I Quattro Conti

I Quattro Conti - a fateful soccer match

I Quattro Conti is an Apulian wine brand. Behind the name is the Agricola SCA winegrowers' association in Leverano, a small town right on the "heel of the boot" of Italy. I Quattro Conti was born on July 11, 1982, when some friends gathered in front of the television to watch the World Cup soccer final between Germany and Italy. Some of the friends had lived for a long time in Germany as guest workers to support their families, now they had all returned to Puglia. After a few glasses of Primitivo, one started a bet: "If Italy wins, we all have to create something new together!" - and Italy won. After that, the brainstorming began, and as they stared at the empty wine glasses, the idea came - "Let's make wine together!" However, in contrast to the common practice of selling the grapes at that time, wine was to be made directly from them to tell the story of Puglia.

Puglia - home of I Quattro Conti

Surrounded by the Ionian and Adriatic Seas, Puglia is a long, narrow peninsula that boasts the longest (800 km) coastline in the country.

The climate in this region is Mediterranean, with a warm and dry summer and a mild and breezy winter. Precipitation falls mainly in autumn and spring. Puglia is situated between two seas and is blown by Tramontana (a cold north wind) and Scirocco (a warm Mediterranean wind coming from the Sahara). The constant circulation of air that they generate provides some respite from the high temperatures and offers the ideal conditions for the development of excellent vineyards. The breeze coming from the sea is also a natural remedy against parasite infestation of the grapes. In addition, from an oenological point of view, the alternation of high and low temperatures between day and night helps to obtain an even higher quality of grapes.

Puglia is geographically flat, with only moderate hills that slope gently towards the sea. It is a fertile land with a soil well suited for viticulture. The Apulian soil is quite deep and rich in red clay, which can better retain water. Clay soils drain slowly and take longer to warm up in summer. In this way, the retained moisture and the presence of iron oxide in the clay help the plants to produce grapes of excellent quality.

The Apulian wine

Therefore, Puglia is mainly oriented to the cultivation of red grapes. The two main cultivated Truaben of the region are:

• Negroamaro
• Primitivo

Negroamaro is the most typical variety of the region. The blue-black berries have a thick skin and medium-sized, truncated cone-shaped clusters. In the glass, the wine is beautifully powerful, dark and velvety, with a pronounced aroma of maquis bushes and licorice roots. Primitivo can produce dark and rich red wines of considerable interest. Primitivo wines are fruit-driven with notes of undergrowth and berries, have high alcohol content and a soft texture. Depending on the area, there is Primitivo del Salento, an IGP that produces remarkable, fruit-driven wines, and Primitivo di Manduria, a DOC that produces full-bodied wines with balanced tannins and a touch of sweetness.

Puglia speaks through its wines, which express the personality of the region. In this mosaic of landscapes, the sun-drenched grapes give their best. The centuries of patience, passion and experience of the winemakers do their part to create powerful wines with aromas of black and red berries, spices and tobacco. Strong but simple flavors that evoke the undeniable bond with the land.