Il Salento – Wines of Italy

I still don't know why they call this land in southern Italy, right where the famous boot takes the shape of a heel, Salento. I have to look into it, but I would venture to say it's because of that thin layer, a mixture of sand and salt, that covers every surface almost invisibly but undeniably. Just leave a book on a table to see for yourself. If you go back for it a couple of hours later, the feel of its covers is like fine sandpaper. And it's only natural that in a piece of land guarded by two seas, the Ionian and the Adriatic, the presence of salt is everywhere.

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I only arrived a few days ago, but it's been quite intense. I had to wait 24 hours to find my suitcase, which the airline kindly lost somewhere along the way, and then look for a place to stay for the next thirty days.
With temperatures reaching 36°C and humidity levels nearing 70%, I explored Lecce, a city whose historic center transports you back in time. Porta Napoli welcomed me to a walled enclosure that once boasted three other gates and immediately became my point of reference.
I am here to discover the wines of the Puglia region; wines that, I would almost dare to say, without intending to offend anyone, have long been, except for isolated examples and symbolic cases, the ugly child of Italian wines, but which today are betting on quality to carve out a niche in the market.
Although bulk wine for local consumption still represents a high percentage of the area's production, there are also many wineries or "cantinas" that bottle a quality and renowned product.
Eighteen Designations of Origin in a relatively small territory complicate the wine scene of the region a bit, in my view, but there are proper names such as Primitivo Di Manduria DOC and Salice Salentino DOC that boast well-deserved prestige and reputation.