Colline Joniche Tarantine

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The territorial boundary of the zone corresponds on average to the 200-metre contour line, with slopes of 5–10% below that elevation and 20–30% between 200 and 300 metres.
• Above 300 metres of elevation, a rolling plateau develops, formed by hills facing south toward the Ionian Sea, from which the name Colline Joniche is derived.
• The vineyard land is predominantly hilly in aspect, accounting for approximately 90% of the total, with a mean altitude of 190–200 metres above sea level.
• The calcareous structure of the territory, owing to karst processes, absorbs and disperses the water it receives, making the zone poor in groundwater despite receiving more rainfall than the nearby flatlands.
• The zone presents several soil types: clay-loam soils at Laterza and near Taranto, compact calcareous soils at Massafra, Mottola, and Crispiano, loose calcareous soils in the upper part of the area, and sandy-loam-clay soils at Ginosa and Palagianello.
• The climate is typically Mediterranean, with rainfall concentrated from October to April, followed by a long dry period, mild winters with possible late frosts, and hot, dry summers.

• The introduction of viticultural and winemaking practices in the Taranto area is likely attributable to the Spartan colonists who founded the Greek city, and viticulture during the colonial period very probably played an important role on small and medium-sized estates between the fifth and third centuries BC.
• Grapes destined for wine were traditionally trained without supports, in the free-standing bush-vine (alberello) style, while high-quality varieties such as moscatellone and duraca were grown in gardens, where pergolas supported by colonnades provided the necessary framework.
• The annual working cycle included two or three hoeings, known as conce, carried out in autumn, spring, and summer, along with pruning and layering of the vines.
• Medium to large viticultural estates included a processing facility called a palmento, with ancillary structures known as caricaturi, palaci, and palmentelli, as well as a caretaker's house for the winegrower.
• The Superiore style of the red and rosé wine, when aged for 30 months of which 12 in cask, is labelled Riserva Superiore. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in Italy

Sources

• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-IT-A0546