Ostuni is a white or ''
rosé
A rosé () is a type of wine that incorporates some of the wine color, color from the grape skins, but not enough to qualify it as a red wine. It may be the oldest known type of wine, as it is the most straightforward to make with the Macerati ...
'' style
Italian wine
Italian wine () is produced in every region of Italy. Italy is the country with the widest variety of indigenous grapevine in the world, with an area of under vineyard cultivation, as well as the List of wine-producing regions#Countries, world's ...
awarded ''
Denominazione di Origine Controllata
The following four classification of wine, classifications of wine constitute the Italy, Italian system of labelling and legally protecting Italian wine:
* ''Denominazione di origine'' (DO, rarely used; ; 'designation of origin');
* ''Indicazione ...
'' (DOC) status in 1972, in the
Province of Brindisi
The province of Brindisi () is a province in the Apulia region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Brindisi. It has an area of and a total population of 401,652 (2013).
Geography
The Province of Brindisi is situated in southeastern Italy, exte ...
of
Apulia
Apulia ( ), also known by its Italian language, Italian name Puglia (), is a Regions of Italy, region of Italy, located in the Southern Italy, southern peninsular section of the country, bordering the Adriatic Sea to the east, the Strait of Ot ...
.
[M. Ewing-Mulligan & E. McCarthy ''Italian Wines for Dummies'' pg 221 Hungry Minds 2001 ] The zone of production of the area is limited to the
communes of
Ostuni
Ostuni (; ) is a city and ''comune'', located about 8 km from the coast, in the province of Brindisi, region of Apulia, Italy. The town has a population of about 32,000 during the winter, but can swell to 200,000 inhabitants during summer, ...
,
Carovigno,
San Vito dei Normanni,
San Michele Salentino
San Michele Salentino is a ''comune'' in the province of Brindisi in Apulia, on the south-east Italian coast. Its main economic activities are the growing of olives and grapes.
International relations
San Michele Salentino is Twin towns and sis ...
and parts of the communes of
Brindisi
Brindisi ( ; ) is a city in the region of Apulia in southern Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. Historically, the city has played an essential role in trade and culture due to its strategic position ...
,
Latiano and
Ceglie Messapica
Ceglie Messapica (; ) is a town, and ''comune'', located in the province of Brindisi and region of Apulia, in southern Italy, in the traditional area called Salento.
Geography
The area of Ceglie Messapica is located between the Murge and the Up ...
.
[La Terra di Puglia]
Vini: Ostuni
/ref>
Climate and geography
The Ostuni region has a Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...
influenced by its proximity to the Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Se ...
. Situated among three small mountains at the edge of the Murge range, vineyards in the area experience diverse microclimate
A microclimate (or micro-climate) is a local set of atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric conditions that differ from those in the surrounding areas, often slightly but sometimes substantially. The term may refer to areas as small as a few square m ...
and ''terroir
(; ; from ''terre'', ) is a French language, French term used to describe the environmental factors that affect a crop's phenotype, including unique environment contexts, farming practices and a crop's specific growth habitat. Collectively, th ...
'' variations. The DOC gets its name from the nearby town of Ostuni
Ostuni (; ) is a city and ''comune'', located about 8 km from the coast, in the province of Brindisi, region of Apulia, Italy. The town has a population of about 32,000 during the winter, but can swell to 200,000 inhabitants during summer, ...
.[P. Saunders ''Wine Label Language'' pg 189 Firefly Books 2004 ]
Grape varieties
The primary grape variety
This list of grape varieties includes cultivated grapes, whether used for wine, or eating as a table grape, fresh or dried (raisin, Zante currant, currant, sultana (grape), sultana). For a complete list of all grape species, including those unimp ...
of the DOC classified red wine is Ottavianello (also known as Cinsaut in France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
), with the wine sometimes labeled as ''Ostuni Ottavianello''. Ottavnianello must comprise at least 85% of the blend. Up to 15% may consist of Negroamaro and/or Malvasia Nera and/or Notar Domenico and/or Sussumaniello grapes.Verdeca
Verdeca is a white Italian wine grape variety that is primarily grown in Apulia in southern Italy where ampelographers believe that the grape may have originated. In Apulia, it is one of the main grapes in the ''Denominazione di origine controll ...
.
Wines
Ostuni Ottavianello is characterized by its light body and pale cherry color. Both the red and white Ostuni wines are almost always dry.viticulture
Viticulture (, "vine-growing"), viniculture (, "wine-growing"), or winegrowing is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine ...
and winemaking
Winemaking, wine-making, or vinification is the production of wine, starting with the selection of the fruit, its Ethanol fermentation, fermentation into alcohol, and the bottling of the finished liquid. The history of wine-making stretches over ...
.
Production
''Province, vintage, volume in litre
The litre ( Commonwealth spelling) or liter ( American spelling) (SI symbols L and l, other symbol used: ℓ) is a metric unit of volume. It is equal to 1 cubic decimetre (dm3), 1000 cubic centimetres (cm3) or 0.001 cubic metres (m3). A ...
s'' [MiPAAF (Ministero delle Politiche Agricoli Alimentari e Forestali),]
Banca Dati Vini DOC, DOCG: Ostuni Ottavianello
/ref>
*Brindisi (1990/91) 1,330
*Brindisi (1991/92) 7,397
*Brindisi (1992/93) 9,479
*Brindisi (1993/94) 8,526
*Brindisi (1994/95) 12,082
*Brindisi (1995/96) 4,888
References
{{reflist
External links
* ItalianMade.com
WINES: Ostuni DOC: Map, Varieties and Types
Italian DOC
Wines of Apulia
Ostuni