When choosing a wine, what elements do you focus on the most? What characteristics do you consider to pick the right bottle to pair with your dishes or to open with company?
In this article, we want to show you the varieties of Puglian red wine under the Crifo label, produced by the Cantina di Ruvo di Puglia.
It’s important to remember that the entire region of Puglia “descends towards the sea,” and this is especially true for the Castel del Monte area. Always sunny but never plagued by scorching temperatures or calm, this characteristic allows the vineyards to be irrigated and dried by sea breezes. From an oenological point of view, this phenomenon allows for minimal necessary treatment of the grapes during maturation.
Here’s the top selection of Puglian red wines, divided by lines, that absolutely must be on your table!
GRIFONE LINE
The Grifone line, which encapsulates the essence of Crifo’s philosophy, offers red wines with an excellent quality/price ratio and comes in distinctive and attractive packaging.
The Castel del Monte Rosso, boasting the Protected Designation of Origin, is elegant, austere, and refined, produced from the area’s main grape variety, Nero di Troia, blended with Montepulciano. From the same vineyard, but vinified in purity, comes the Nero di Troia with Protected Geographical Indication “Puglia,” completing the red wine offerings of this line distributed throughout Italy in the best supermarkets.
AUGUSTALE LINE
It includes the two top-of-the-range wines, those from black grape varieties which, after undergoing dedicated vinifications in small quantities, manage to express in the glass the best that the Puglian land has to offer. Not for nothing, these are two excellent products with Controlled and Guaranteed Origin known worldwide and boasting a record of international awards.
But here, let’s focus on the red wine that represents the Crifo selection’s cru: Augustale Castel del Monte Nero di Troia DOCG Riserva. Because when you say Augustale, you say Puglian red wine.
LE CONTRADE LINE
The Squarcione Appassimento Rosso, with Protected Geographical Indication “Puglia,” is a pure Nero di Troia that expresses its connection to the territory starting from the name of the district from which the grapes are obtained, patiently harvested and left to wither on the vines before picking. It’s a wine that, in its aroma and taste, recalls the peculiarities of the terroir.
Le Carrare Primitivo Puglia with Protected Geographical Indication is one of those wines that is full-bodied, smooth, and tannic on the palate: in other words, very pleasant. Structured and powerful, being very fruity, it releases flavors reminiscent of plums and cherries in spirit, and even blueberry jam, perfectly blended with the spicy notes typical of the Mediterranean scrub. Its distinctive features? Its deep red color and intense aroma.
TERRE DEL CRIFO LINE
Among the other essential Puglian red wines, how can we not mention two products from the Terre del Crifo line!
The Terre del Crifo Castel del Monte Rosso, boasting the Controlled Designation of Origin, presents with a ruby color with vivid violet flashes and intense aromas of blackberries and plums that, almost shyly, blend with violet. No wonder its taste is velvety, almost silky.
The Terre del Crifo Nero di Troia Puglia, with Protected Geographical Indication, with its intense red color and enveloping aromas of red fruits, comes from the best grapes of one of the most robust and characteristic local vineyards.
BAG IN TUBE LINE
The Nero di Troia is indeed one of the most appreciated Puglian red wines, so much so that it is also offered in the Bag in Tube “Black edition” and “Orange edition” format.
This is an innovative 3-liter package, designed both for festive occasions and as a smart solution for prolonged consumption over time. By protecting the wine from oxidation, it offers greater assurance of the longevity of its organoleptic qualities. Absolutely a must-have for true lovers of Puglian red wine who love to enjoy it with many guests in convivial circumstances or sip it day by day, as if it were always just opened.
After exploring the various Crifo lines, which one is right for you? If in doubt, we recommend trying them by searching in wine shops or the official online store.
