Wine Tours
Until relatively recently very few people knew that Puglia produces more wine than any other region in Italy mainly due to the fact that most of the region's grapes are exported for blending with other wines. Now however fewer grapes are exported as wine growers realize their crops' potential to produce finer wines. Yields are down, quality is up, and the results are slowly putting Puglia wine on the map. Today, the annual production of Puglia wine is more than 12 million hectolitres. The local grapes are Negroamaro, Primitivo (Zinfandel), Malvasia Nera, Uva di Troia and Aleatico. Contact us for a guided tour of the production process and wine tastings.
Things to See and Do
When the children have had enough of splashing around in the pool why not take a trip to one of the nearby beaches or other activity centres that the whole family can enjoy together.
Discover the secrets of good Pugliese cooking with a private lesson in the comfort of your holiday property.
A local cook will come to your holiday property and will introduce you to the age old secrets of traditional Pugliese dishes from recipes handed down over generations and, with you, prepare and cook a typical meal for your enjoyment.
Choose from the set menus or from a selection of local dishes. If there is a particular dish that is not listed but you would like to make please ask and we will do our best to accomodate it. Maria willl provide all the ingredients for your meal.
No trip to Italy is complete without a trip to Lecce and having at least learnt to make pasta from scratch!
Starting the morning at a cookery school in Lecce learning to cook typical Pugliese dishes from scratch which you then eat for lunch over a bottle or two of wine which will be appropriate for the meal cooked. A wine tasting trip to a local wine producer can also be arranged for you during your stay.
After your meal you may want to take a siesta at your accomodation, which will be in the historical centre, and when refreshed explore the beautiful town of Lecce.
Have you ever wondered what the difference is between the different types and grades of olive oils and why two never taste the same? Discover the secrets that go into producing a good quality extra virgin olive oil with a private trip to a local producer.
We can arrange a visit for you and, so that you can make the most of your time, coincide it with the local market day.
Find out how olives for the oil are cultivated, trees pruned and the olives harvested and pressed to produce the different grades of olive oil and the techniques used for conserving the extra virgin olive oil in cisterns carved out of calcified rock.
Once the productions methods have been explained you can sample the different types and find out for yourself which oils should be used for cooking or added directly to food or salads and which flavour you prefer.
Please contact us for further information.
An essential ingredient of a successful holiday is having good local food and wine.
At most of our properties we can arrange for a local cook to come to your holiday home to prepare and cook local dishes for you so that you can enjoy the local food at its most authentic. You will not have to set foot in the kitchen, worry about shopping or washing up, all that will be taken care of so that you can relax by the pool with a book or a glass of wine while soaking up the aromas of your meal being prepared.
Contact us to book or for more information.
In recent years Puglia has seen a marked shift in wine production from quantity to quality, and although reds make up the majority of production there are some fantastic white wines from the region as well. If you're unsure of what to try let us know your tastes and we can purchase a suitable selection of wines on your behalf.
RED WINE
Negroamaro (the same grape as California Zinfandel)
Primitivo
Nero di Troia
Salice Salentino
WHITE WINE
Although red wines make up the majority of production in the area, there are some fantastic white wines from the region as well.
Verdeca
Bombino Bianco
Please contact us for more information.
