One of the most famous wines of Puglia - the Primitivo

Along with Negroamaro and Nero di Troia, Primitivo is one of Puglia’s most famous native grapes and one of the ten most-planted grapes in Italy. The name Primitivo is the name of the grape, due to the fact that it is the first to ripen compared to other red grape varieties in Puglia. In fact, it matures around the end of August and is able to resist the summer heat of Puglia.

Initially grown in the Gioa del Colle area, cuttings of Primitivo reached also Manduria, in the province of Taranto, between 1700 and 1800, brought there by migrant workers. The Salento peninsula – from Taranto and Manduria, over to Brindisi and Lecce is a hot, low lying area up to 100m above sea level, with red and brown clay soils.

The south, Salento and Manduria is a very different place. – the peninsula between the Adriatic and Ionian seas – the influence of the two seas is very strong. The sea gives a salty influence to the wine, and the winds mitigate the heat.

The Primitivo wine is a dark-skinned grape known for producing inky, tannic wines. The Primitivo di Manduria has an intense ruby red color and a very harmonious, spicy and full-bodied taste. On the nose, it recalls red fruits and hints of ripe fruit and licorice, but also cherry or plum jam.

 A classic Primitivo wine is high in both alcohol and tannin, intense deep color with an alcohol content of 16 to 18%.

We tried this dish in July in Ostuni in a restaurant popular with locals. A delicious rich sauce with the beautiful aroma of the famous Primitivo wine.

Ingredients:

For the pasta: (for 4 large portions): 600g of semolina flour, 200g of Primitivo wine, 2 eggs.

For the sauce: 1/2 kg of coarsely ground veal or cut into small pieces, 1 glass of Primitivo, 1 celery stick, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 2 cloves, 2 bay leaves, black peppercorns, oil and salt. 

Make a well in the centre of the flour on the pastry board, pour the wine and eggs in the center, knead until a consistent dough is obtained. Let the dough sit for an hour. In the meantime, put the Primitivo, the cut pieces of celery, carrot, onion, cloves, bay leaf, pepper into a bowl and leave to rest. After the hour, take the pasta and roll it into thin sheets and form the tagliatelle with the help of the pasta machine. Take a pan and brown all the vegetables in the marinade with oil, removing the pepper, bay leaf and cloves, then chop them all upi n the mixer. Add the meat with the wine, salt and cook for about 15 minutes. Bring a large pot of water to the boil for the pasta.Drain the pasta when al dente and season it with the meat sauce, sprinkle with Parmesan. Buon appetito!