Negroamaro (whose name is the amalgamation of two distinct words for black - one from the local dialect, the other Greek) is the oldest and most widespread grape variety in Salento. 

This wine will literally seduce you, as it embodies the history of the land, its culture and people. The heel of Italy, once home to ancient Messapia, includes the entire province of Lecce and part of the provinces of Brindisi and Taranto.

Surrounded by the Adriatic and Ionian seas, Salento is a land of sun, wind and vibrant colours: rust-red soil and ruby-red wine, dark green Mediterranean shrub, azure water and white sand beaches, ancient grey stone walls, whitewashed houses and typical trulli, silver-leafed olive trees, and golden fields of wheat.

Tasting Negroamaro is like soaking up a distillation of every hue, and its robust flavour encompasses the fruit of hard work in every glass.

Just as the wine has exported Salento’s culture abroad, so has this hospitable land continued to evolve by opening itself to dialogue and exchanges, absorbing nuances of other cultures from around the world. 

The triumph of Lecce’s Baroque style

The aristocratic and cultured heart of Salento is Lecce, the capital of Baroque style, with its ochre stone buildings, beautiful Piazza del Duomo, opulent decorations and buzzing art scene. The city overlooks a large plain embraced by two seas.

From the low, rocky coastline interspersed with green pine forests, the landscape rolls out like an immense carpet, with endless vistas of red earth dotted with barren rocks, vineyards and olive groves, ancient wells, oil mills and beautiful farms that were once hubs of trade in the area. Many farmsteads have been meticulously transformed into tourist accommodation where visitors can experience authentic Salento living.

The cradle of Negroamaro

Novoli, Carmiano, Galatina, Cutrofiano and Otranto are some of the names most closely linked to Negroamaro, and wonderful destinations for appreciating Romanesque and Renaissance architecture, splendid scenery and ancient traditions. If you’re in the area, join the feast of Maria Santissima del Pane which takes place every summer in Novoli, or the tarantate in Galatina.

Don’t miss the old town of Otranto, which has withstood the passage of time and preserved all its historic charm. Enter through the “Porta Terra", set in the recently restored Napoleonic ramparts, and stroll to the heart of town where you’ll arrive in a triangular piazza built in the second half of the 16th century. Here you will find the Basilica di San Pietro and, in the upper part of town, the cathedral and seminary. Castello Aragonese is located near the sea, and is one of the glories of Puglia.

Between Two Seas

When talking about Salento, we can’t forget its delightful coast and famous seaside resorts. On the jagged rocky Adriatic coastline, you’ll encounter picturesque marinas, small inlets and innumerable grottoes stretching between Otranto, Santa Cesaria Terme, Tricase and Santa Maria di Leuca. Along the stunning west coast, visit charming Gallipoli perched on an outcrop overlooking the sea, Porto Selvaggio, Santa Caterina and Porto Cesario. Coastal towers keep a watchful eye over the seas all the way up to the bay of Taranto.