Jutting southward into the Mediterranean Sea, the Italian peninsula is shaped like a boot – lo Stivale in Italian. The base of that boot consists of the regions of Puglia, the heel, and Calabria, the toe; those two regions, along with adjacent Basilicata and Campania, comprise the regions of southern Italy. To these four, add in nearby Abruzzo and the island of Sicilia (Sicily) just off the toe of the boot, and you have Italy’s southern wine region. Historically, this has been the less prosperous part of Italy, but that is changing rapidly. Investment in infrastructure, particularly highways, has brought a huge increase in tourism to the region, and local winemakers are responding appropriately.
Traditionally, Puglia has been the second largest wine producing region in Italy (after Veneto – see Bayview Summer 2024, Fall 2024) with the vast bulk of that being unclassified wine shipped elsewhere for blending into commercial brands. Sicily comes fourth, and Abruzzo seventh; Campania and Calabria are minor producers. Today, there is surging pride in the advancing quality of their finest local wines, and DOC-ranked wines are an increasing portion of the production. In fact, total wine production in southern Italy has fallen over recent years, as producers shift their focus away from quantity to DOC quality wines.
Recently, the Institute of Italian Studies – Lakehead University hosted a wine-tasting dinner at Whitewater Golf Course to introduce our community to fine southern Italian wines. This is the fifteenth annual wine gala sponsored by the Institute, and the first to focus on wines from Italy’s south. Upon arrival, patrons walk around tasting stations, with hosts pouring glasses of the eight featured wines. Wine lists and tasting guides were provided. The tasting hour was followed by a classic Italian dinner, a fund-raiser for the Institute. All the wines for this event were chosen by Silvio Di Gregorio. (Note: While these specific bottlings and vintages may not currently be available from our local LCBO stores, many of their similar siblings will be – see photo.) Five of these were ranked as DOC, and the other three were IGT – clearly representative of the new wave of quality wines from Italy’s hot south.
The Wines at the Institute of Italian Studies tasting:
- Pesolillo Pecorino Superiore 2022, Abruzzo DOC – $21.95
- Passo del Sud Lungomare Vermentino 2022, Puglia IGT – $16.95
- Planeta Frappato Vittoria 2022, Sicilia DOC – $24.95
- Castorani Amorini Montepulciano 2018, Abruzzo DOC – $24.95
- Donnafugata Sedara 2021, Sicilia DOC – $21.95
- Duca di Saragnano Alchymia Primitivo 2021, Puglia IGT – $22.95
- Il Poggio Sannio Aglianico 2019, Campania DOC – $18.95
- Montedidio Vino Antorino Uva di Troia 2019, Puglia IGT – $21.95
These wines are highlighted in the box. The first two are white, the third is rosado, and the remaining five are red. They range in price from $16.95 (the very good and exceptional value white Vermentino IGT, wine number 2) to $24.95 – at that price you have the right to expect a pretty good wine, (unfortunately the Vittoria rosado DOC, number 3, did not provide that).
Two of the red wines – numbers 6 and 8 – had noticeable residual sugar, and both of these wines were IGT; that sweetness may be part of the reason they did not measure up to DOC standard.
These are entry-level wines, solid wines meant to be served with food. They are not great, collectible or investment grade wines; you buy them for everyday use with meals, and accept them for what they are. They will offer you clear personality and pleasing flavours without much complexity or nuance; you do not have to cellar or appraise or analyze them. And they will be kind to your wine budget!
© Paul Inksetter 2025
