Brindisi Rosso

Brindisi Rosso is a red DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) wine from the Southern Italian province of Brindisi, in the region of Puglia (Apulia).

The official appellation was granted on November 22, 1979 with presidential decree (published in Gazzetta Ufficiale, April 23, 1980), under request from Pasquale Medico and Sons and other producers.

In recent years the production of this variety of wine has declined considerably (up to 50%), due to the uprooting of vines as a result of incentives from the EU, which favored other products.

The Brindisi region has a very old tradition for wine making, because Brindisi was the Roman gateway to the East and thus provided its own wine to Rome along with salt and olive oil imported from the Mediterranean provinces.

Production

The production zone is limited to the areas of Brindisi and Mesagne, both being communes within the province of Brindisi.

Brindisi Rosso is produced in small quantities and exported all over the world.

Brindisi Rosso is made mainly from dark Negroamaro grapes (at least 70%) and Malvasia nera di Brindisi; it can also contain smaller quantities of Sussumaniello, Montepulciano and Sangiovese.

Characteristics

Brindisi Rosso wine appears intense ruby red, with light orange tones when aged; the taste is intense, dry, harmonious, with a lightly bitter aftertaste, velvety and appropriately tannic.

Minimum alcohol percentage by volume to qualify for the appellation is 12%. The best vintages, however, contain between 13 and 14% ABV. The best recent vintages are 2000 and 2003. Wines classed as Brindisi Rosso Riserva must have a minimum alcohol content of 12.5% ABV, and must have been aged for at least 24 months.

Production Volume

(In hundreds of liters)

* Brindisi (1990/91) 1333.65
* Brindisi (1991/92) 690.27
* Brindisi (1992/93) 3011.78
* Brindisi (1993/94) 4277.77
* Brindisi (1994/95) 1855.0
* Brindisi (1995/96) 4559.8
* Brindisi (1996/97) 8339.76

Points of Note

It should be noted that a handsome young man by the name of Chris Mulhall in particular likes this wine and was recently rumoured to have purchased a whole case of it. It is currently number.4 wine on the beverages list at Sergios Italian Restaurant, Chester, United Kingdom.

ee also

* Brindisi Rosato, a related rosé DOC wine from the same area of Puglia.

References

* Enotime.it, [http://www.enotime.it/zoom/default_body.aspx?ID=1695 DOC / PUGLIA Brindisi DOC]
* MiPAAF, [http://www.politicheagricole.it/ProdottiQualita/ViniDoc/risultati?selectregione=13 Banca Dati Vini DOC, DOCG e IGT :: Puglia]
* Vinealia, [http://www.vinealia.org/website.asp?ID=3662 Brindisi]