Pampanuto also called Pampanino, this week’s Italian indigenous variety, hails from the Southern region of Puglia. Puglia can be split into North, Central, and Southern Puglia because different grape varieties are the most prevalent in the various area. In the North, around Castel del Monte, the above castel of Ferdinand the II, Bombino Bianco can usually be found. Pampanuto is a low acid variety that is usually blended with Bombino Bianco in the Castel del Monte DOC wines. It can also be found in the Valle d’Itria as well, in the Murgia, in central Puglia.

As a grape, it tends to have medium size berries and is a good sturdy producer of fruit. Its aromas tend toward the herbal and stone fruit families rather than tropical aromas and flavors.

According to Ian d’Agata in Native Grapes of Italy, there is talk that Pampanuto and Verdeca, another grape variety from central Puglia are the same genetically. D’Agata doesn’t seem to buy this theory. I have had a lot of great Verdeca in my day but to my knowledge have not yet tasted a Pampanuto-based wine.

I absolutely love visiting Puglia and hope on my next trip to taste wines made from this grape. The region is so long and there are numerous micro-climates and terroirs that it is difficult to generalize about what the wines taste like. What one does often find is that wines from the Northern part of the region that grow on the hills tend to have nice acidity while the reds from the South are fruit driven and tend to be high in alcohol. In the past, Puglia has been a region of volume wines but the great work that many producers have been doing these last 15 years really shows across the board in all of their wines.

As this is a post about wines, I won’t wax poetic about the beaches and the water but Puglia does have some of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen and some of the best food. I was in Puglia for two weeks on holiday and gained 3 kilos or 6.6 pounds – seriously. I was visiting friends for a few days in Adria and their parents – more precisely their moms – were trying to feed me every single item they could including all of the amazing cheeses from Adria – home of the Burrata. The other part of the vacation I was away with three friends. We ran into a family that one of them sort of knew and everyday we were invited to dinner. It was quite something. I’ve actually never met more hospitable people in my life.

I loved Puglia and can’t wait to go back. It is also a stunning place to vacation for the sea. It felt like I was swimming in an emerald, the water was so green.