N.V. Cantine Antonio Ferrari Barone 54

Antonio Ferrari was a wine merchant and negociant in Piedmont who in the mid-20th century developed an interest in the grapes of Puglia, especially Primitivo. He made a few mid-century vintages from Primitivo, which is an ancient grape related to the Zinfandel. Ferrari made Primitivo wines in 1949, 1954, and 1959. Although 1959 was one of the hottest years in Puglia’s history and therefore a difficult harvest, Ferrari bought truckloads of the overripe grapes from the 1959 harvest and transported them back to his cellars in Galliate. His plan was to produce a big, sweet wine with an alcohol content of 21%. However, once the grapes were in his cool caves in northern Italy, fermentation stopped at just under 14%. He left the wine for 10 years in Slovenian casks and then kept them for another 35 years in a cement cask. When Antonio died in the early years of this century his daughter decided to release the wine, Solaria Jonica, which had been one of his life’s great passions. It has been described by reviewers as something of a cross between a Recioto and a Port. Wine Advocate noted its “amazingly fresh ruby color…and decadent nose…” In 1978 Ferrari made a Negroamaro and Malvasia wine.

Puglia has more acres of vineyards than any other region in Italy except Sicily. Located in the southeast in the “heel” of boot-shaped Italy, it enjoys a hot, sunny climate moderated by Puglia’s location on the Adriatic and the Gulf of Taranto. Puglia has 275,00 vineyard acres, four DOCGs and 29 DOCs. For most of its long winemaking history – started, it is believed, by the Ancient Greeks – Puglia shipped off its prodigious grape harvests to other parts of Italy, where it was used to give backbone to less robust wines. Local Puglian wines were made in cooperatives, and were not especially notable. But as state funding of coops dried up in the 1990s, some local growers started marketing their own wines and quality producers from other parts of Italy moved into Puglia. Antinori purchased two estates in the 1990s and now makes its Tormaresca wines in Puglia, among others. Red, white and rosé wines are made. The big, fruity red Puglian wines are often made from Negromaro, the most-planted grape in Puglia, and Primitivo, which is genetically linked to Zinfandel. White wines are made from Bombino Bianco, Verdeca and Chardonnay.