Italian red and white wines from Cantele, Puglia

…begins, not in Puglia in the south of Italy, but in the heads and hearts of a family from northern Italy. Towards the end of the 1950s, Giovanni Battista Cantele and his wife Teresa Manara, had the vision to choose the distant Salento Peninsula as the ideal location for their family project.

The story continued with the involvement and focus of their sons Augusto and Domenico within the Salento region itself. This lead them to the rediscovery and re-evaluation of such historic local grape varieties as the red Primitivo and Negroamaro and the white Fiano, as well as successful experimentation with several international varieties – such as Chardonnay – which proved capable of flourishing in this environment.

Their continuing passionate belief in the special qualities of the area led to the planting of over thirty hectares of vineyard, as well as the construction of a state of the art winery complex. This was designed to follow the proportions and aesthetics of a traditional Salento “Masseria”.

The Cantele story comes right up to date today with the first generation of the family to be born in Salento; Gianni, who oversees all the winemaking, Umberto, who is the main ambassador and commercial director, Paolo and Luisa. They are driven by the same love and respect for the land which first “hosted” and finally “adopted” their fathers.

The Puglia area – which is the “heel” of Italy, so to speak – has a perfect blend of warmth and sunshine, combined with cooling sea breezes. This produces grapes which are ripe and full of fruit, but still balanced, making for wines of both power and finesse.

The Salento Peninsula is the southernmost point of Puglia and extends for over one hundred kilometres between the Adriatic and Ionian seas. Above all, this is a soft and gentle land – just like its friendly inhabitants. But it is also a place of contrasts. You see stone everywhere - often tamed by man into an infinite network of the most beautiful “drystone” walls. The same stone also offered the ideal medium for generations of artists to carve out their unlimited Baroque images. Yet, as a fascinating counterpoint, through the action of rain on its way to the sea over countless millennia, this same limestone has created its own fantastic world of spectacular underground caverns, many adapted as cellars to house casks and bottles of maturing wine.

All prices are inclusive of duty & VAT

An intense straw colour with green and gold reflections. The perfume is initially spicy and then it opens like a fan to reveal waves of floral and fruit scents. Acacia side by side with home-grown and exotic fruits. The mouth feel is silky and velvety as a result of the careful use of wood and the wine in its entirety is a faithful reflection of its terroir.

Subtle clear pink colour. Essence of rose and red geranium blend with strawberries and cherries on the nose yet intense and elegant freshness in the mouth. Ideal with fish or egg dishes such as soufflé. This is outrageously good value.

Garnet highlights enliven this intense ruby red wine. Caramelised red fruits, spices, hints of box wood, tea and amber unfold in the mouth and are balanced by the tannins and acidity to create a smooth and luscious wine.

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