Wine Atlas

It is an historical irony that the wines of Southern Italy have been piquing the interest of connoisseurs in recent years. In fact, the vineyards of Puglia, Sicily, Campania and Basilicata are some of the oldest and most productive on the face of the earth. When the Greeks first ventured into Italy centuries and centuries ago, they called the lower peninsula Oenotria, land of wine. But discerning imbibers are to be forgiven if they have paid less attention to this region in years past. The winemakers in the bottom of the boot have generally been more interested in quantity than quality, sending tankers of grape juice around the world to form the base of mass market wine products and wine-based beverages such as Vermouth.

There has been a sea change in the viticulture of the region in the past few years, with a growing number of vintners marketing their wares to a more sophisticated international market. Instead of trying to compete with the famous wines to the north, including Tuscany's Chianti, and the fabled reds of the Piedmont, Barolo and Barberesco, the new wave of Southern Italian wine makers are often embracing the traditions of the region. The climate there is warmer than is ideal for wine grapes, resulting in robust, fruity flavors that tend to lack the subtlety and layers of wines produced in cooler regions. But when the vintners resort to tenting vineyards to reduce the heat, or simply moving the plants to higher elevations, these grapes produce wines of unique and intriguing character.