil, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. This the cucina povere (cuisine of the poor) from Puglia, the Italian province in “the heel of the boot.”
The food is abundantly fresh in this warm Mediterranean climate, though traditionally without much variety: pasta made without eggs, fresh cow’s milk cheese, native greens and wild onions, chick peas or fava beans, and bright, ripe cherry tomatoes, both fresh and dried. They decorate their few pastas and creamy new mozzarellas with knobs and twists and curls. They create a golden tan sauce with fava beans for their wild chicory, and augmented it with a chick pea condiment. They eat petal-shaped pasta with simple, fresh tomato sauce. For a side dish, they caramelize wild onions then scramble in some egg. Today, these are prized elements of native Puglian cuisine. Along with wines made from grapes that have been used for wine for 2500 years

Wine bottles in Puglia

What do they drink now? This is not a simple answer, as Puglia is made up of several different provinces, 25 DOCs, each with their own rules about which grapes to grow and blend. Many Puglian indigenous grapes are unheard of in much of the rest of the world: Bombino Bianco, Bianco d’Alessano, Greco Bianco, Nero di Troia (also known as Uva di Troia), Negroamaro, Sussumaniello. Some of the grapes we know, but not well: Aleatico, Aglianico, Fiano, Malvasia, Moscato and Primitivo.
Tourism is expanding in tandem with the wine industry’s revitalization. Puglians are reaching out to industry professionals from other countries. Though there are, of course, more hotels and rental properties being built, I was fascinated with the country houses and masserias – ancient, fortified farmsteads – converted into hotels with often with restaurants, spas, pools and beach shuttles. Their welcoming rooms offer privacy as well as sanctuary, opening off central living spaces, courtyards and lanes. Like those I visited: country house hotel Cefalicchio with its restaurant, spa and biodynamic vineyards; and village-like Masseria Torre Coccaro which has spa, restaurant, pool and even its own cooking school, if you want to learn how to make the Puglian dishes you’ve been tasting – along with all those newly-discovered wines.

After the winetasting in Puglia

Puglia

Becky Sue — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:52:52 +0000

Still trying to get my head around the wines of Puglia, where I spent several days last week. All sorts of great native grapes — negroamaro, primitivo, uva di troia, bombino bianco, malvasia, fiano — and some chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon.
As with many emerging wine regions, Puglian winemakers are caught in a dilemma: should they be promoting their indigenous grapes or concentrating on wines made with internationally-known grapes? They have an added handicap because Puglia has been producing bulk wines for decades.
What do you think they should do?

BeckySueEpstein.com » Puglia

Puglia: Ancient Land, Simple Dishes, Wines Re-energizing.

Puglia