A Few Days in Puglia with Radici Del Sud.

Pardon the punctuation…Had the honor of being flown out to Puglia, Italy to experience the best food and wine from the region. Here’s the best of those 4 days and 3 nights.

Day 1.

Started my visit with a trip to the Castle in Sannicandro di Bari. A gorgeous Norman-Swabian Castle. I was completely jet-lagged but was able to stay away long enough to truly enjoy it. Before passing out we had dinner at Aromi Bistro and had some amazing local wine! It’s not hard to find a great restaurant in Italy but Aromi Bistro has exceptional.

Day 2.

First thing on the agenda was a trip to the De Carlo olive mill. Tasting fresh olive oil blew my mind. Had no idea how naturally spicy olive oil is when it’s freshly pressed. Touring we were treated to some of the De Carlo products and now I’m addicted to their Black Olive spread! What is the best thing to do after some olive oil? More food and wine of course.

Next a visit to Angiuli Donato wines for a taste of his portfolio. Primitivo is definitely my new wine friend. If any distributers read this please get your ass to Puglia and bring over more of these amazing wines.

We ended the day with some awesome food and wine at Archetipo di Gioia del Colle cellars. Most of the biodynamic wines I’ve had state side have been pretty terrible. It was a pleasant surprise to finally have well produced biodynamic wines!

Day 3.

A day trip to Putignano for a visit to the La Querceta cheese factory. It was so cool to see it freshly made…the tasting of it wasn’t bad either. After eating enough burrata to drown a small village we walked through their farm and met the cows that bring this cheese to life. A little side note, burrata is from the Puglia region. Just above the heel of the Italy boot.

One of the really unique things in Putignano is the San Michele Arcangelo church which was built in a cave. It’s a scenic spot.

Nothing makes me hungrier than going to a church…so of course it was time for lunch right after. Antica Locanda in Noci was out lunch host. OMG this place is worth the drive to this little village just for the food. Not only was the food amazing but I also discovered what would become the most delicious Primitivo I’ve ever had… by Giovanni Aiello. What an elegant wine. Here’s the food porn. Please wear a bib while looking at these pics.

After stuffing my face I got to check out the coolest cave I’ve ever been to. The Caves in Castellana. The pictures speak for themselves. Breathtaking…

We finished the night with more food and wine at the Coppi Winery. I was starting to feel under the weather but pulled myself together for my audience…not because I wanted more wine.

Day 4.

First it was a visit to Borgo San Marco. A former 12th century fortress now turned into a hotel retreat. Could have stayed there all day…and for another 3 or 4 more nights.

The scenery got more and more throughout the day. Next was a trip to Ostuni…everything you picture in your mind when you think “Italian town on a hill.”

Next was the most EPIC 4-5 hour lunch at Cibus in Ceglie Messapica. Add Cibus to your list of places you have to eat. Worth the price of the flight form the states.

Day 5

On the last day of my trip Radici Del Sud I was able to explore old town Bari. Seeing the ladies make hand rolled pasta while I munched on the local snack of choice Taralini. I’m hooked on the stuff. Like mini crunchy bagels. Perfect snack to have with wine. The day ended with getting to judge some of the local white wines with mozzarella tasting. Perfect end to my experience.

By far the greatest thing about this trip to Puglia was all of the lifelong friends that I made along the way. That’s one of the most beautiful things about food, wine, and travel. It brings people together to have a good time. Thank you for the memories Radici del Sud. Check out their site for tips and where to travel in the region.