Puglia (Apulia) forms the heel of the Italian peninsula’s boot, running up the Adriatic coast to the boot’s “spur.” Its capital and largest city is Bari. As one of the least mountainous of Italy’s regions, located in the sun-baked south, Puglia is a major agricultural area, for grapes and wine as for other products. It has 4 DOCGs, 28 DOCs (see map on this page), and 6 IGPs. In the wine world, Puglia has only recently begun to establish widespread recognition. Its production—at least under its own flag as opposed to being shipped off for blending elsewhere—has increased tremendously in the last several years, up more than 80% in the past decade. In 2022, Puglia shot past the 10 million hl mark for the first time, producing more than 10.8 million hl (120 million cases) of wine and solidifying its position as second only to Veneto in volume. Puglia’s DOP production is just 7% of the total, however, as it continues to focus on bulk wines from its 94,250 ha (232,800 acres) of vineyards. The region’s primary grape varieties are Sangiovese (15%), Primitivo (14%), Negroamaro (14%), and Trebbiano (13%).
