Primitivo di Manduria DOP 2018 – Vini La Pruina

Pruina is the name of the wax you can find on the skin of the grapes. Vini La Pruina some years ago started looking for some vineyards particularly suited to high quality viticulture. After continuous research throughout the area of Salento, they found two small vineyards belonging to Pietro, a wise vinegrower who had always treated them according to traditional methods and manual care. Intrigued and fascinated by the extraordinary relationship between Pietro and his plants Vini La Pruina becomes one of the vinery which express the Salento terroir and the passion for it. The flagship is the Primitivo di Manduria DOP and with the Salice Salentino, Malvasia Bianca and Negroamaro Rosato you have a full range of wine perfect for any moment.

Primitivo di Manduria

The name derives from the italian Primaticcio, meaning first to ripen. In fact it is one of the first grapes to be picked in Italy, usually in August. Primitivo is a variety of red grape grown across Puglia, which has found its ideal habitat in two areas above all others: the red soils of the Taranto Province where it is used to make Primitivo di Manduria and among the hills of Gioia del Colle in the Bari Province, and in the Murgia uplands.
The Primitivo vine is averagely vigorous and matures early, giving low-medium yields. It suffers drought, spring frosts, flower abortion and high temperatures. Its most problematic characteristic is its tendency to over-ripen very rapidly: sometimes a delay of just a few days in harvesting will lead to shrivelled grapes with a rapid loss of acidity and fresh flavours.
The typical grape cluster is small and elongated, loose with round berries. The skin is delicate and quite thin, and for this reason it is sensitive to humidity and moulds.
It easily reaches high alcohol levels and historically used to boost up more famous wines in France and northen Italy. Also known as Zinfandel in the USA, in 1994 the 2 varieties have been proven to be genetically identical.