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Italy’s Puglia may be known for alluring red wines like Primitivo and Negroamaro, but the region’s white wine blends also offer an exciting alternative to single variety white wines found in the US and beyond. Case in point, I Pástini’s 2021 Locorotondo Bianco “Antico”.
We discovered this family-owned Puglian winery, and it’s interesting wines, through one of our favorite importers, Kermit Lynch. The wine is a beautiful marriage of three indigenous white grapes native to Southern Italy’s Valle d’Itria: Verdeca, Bianco d’Alessano and Minutolo, and is produced by vinifying all three grapes at once.
The Carparelli family isn’t shy about their love of their indigenous grape varieties. In fact, when they founded I Pàstini in 1996, they did so with the idea that their winery would be a vehicle for exposing these ancient Italian grape varieties to a wider, wine-loving audience.
While the family did own a vineyard, the task of seeking out these “hidden” grapes wasn’t an easy one, but that did not dissuade Gianni and Donato Carparelli, the son and father team behind I Pàstini. They contacted other families in Valle d’Itria and located some of the most ancient producing vines in the region. Rather than simply buy fruit from these growers, they purchased budwood and grafted the vines on their own property over to these gems.
Today, the family has a productive, certified organic vineyard of 18 hectares. The entire project took seven years before they were able to conduct the inaugural harvest in 2003.
All of the grapes used in the 2021 Locorotondo Bianco “Antico” are native to southern Italy. While two primary grapes in the blend, Verdeca (60%) and Bianco d’Alessano (35%) are well known in the region, the third, Minutolo (5%), is pretty obscure.
You don’t often run across these grape varieties, so we’re going to dedicate some space on the page to exploring their characteristics to give you a better sense of what this wine is like.
The Verdeca grape is a rare-ish white Italian wine grape variety that mostly grows in Apulia in southern Italy. This grape is one of the primary grapes used in Locorotondo DOC wines (like this bottle of 2021 Locorotondo Bianco “Antico”). Depending on when the grapes are harvested, Verdeca wines can be herbal, aromatic wines, and have notes of lemon-lime citrus. Verdeca is also known for its bright acidity and “green” quality.
Like so many other native Italian grapes, Bianco d’Alessano is experiencing a resurgence after being “rediscovered”. Though the grape never really went away, modern winemakers willing to take a chance on their native grapes, as winemaker Gianni Carparelli has, find these grapes captivating. Not only do they produce interesting wines, but they provide a unique window into the history of Italian wine, and the region’s special terroir.
Bianco d’Alessano wines are often fresh, acidic, and balanced, with a flavor profile that leans towards pear, apple, and peach, subtle herbs and earthiness. When used as a blending grape, this variety contributes weightiness to the palate.
The Minutolo grape is a resurrected puglian treasure. This native Puglian grape was once on the verge of extinction, but, thankfully for wine lovers like us, a handful of winemakers have been cultivating these grapes for their aromatic and light-bodied qualities.
This low-yielding grape thrives in the hot, sunny Puglian weather and creates wines that have extravagant noses with floral notes of orange blossom, jasmine, and citrus. Minutolo is refreshingly acidic and light-bodied.
The Locorotondo appellation, which sits between Bari and Brindisi in Puglia, is a picturesque wine region known for hot, sunny days and moderating breezes from the Adriatic Sea. In other words, it’s an ideal place for grape growing. White wines produced here under the Locorotondo DOC designation are celebrated for their crisp acidity, floral aromas, and refreshing palate. These wines are primarily made from the Verdeca, Bianco d’Alessano, and Minutolo grape varieties, offering a captivating taste of Puglia’s viticultural heritage.
Italy
Pugilia
60% Verdeca, 35% Bianco d’Alessano, 5% Minutolo
12
Gianni Carparelli
47–50°F / 7–10°C
Chardonnay
N/A
Now
I Pástini
In the glass, I Pástini’s 2021 Locorotondo Bianco “Antico” is a pale lemon color with bright clarity. A bouquet of lemon, dense straw, and vegetal grass is immediate. The palate expands on these qualities with additional layers of lemon-lime, quenching melon and peach, and wet gravel. Aging this medium-bodied wine in stainless steel tanks for five to six months keeps the acidity balanced and works well with the finish.
This wine offers a compelling reason to explore lesser known grape varieties, not just for the thrill of trying something new, but to support small wineries taking chances on heritage varieties. This southern Italian gem is worth sipping.
