Castel del Monte DOP, Castel del Monte DOCG and Puglia IGP: Crifo wines production

The production of important wines with Protected Designation of Origin, Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin, and Protected Geographical Indication from the Ruvo di Puglia Winery is extensive and varied. Over the years, it has increasingly focused on the quality brand Crifo to elevate its labels, boasting internationally recognized designations such as Castel del Monte Dop, Castel del Monte Docg, and Puglia Igp.

The first two, in particular, are made from wines produced in a vast area around the historic Frederician castle.

But before discussing the production of the Ruvo di Puglia Winery, let’s explore the characteristics of this designation, some details about the regulations, and clarify the differences between Dop, Doc, and Igp.

Dop and Doc, what are the differences

Both terms can be used, with the key difference being that for bottles intended for export, the protected designation of origin, or Dop, must be used. Just like in the case of the Castel del Monte Dop of various Crifo labels. This shows how (unlike the old regulations), today the distinction between Dop and Doc protects companies in their positioning in European as well as national markets.

Moreover, Protected Designation of Origin and Controlled Designation of Origin imply a stricter production method compared to other regulations: cultivation, processing, and maturation of the grapes (for Doc wines) must occur in a well-defined territory.

Igp, meaning and characteristics

Unlike Doc and Dop, for Igp it is sufficient that one of the three production phases (cultivation, processing, and maturation of the grapes) is carried out in a specific place to obtain the Protected Geographical Indication, like the Igp Puglia brand. For the sake of detail, in reality, the regulations sometimes allow exceptions, where a phase (such as bottling, in the case of wines) is carried out in other locations in Italy.

Doc has been traditionally used in the wine sector since 1966, while from 2010 the large Dop family has been extended to all agri-food products. Igp is also attributed to all agri-food products.

The necessary distinctions are a clarification that can be useful to the consumer to understand the direction chosen to position the Crifo brand towards values of quality and credibility of the Ruvo di Puglia Winery’s production.

The flagship Dop, Docg, and Igp wines of the Crifo brand

• The Castel del Monte Dop (or also Doc) is one of the most well-known protected designations of origin in the Puglia region.

The production regulations of the Castel del Monte Doc are characterized by a long list of types that owe their names to the type of grape used.

In particular, 11 of the most important Crifo red, white, and rosé wine labels are dedicated to the Castel del Monte Dop, included in the main lines such as the Grifone line, the flagship of the Ruvo di Puglia Winery’s production dedicated to large distribution, the Terre del Crifo line, and the Cryfus sparkling wines.

This is because Castel del Monte Doc wines are produced in different types: primarily red, in smaller quantities rosé and white, and originate from grape varieties such as Nero di Troia, Cabernet and Aglianico, Bombino Bianco and Nero, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, and can also be reserve.

• The Docg Castel del Monte wines, on the other hand, are three: Castel del Monte Bombino Nero DOCG, Castel del Monte Nero di Troia Riserva DOCG, and Castel del Monte Rosso Riserva DOCG, all established in 2011.

The last two are produced with Nero di Troia in different percentages, the first with Bombino Nero.

For the production of Castel del Monte Docg, the Ruvo di Puglia Winery has dedicated two labels from the Augustale line, namely Augustale Castel del Monte Bombino Nero DOCG in purity and Augustale Castel del Monte Nero di Troia Riserva DOCG in purity.

• The Igp Puglia (also see Igt Puglia) is the typical geographical indication “Puglia” reserved for various wines produced from grapes in the production area of Bari and province, BAT (Barletta – Andria – Trani), Brindisi, Foggia, Lecce, and Taranto.

This means that under the Igp Puglia brand, white wines are born, also in sparkling, spumante, overripe grapes, and passito types; reds, also in sparkling, overripe grapes, passito, and novello types; rosés also in sparkling, spumante, novello types.

As Puglia Igp, there are 13 Crifo labels including the entire Bag in Tube line, the 3-liter formats in the special patented bag.