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Native varieties of Northern Puglia
Clean, transparent winemaking
Historic producer, dating to the 18th century

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About Masseria Furfante:

The Masseria Furfante wines are made by Rivera, a family-owned winery, in northern Puglia, near the city of Andria and the remarkable Schwabian castle called Castel del Monte. Masseria Furfante is a second label for this historic winery created for us and used only for their three wines made from indigenous grape varieties, Bombino Bianco, Bombino Nero (rosè), and Nero di Troia (red).

The winery was started by the current owner, Sebastiano de Corato’s, grandfather in 1950 and was made into an instant success thanks to their popular rose wine made from the Bombino Nero grape. At that time the hills in Northern Puglia were filled with Bombino Nero, something that is no longer true today. In the 80’s and 90’s many international grape varieties were planted; however the De Corato family has retained the vineyards and tradition of making wine from these three indigenous grape varieties which are all late ripening grapes that reach phenolic ripeness at low sugar levels resulting in (increasingly popular) low alcohol wines.

As opposed to Southern Puglia where the vineyards mostly face South West, the vineyards in Northern Puglia largely face North East and get more wind. This is one of the major reasons that the wines of Southern Puglia are bigger wines with higher alcohol levels even though the two growing areas are not more than a couple hours drive from one another. The northern varieties are harvested almost 2 months later than those in Southern Puglia!

In addition to the helpful climate conditions and well adapted indigenous grape varieties, the vineyards in Northern Puglia are also blessed with largely calcareous (limestone rich) hard rocky soils and are surrounded by olive orchards (Puglia produces 5% of the world’s olive oil) and other Mediterranean plants, contributing to important biodiversity for the vineyards and also making it a wonderful place to visit.

The red wines here are predominantly of Nero di Troia (sometimes called Uva di Troia), and are completely different from those of the south of Puglia, which is hotter and dominated by Negroamaro, Malvasia Nera and Primitivo.

The food in Puglia is excellent, in my experience; delicious meats, seafood near the coast, and lots of vegetables. I would drink this Uva di Troia with red meats, substantial pasta dishes, and cheeses.

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The Wines:

Nero di Troia, Puglia IGT

Nero di Troia is a semi-aromatic variety, a little like Frappato in that sense, and shows deep color, strongly floral/fruity nose, same notes on the palate but with fresh acidity and chewy tannins to balance, a knockout everyday red wine. Ian d'Agata says the grape tastes of 'red cherries, red currants, black pepper, tobacco and underbrush...' and as usual his notes are spot on.

The Nero di Troia is made from grapes grown in Rivera's own vineyards; the fermentation and aging take place in stainless-steel tanks; and the wine is aged in the bottle for at least a year to round out, a nice touch that is very unusual at this price point.

Nero di Troia Tech Sheet