Bonfilia

Puglia IGT

The heel of Italy's ""boot,"" sunny Puglia (the ""g"" is silent), is famed for its olive oils, almonds and of course, its rich, full-bodied wines. Although dry and intensely hot in the summer, Puglia has coastlines on three sides, providing cool Mediterranean breezes to alleviate the daytime heat. Primitivo (known in the US as Zinfandel) does well here, with other popular red varieties including Sangiovese and Negroamaro. But it is not all about reds in Puglia: the local Fiano grape produces gloriously nutty, tropical-flavored white, while Falanghina makes intensely fruity wines with citrus blossom notes. The IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) classification system was created to provide more freedom and ease for winemaking within Italy. Wines under the IGT classification are regulated on the region of origin—where within the country grapes are grown—instead of varietals or wine styles as DOC and DOCG laws focus on.