Trullo Ulmo

Trullo Ulmo has had particular attention paid to the outside spaces where the American Landscape Architect owner has lavished much skill and attention on producing surroundings which enliven and stimulate the senses with wonderful mediterranean plantings. A glorious setting for total relaxation and recuperation from the stresses of real life.

Trullo Ulmo terrace

Individual property pictures are bigger allowing an even better impression of what you can expect to enjoy during your holiday.

Masseria Settarte

In addition to our established portfolio, there are two new properties. Both are of the highest quality offering superb interior and exterior spaces

Click on either photo for details of these two great new additions to VillaPuglia’s growing collection of highest quality rentals in Puglia

Trullo della Luce

Winery tanks, Marco gesticulating!

Once the fermentation begins it is important to monitor daily or sometimes twice daily the temperature along with the specific gravity of the must as the sugars in the grape juice are converted to alcohol and carbon dioxide by the yeasts. There are a number of different conversion protocols used around the world to convert the specific gravity into the potential alcohol (at the beginning) or remaining alcohol available at any point in the fermentation process. In Italy it is known as BABO. Every morning I help Marco check the tanks for any bad odours that may indicate any number of impending problems, such as oxidation, or sticking ferments.

The release of carbon dioxide during the fermentation causes the grape skins to be lifted to the surface of the tank creating a cap. This must be “broken” and recirculated by pumping over the wine must racked from the bottom of the tank onto the surface of the cap. It is important to do this to ensure that all the tannins, sugars and other constituents of the skins and pulp are extracted giving the typical varietal character of whichever grape type is being fermented. It is also important to ensure full extraction of the colour. Red wines also benefit from a degree of oxidation at this stage and the pumping over achieves this at the same time. A third benefit is that the must at the bottom of the tank

The Vineyard and Marco's house

tends to be cooler than at the top so this can also achieve a cooling of up to 6C. Red wines are best fermented at between 20-28C, Marco preferring a cooler slower ferment which draws the flavours out more gently.

The tanks at this point contain Primitivo (single varietal), Sussumanielo (single varietal), Montepulciano (single varietal) and Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot fermented together.

A deteriorating weather picture makes timing tricky. Pick too soon and one risks less ripe grapes than one would like, though leaving it too long may allow heavy rains to dilute the sugar content. As it happened enough windows of opportunity ensured all were picked at optimum ripeness levels.

Marco calls up his picking team a day or two before and everyone sets to at 7.30am, picking right through ’till around 5-6pm with only 1/2 hour for lunch. While the days soon warm up, one morning on entering the Sussumanielo vineyard, the temperature is only showing 2C. In other words bloody cold! The Sussumanielo is trained on a fairly low trellis and thus is backbreaking to pick. Fortunately the other vines are trained on higher systems and so easier to collect.

There is much banter amongst the pickers. Most are of course local friends of the family, only me, my friend Andy and another resident English couple Martin and Eileen dilute the local blood! Amongst the Pugliese the favorite topic of conversation appears to be food, not surprising since the local produce is so good here. There is also much hilarity often conveyed in the local dialect so quite probably aimed squarely at us foreigners! Lunch is a genial affair with everyone bringing something to the table, cold meats, parmiggiana, tomatoes, cheeses, taralli, rosated vegetables of all sorts, etc, etc. It is only sad that we are not trusted with the local vino at lunch in case we spend the afternoon dozing under the vines!

Vitivinicola Santoro

Vitivinicola Santoro owned by father and son team Gennaro and Marco Santoro has been making quality red and white IGT Biological wines for many years on 6 hectares of prime Vale d’Itria land in Puglia.

2010 is proving to be a potentially very fine year following a hot and sunny summer, especially for the reds.

Santoro produces a number of reds including a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, along with a  fascinating pure Sussumaniello (Cucciguagnelo), a grape only recently resurrected from virtual obscurity and finally a Montepulciano. These are all IGT status.

A good IGT white blended mainly from Verdecca and Fiano is also made which combines clean fruit flavours with a good level of acaidity for a south Italian white..

I shall be posting over the next few weeks descriptions and explanations of the grape picking (vendemmia) and wine making process as it unfolded.

The fig in all its different types, black, green, red, big or small have harnessed the suns rays over the previous months to produce the most beautifully sweet and succulent fruits. A favorite way to convert the fresh fruits into a wonderful energy store for the winter months is too halve and dry them (ficchi secchi) in the sun for 4 to 5 days then placing an almond along with fennel seed and lemon zest inside before closing them again. They can be stored at room temperature for months.

The pomegranate (melograno) is seen everywhere here, the green fruits turning red over just a few days. These can be eaten directly from the tree, the seeds removed and sprinkled on salads, cereals or most unusually added to a simple risotto where the seeds burst with sweetness countering the creaminess of the risotto.

Quince ripens at the same time producing their unusual apple like but hard yellow fruits in abundance. Not really edible uncooked, the pulp and skins are used to make jams and jellies. An unusual way to make a variation on the normal quince jam is to make it with about half the normal amount of sugar adding chopped hot chillies. The chilli quince is fabulous eaten with strong sharp hard cheeses, a good farmhouse cheddar being perfect.

Villapuglia.com

VillaPuglia has now been established as the premier niche villa rental company specializing in the best in Trullo and Masseria holiday rentals in Puglia. Set up in 2009 by John Dabney following successful renting of his own villa the previous four years, John decided to offer his expertise in the market to both owners of top quality villas, giving them a ready market to let their properties and to provide greater choice for holiday makers looking for the best houses available in Puglia in the best parts of the region.

John will be offering a carefully and personally chosen selection of some of the very finest luxury holiday homes available for rent in Puglia. These range from the sybarytic to the self indulgent….that may seem a narrow brief, but why lower your expectations?!… however at the same time John never loses sight of the natural beauty and “down to earth” reality of the landscape and superlative food and wine that are the glory of Puglia.

VillaPuglia also can help with the purchase and sale of properties in Puglia, there being a small selection of some of the best properties available for sale at any one time. John’s in depth knowledge of the market in Puglia built over six years can be invaluable in avoiding the pitfalls inherent in buying or selling overseas where legal and technical issues can be very different from at home.

Villa Xanthorea Garden

There is nothing worse, as a potential buyer, having to trawl through endless unfiltered, entirely unsuitable properties. I will endeavour to take this annoyance off your hands.

I shall be adding legal, surveyor and architect links along with personal advice to make the entire buying process as simple and hassle free as possible.

Advice on money exchange for buying your holiday home all the way through to finding the best possible holiday home management service, all to take the worrisome burden of buying and looking after your perfect holiday home in Puglia off your shoulders.

For those wishing to come to Puglia for holidays, as holiday home owners or to settle, there is of course much more to the region than just properties. VillaPuglia has therefore included on this blog categories devoted to Food and Wine, two of the wonders of the region along with lots of other ancillary information on towns, restaurants, things to see, beaches, etc, which should be of interest to all

All this is coming to you on www.villapuglia.com

For the very finest in Rentals and Holiday home purchases in Puglia, the beautiful and only recently re-discovered heel of Italy.