San Marzano, ‘Edda Lei Bianco’, Salento, Italy 2020

In 1962, 19 vine growers from San Marzano whose families had farmed the land for generations, banded together to establish Cantine San Marzano. The cooperative has grown significantly since then, attracting more than 1,200 top-quality vine growers. Winemakers Caterina Bellanova and Davide Ragusa, who both grew up in Puglia, use modern and technologically advanced vinification techniques to produce elegant wines that pay homage to the ancient Apulian wine traditions.

San Marzano is located in Puglia’s Primitivo di Manduria DOP zone and not surprisingly, therefore, Primitivo is its principal grape variety. But excellent Negromaro, Merlot, Chardonnay, Malvasia Bianco, Malvasia Nera, Fiano and Vermentino are all cultivated by the cooperative too. The terroir in this region is typical of southern Puglia: hot and dry, with plains sloping gently down to the sea. The vineyards here are ancient and share the land with endless olive groves – as well as wine, Puglia is known as a prolific source of olive oil, generating half of Italy’s annual production.

The vineyard for this wine is located at approximately 100 metres above sea level and benefits from great diurnal temperature variations. The warmer temperatures during the day and cooler nights encourage the grapes to have a long maturation period, with the heat of the day promoting sugar accumulation, while the cooler nights preserve the acidity levels.

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