the primitive
A story that emerges from the stone
Historical traces would seem to point to the ancient homeland of Primitivo in the region once called Illyria, now comprising Croatia and Montenegro. It is thought that Primitivo was brought to Puglia between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries by Slavic refugees, known as Schiavoni, or Greek-Albanians fleeing Ottoman persecution. In fact, before being called “Primativo” in the late 18th century, this grape variety existed in the Apulian vineyards under the name “Zagarese.” The first to select it and give it the name we know today was the priest of Gioia del Colle, Don Filippo Francesco Indellicati, a botany enthusiast. He planted it in the Terzi district and named it Primativo due to the early ripening of the grapes..
The excellent oenological results favored its rapid spread, especially in the 19th century, particularly in the Murgia area of Bari and the Taranto area.
The key characteristics of the Primitivo from the Murgia area are: the beauty of its color, ranging from intense purple to ruby and garnet with age; the crisp, fresh aroma of red and black fruits and aromatic herbs with hints of spice; and the powerful yet particularly elegant flavor, thanks to the presence of velvety tannins and pronounced notes of freshness and minerality. These characteristics make the Primitivo di Gioia del Colle surprisingly long-lived.
Primitive
Joy
of the hill
