STORY
Ask a wine person about Puglia and you will likely be answered with a lecture on Primitivo. True, 99% of the focus in Puglia as far as wine is concerned, is focused around this big, dark, inky red wine. Many of them are wonderful, and others are simply not. In fact most of winemakin in Puglia is largely dominated by big agriculture and ‘conventional farming’. But, search for forward thinkers in Puglian winemaking and you will likely land one result reliably–Valentina Passalacqua. One of the most exciting Italian winemakers of our time, Valentine’s wines–many of them there are–are all variations of the glou-glou variety, offering up an alternative of what great, natural Puglian wine can look like–and taste like. Do check out her wild and thirst-quenching Pet Nats.
HOW TO
We are perhaps most excited by her brand new release–SoulGlu–which is most aptly described as the anti-Primitivo, Primitivo. Valentina has taken her Primitivo and given it the carbonic, Beaujolais style glou-glou treatment, yielding a bright and snappy thirst- slaking red clocking in right at 10%–from one of Italy’s warmest regions. Think tart red cherries, wild herbs, black pepper, and olive. Chillable reds are the new rosé! Do not miss out with pairing this, or the subsequent selection, with fatty charcuterie!
