Tailor-Made Wine Tours
Puglia
Whether visiting historic vineyards or sipping Primitivo with local cuisine, Puglia offers a unique wine experience.
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Explore Puglia's stunning landscapes and rich wine traditions.
A once overlooked region of Italy, Puglia sits at the heel of the country. Be charmed by its baroque towns, white-washed trulli houses, olive groves and orchards, spectacular cliffs, crystal clear waters, unspoilt beaches, plenty of sunshine and excellent cuisine.
Historically, Puglia was a primarily farming region, and its character today still reflects its relatively humble agricultural past. It is the place of the so-called Cucina Povera (the cuisine of poverty) and it is certainly true that this traditionally poor area has made the very best of its local produce. With no rules, recipes have long been improvised from what is available, including pasta made without eggs and bread made from local durum wheat. The food is some of the best in all of Italy and your time here will highlight what Puglia has to offer.
Discover other wine regions in Italy
Italian Grape Varieties:
Puglia
Nestled in the sun-drenched heel of Italy's boot, Puglia is a region that has quietly risen to prominence in the world of wine. Best known for its robust and hearty red wines, this enchanting locale offers a unique blend of varietals that reflect its rich history and diverse terroir.
Among its most celebrated offerings are the Primitivo, known internationally as Zinfandel, which delivers a bold and spicy flavor profile, and the Negroamaro, which charms with its complex layers of fruit and earthy undertones. The uniqueness of Puglia as a wine region lies not only in its distinctive grape varieties but also in its ancient viticulture traditions that have been passed down through generations.
Here, the warm Mediterranean climate and fertile soils combine to create conditions that are ideal for producing wines with intense flavors and deep character. As visitors explore this vibrant wine region, they're invited to discover not just the exceptional quality of Puglian wines but also the passion and craftsmanship that go into every bottle.
Highlights
Unique trulli houses: The town of Alberobello is particularly famous for its collection of trulli houses, which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Historic Masserie: Stay in a traditional masseria (fortified farmhouse), often restored into luxurious boutique hotels, where rustic charm meets modern elegance amidst olive groves and vineyards.
Olive oil: Puglia is the largest producer of olive oil in Italy and is known for its high quality and unique flavor.
Puglia Highlights
Visit Lecce
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Known as the "Florence of the South," Lecce is a charming city with beautiful Baroque architecture and a lively arts scene. Visitors can explore the narrow streets and discover hidden gems, such as local artisan shops and traditional restaurants serving up delicious Puglian cuisine. Be sure to try specialties like orecchiette pasta, burrata cheese, and grilled octopus.
Trulli of Alberobello
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Explore a UNESCO World Heritage Site by visiting the Trulli of Alberobello, where you'll find traditional cone-shaped houses unique to the Puglia region. Alternatively, discover the historic town of Matera, renowned for its ancient "Sassi" or cave dwellings.
Local Cuisine Cooking Class
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Puglia is known for its delicious food, including fresh seafood, handmade pasta, and local wines. Learn how to make traditional Puglian dishes like orecchiette pasta, stuffed peppers, and pasticciotto pastries. You'll have the opportunity to shop for ingredients at a local market and then cook and enjoy your own meal under the guidance of a local chef.
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Wine Experiences
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Private wine tours and tastings include some of the premium wine properties such as;
Gianfranco Fino Winery in Manduria, is a renowned winery specializing in Primitivo grape varieties. With award-winning wines and personalized tours, it's a picturesque destination for wine enthusiasts.
Cosimo Taurino Winery, located in Salice Salentino, produces high-quality wines using traditional techniques. Its 16th-century cellar and stunning surroundings make it a perfect spot for an authentic wine-tasting tours.
Cantele Winery in Guagnano, offers award-winning, sustainable wines. With personalized tours in a beautiful location, it's an ideal choice for environmentally-conscious wine lovers.
Masseria Li Veli Winery, in a restored 19th-century farmhouse, is situated in Puglia's scenic countryside. Known for its high-quality wines, on-site restaurant, and sustainable practices, it offers tastings, tours, and hosts events year-round.
Sample Itineraries
Discover Wine Pairing Trips
You're in control
At Into The Vineyard, we pride ourselves on our ability to offer you complete freedom to build your perfect trip. Start with one of our many sample itineraries and customize as you desire, or start with a blank page, and with the help of our expert Trip Planners, we can create your dream wine-inspired travel experience.
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Testimonials
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Into the Vineyard was a top-notch travel planning experience. We took a 5 day wine tasting tour of Tuscany. Our itinerary was custom-designed to our specific desires. Communication was clear throughout the process, and was surprisingly affordable. Our guide was absolutely fantastic! We made unforgettable memories and are looking forward to planning our next trip with Into the Vineyard!
Tereca Dwinell -
My wife and I just returned from the most wonderful custom wine tour of Tuscany, Italy courtesy of Into The Vineyard. Their wine experts developed the wine tour of Tuscany custom itinerary according to our wishes and did the entire trip very affordably. We met so many wonderful people along the way who shared their passion for wine making in Italy. The history and the culture that we learned was also quite amazing. We would certainly recommend Into The Vineyard to anyone interested in this type of a custom wine trip to any of the many countries they offer.
Thomas Hittle -
What a Trip! The Into The Vineyard team orchestrated a perfect holiday for our family. Paolo, Alessandra and the operations team were clear communicators, developed a very detailed agenda & addressed all of the little details that made all the difference.
[They] introduced us to many wineries that we were not familiar with - a variety of small family producers & iconic names. And they were able to secure reservations with the wineries we selected as well. Our drivers/guides (Alessandro & Andrea) were gems - always on time, service-oriented & safe driving of course - but they also shared local knowledge, traditions & added so much color to our experiences.
Johnna Schafer -
Our second wine trip with ITV. This trip to northern Italy was even more amazing than our previous trip to France. The team at ITV was able to arrange low-stress visits to popular locations, like St Mark's Square and the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua. They also arranged for us to experience some less busy sites, such as the Giusti Garden in Verona, and the Villa Pisani near Padua. The hotels they booked were all excellent, but the Villa Cordevigo, a former monastery, was stunning. Every driver, every guide, and every accommodation treated us like royalty. They were all happy to share their love of the region with visitors. Thank you Paolo and team for this wonderful experience.
Suzanne Day -
First time using this travel service, and it was amazing! I should clarify by saying it is an “experience” service. After landing in Italy, every attention to detail, to travel, to hotels and itineraries and fantastic guides and wineries were planned for us… fantastic!! Plus they gave us a fantastic app prior to the trip to reference [all the] hotels, wineries, travel plans, train tickets, phone numbers of transportation services, and guides we would be meeting… so well planned!! I cannot imagine planning a trip like this on my own, nor being able to create the same experience, and once we booked there were absolutely no worries about logistics, and only wine, food, sightseeing, and joy! [I] absolutely plan to travel and experience a place with Into the Vineyard again!!
Lynn Smits