The Vineyards
From Salento tradition to modern production processes
Cantina Sampietrana wines are the result of careful transformation processes of the native grape varieties “Negroamaro, Primitivo and Malvasia”.
The grape varieties used also include the ancient Susumaniello, the traditional Aglianico, Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Lambrusco, Fiano and Verdeca, as well as the international Syrah, Cabernet, Merlot and Chardonnay.
PRIMITIVO
Primitivo, grown in its characteristic bush shape, is a red grape variety, quite delicate and difficult to grow, which suffers from prolonged drought and excess humidity, as well as spring frosts.
In the upper Salento region, it has found a nearly perfect habitat for proper growth and the production of healthy, excellent-quality grapes for winemaking. It is characterized by a high sugar content in its berries—spherical and medium-sized, with bluish skins and a rich bloom—necessary for producing wines with a high alcohol content. This characteristic is combined with a significant content of anthocyanins in the skins, substances that impart color.
In younger versions, the color is ruby with distinct purple reflections, almost always dark and not very transparent; this aspect becomes more pronounced with aging in wood, a process that also shifts the color toward garnet.
NEGROAMARO
Negroamaro, also known as Negramaro, owes its name to the very dark color of its wines and their characteristic bitter aftertaste. It produces medium-sized bunches of large, very pruinose grapes with thick, black skins with purple highlights.
It’s a highly productive grape variety, requiring proper pruning and moderate training systems. It’s primarily trained as a bush vine to produce quality wines, but also produces excellent results with espalier training. It prefers the calcareous soils typical of Puglia and also benefits from the presence of clay, which helps retain water during periods of drought.
Vinified as a single varietal, it produces wines with a ruby red color tending towards garnet, with aromas of dark flowers and berries, and a full, harmonious, and intense flavor. It is also particularly suited to the production of rosés, among the most popular on the peninsula, with fruity aromas and delicate spicy and floral notes.
SUSUMANIELLO
Susumaniello is an ancient Apulian grape variety, especially widespread in the upper Salento area, in the province of Brindisi. It is characterized by small, round, bluish-black grapes. Its name derives from its high productivity when young, when the bunches are abundantly laden, while the yield decreases significantly with age.
Precisely for this reason, it was once neglected, but today it has been rediscovered for its qualities. The low productivity of mature vines allows for concentrated musts with good acidity, ideal for producing high-quality wines, both alone and in blends with Negroamaro or Malvasia di Brindisi.
The wines have a ruby red color with purple reflections, with aromas of plum, berries and jam, accompanied by pleasant spicy notes of pepper and vanilla.
MALVASIA
The Malvasia Nera di Brindisi has a medium-compact, medium-sized, conical, wingless bunch; the grapes are medium-sized, spheroidal in shape, with thin, pruinose skin and a blue-black color.
The resulting wine is ruby red with purple highlights.
On the palate, it is warm and fruity, with a subtle aromatic note—not overly pronounced, but sufficient to classify it among the aromatic Malvasias.
It can produce a dry wine of great character and, when blended with other grape varieties, it helps to round out the characteristics, softening their sharpness, so much so that it is mentioned in the specifications of many denominations of origin.
