Thursday Virtual Happy Hour: Primitivo

Primitivo is a dark-skinned grape known for producing inky, tannic wines, particularly Primitivo di Manduria and its naturally sweet Dolce Naturale variant. Although there have been contentious and long-running debates about the variety's geographical origins, there is little question that Primitivo's modern-day home is in southern Italy, particularly Puglia.

A classic Primitivo wine is high in both alcohol and tannins, intensely flavored and deeply colored. In Manduria, the fortified liquoroso variants often reach an ABV of 18 percent, which is dulled to 14 percent in the table wines. A certain bitterness is often found in Primitivo which, combined with its mouth-puckering tannins, means that it often needs a few years in either bottle or barrel.

Primitivo probably arrived to Puglia from the coastal vineyards of Croatia (just across the Adriatic Sea). It is still grown today, under various tongue-twisting names including Tribidrag and Crljenak Kasteljanski. In the early 19th Century, the variety was introduced to the United States, under the name Zinfandel. It proved extremely successful there, earning a reputation as the American 'national grape'. It caused significant consternation on both sides of the Atlantic when DNA analysis proved that Zinfandel and Primitivo were the same variety. For the full story, and listings of Zinfandel wines, see Zinfandel.

Primitivo has endured something of a rollercoaster ride in the past few decades. In the 1990s, the variety was at its lowest ebb for a long time. The EU's vine pull schemes had seen thousands of acres of Primitivo vines ripped out of the ground.

But across the Atlantic Zinfandel was booming, which doubtless contributed to Primitivo's new lease of life. The new-look Primitivo that soon began to emerge was no longer just a blending variety, it was now the historic grape behind southern Italy's flagship wines.

## We have a choice of videos to watch including:

1. https://youtu.be/71uSSt2gKTg?si=kXMz6oxacE3SCfM_ - Primitivo Wine Tasting: Everything You Need To Know - Vino Cards (3:42)
2. https://youtu.be/IIU-1g7wPQU?si=c-kx4aU_hDmGfr86 - Puglia: The Land Of Plenty & Primitivo Wine Paradise - Wine Oh TV (12:10)
3. https://youtu.be/kcGo9uaFyp8?si=FGDOEly1uMJ_2Cq7 - South Italian Wine Made from Primitivo - Dr. Matthew Horkey (3:15)

So, pick up a bottle and watch a couple of videos. Let us know what you’re drinking and eating, and, if possible, the region from which your wine comes. Do you have any comments (positive or negative) about the videos? And, as always, tell us what’s going on in your life - what's happening with you, how you're feeling about things, updates, successes, challenges - as much or as little as you’re willing to disclose. We are in this together. And - thank goodness - we have wine!

Cheers!!