Fuso CALX Primitivo, Puglia IT Red Wine

This is a fresh-n-juicy Primitivo from Puglia - the 'heel of the boot' in southern Italy. The wine is crafted in a crushable style with a light-to-medium body, aromas of fresh cherry, ripe strawberry, violet, and hints of dried herbs that highlight it's juicy acidity.

Organically-grown, with a native yeast fermentation and a minimum of added sulfites. I recommend serving this wine with a slight chill (about 55-60 degrees, achievable after about 45 min in the refir!) and then pop the cork to go with BBQ or anything off the grill, Grandma's meatball recipe, beet gnocchi, charcuterie, or your favorite Italian take-out.

The Grape - Present-day Croatia, Montenegro and Albania have been identified as the original source of this grape, many centuries ago. It is thought that this grapevine was introduced by Slavic escapees to Italy's Apulia region between the 15th and 16th century during the Ottoman occupation.

It wasn't until the end of the 18th century that an Italian priest named Don Filippo Indellicati (who was a botanist) first gave this grapevine the name that is still in use today: he it 'Primativo' because of the grape’s tendency to ripen early. The main characteristics of Primitivo are: beautiful colour, from deep-purple red to ruby red to dark red; a fresh, pure nose of red and black berries and herbs and spices; sumptuous, elegant flavor profile supported by velvety tannins and marked by mineral notes.

Brand-new by Italian standards, Polvanera was launched in 2002 by Filippo Cassano in order to perfect and promote his region's native grapes, including this delicious, easy-drinking version of the (sometimes overly serious and brooding) Primitivo!