Salice Salentino Denomination of Origen owns its name to a town located in the province of Lecce, in the Salento area, located in the Italian region of Puglia.
The first traces of the Salice Salentino date back to the first decades of the twentieth century when local farmers began to experiment with new combinations of the grape varieties. Indeed, it was by blending the Negroamaro grape with the Malvasia Nera one that the first Salice Salentino red wine was produced. It was soon followed by the rosé version.
Over the years, local producers have continued to experiment with other products and created new varieties of Salice Salentino, which now include: the red, rosé and white Salice Salentino wines; Negroamaro; Negroamaro Rosato (rosé wine); Pinot Bianco (white wine); Fiano; Chardonnay; and Aleatico.
For many years, the entire process of production of Salice Salentino from grape growing to the end product, must take place in a specific area. It includes the districts of Salice Salentino, Veglie and Guagnano, in the province of Lecce, and Sandonaci, in the province of Brindisi, as well as some portions of the districts of Cellino San Marco (Lecce) and Campi Salentina (Brindisi).
One of the singularities of the Salice Salentino wines is that for each of them, specific grapes are required.
In particular, the presence of Negroamaro grapes is required in the Salice Salentino Rosso (red) and Rosato (rosé) wines – at least 75%, which rises to 90% in the Salice Salentino Neogroamaro and Negroamaro Rosato varieties. In the Salice Salentino Aleatico wine, the presence of Aleatico grapes is required – at least 85%, which can be blended with Negroamaro, Malvasia Nera or local Primitivo. The Salice Salentino Bianco is made 70 per cent from Chardonnay grapes, if it does not have any other appellation. Finally, the other types of Salice Salentino Bianco – Chardonnay, Fiano and Pinot Bianco – must contain at least 85 per cent of the corresponding grapes.
High quality wines recognition
Their organoleptic properties vary according to the original grapes and the production methods. They are generally cherry red, ruby red or garnet-colored when produced from red grapes, and their shades become more intense according to the aging period, up to the brick red color of the Riserva varieties. Those produced from white grapes, on the other hand, are straw yellow, and acquire greenish reflections in the Bianco and Fiano varieties.
We can taste many diverse sensory nuances, which are usually related to the grape variety that has been chosen. Apart from some special cases, however, they can be generally classified as dry wines.
The wines produced from red grapes are mostly warm, robust and full-bodied in the mouth; the Salice Salentino Rosato is also enriched with fruity fragrances of rose and cherry. The Aleatico Dolce and Liquoroso Dolce varieties are predominantly sweet and quite thick, and reach higher alcohol contents.
The wines produced from white grapes are very pleasant, fresh, and balanced on the palate, with delicate fruity fragrances. On their part, the Salice Salentino wines that are more aged, such as the Rosso Riserva and Rosso Riserva Negroamaro, have pleasant aromas of ripe fruits, which combine with light notes of spices.
Finally, in the spumanti made from traditional wines, the taste typical of re-fermentation can be clearly recognized thanks to their yeast notes.
Food pairing
The Salice Salentino that is made from red grapes is excellent with meat-based recipes, matured cheeses and structured dishes. The Salice Salentino Rosato represents a middle ground between the thickness of the Rosso (red variety) and the freshness of the Bianco (white variety). It matches perfectly with dishes that have less intense flavors, such as white meats, cured meats, delicate cheeses and soups. This wine is also excellent with dishes based on chicken, pork or lamb meats. Last but not least, the Salice Salentino Bianco is best drunk with delicate fish- or vegetable-based dishes, thanks to its fresh and scented fragrances.
Media ContactCompany Name: Consorzio di Tutela e Valorizzazione dei Vini DOP Salice Salentino e IGP SalentoContact Person: Damiano Reale (President)Email: Send EmailPhone: +39 3357206464Country: ItalyWebsite: http://www.consorziotutelasalicesalentino.it/
