The Cantine San Marzano winery is a small jewel in the heart of Puglia that shines thanks to its elegant wines. What makes the winery so special is its ability to combine the region’s age-old tradition with a modern, shared vision. Its innovative organisation is mindful of identity, yet also able to steer and renew the market, becoming the expression of a ‘winemaking synthesis’ that stakes everything on quality and recognisability.

The history of Cantine San Marzano is one of steady growth, step by step, made possible by the commitment, passion and perseverance of the people behind it. It began in 1962 with the union of nineteen winegrowers from San Marzano, a small town in the province of Taranto, with the shared goal of producing wines with clear varietal and regional character. The result wonderfully expresses individual care and know-how, a bond with tradition and an original interpretation of the territory.

Year after year, this small concern has grown to the point of attracting 1200 growers and becoming a well-known and much-loved symbol of Puglian wine. Each grower manages on average just over one hectare of vineyard, for a total of 1500 hectares, a proportion that explains how quality wines can be made given the quantities produced.

The strengths behind this success are its modern organisation and shared production, but also the bond, handed down through generations, with that corner of land cradled between two seas, the Ionian and the Adriatic, which has meant and still means so much in the history of Italian wine.

Primitivo and Negramaro: the finest grape varieties of Salento

The Mediterranean terroir plays a fundamental role in the wines of Cantine San Marzano. This is the land of Primitivo di Manduria, an area of enchanting countryside and landscapes where the finest grape varieties flourish.

Cantine San Marzano embraces much of Salento’s ampelographic heritage, focusing on two great red grapes of Puglia: Primitivo and Negroamaro.

In the hands of the San Marzano growers, bush-trained vineyards become wines of great structure and elegance, wines that can exceed the most ambitious expectations on the palate.

It is with the Talò range that Cantine San Marzano tells part of the truest essence of Salento. Primitivo di Manduria, Negramaro and Salice Salentino can offer excellent sensory experiences, especially when paired with the right dishes.

Tasting at the winery: the flavours of the Talò range

Primitivo di Manduria Talò

Produced at about 100 metres above sea level, in San Marzano, Primitivo di Manduria Talò is the result of temperature-controlled maceration followed by six months’ ageing in French and American oak barriques.

When tasted, the wine releases all its sensory qualities and a suppleness that balances its complex tannic texture, making it fine and harmonious.

In the glass it shows an intense ruby red colour, so deep that light cannot pass through it. Its dark appearance is lifted by purple highlights. The nose is opulent and complex in the variety of its aromas: it immediately recalls sour cherries, plums and blackberries, with pleasant notes of cocoa and vanilla. On the palate it shows remarkable structure, softened by the grape’s seductive sweetness, and ends on long, sweet notes. These organoleptic characteristics remain intact for five years.

The tasting experience of Primitivo di Manduria Talò reaches its peak when paired with roasts and red meat, especially grilled, and it is also delightful with fish soups, served at a slightly lower temperature.

Negroamaro Talò

Negroamaro Talò is an IGP wine made from the grapes of the best-known variety in the area. It is the result of a winemaking process that includes six months’ ageing in French oak barriques.

Tasting this red wine releases fruity notes, rich and with a decisive depth, while the flavour is at the same time well balanced by a confident freshness.

In the glass it shows a purple-red colour enriched by violet highlights; it is barely transparent, at times impenetrable. On the nose it offers an intense, persistent scent, with hints of blackcurrant and berries, spicy, with balsamic and vanilla notes. The palate recognises its velvety, harmonious body, with a well-defined tannic texture that leaves a warm, supple sensation on the finish. Its organoleptic characteristics remain intact for five years.

Negramaro Talò pairs beautifully with dishes from Salento’s rich culinary tradition, such as homemade pasta or meatballs in tomato sauce, and in general with hearty first courses, lamb and cheeses.

Salice Salentino Talò

Salice Salentino Talò is a DOP wine made from a blend of Negramaro (85%) and Malvasia Nera di Brindisi (15%). The winemaking aims to enhance the freshness of the fruit together with its varietal character. Temperature-controlled fermentation is followed by 6 months’ ageing in French oak barriques.

When tasted, it releases all its complexity. In the glass it shows a brilliant ruby red colour with garnet hues. On the nose it offers an intense scent with hints of cherry and plum, spicy notes and aromas of Mediterranean herbs. On the palate it asserts its robust body and releases a pleasant freshness on the finish. Its organoleptic characteristics remain intact for five years.

Salice Salentino Talò is excellent with cured meats and cold cuts, hearty first courses, red meat and cheeses.

Tasting these wines is an experience that evokes the scents and flavours of Puglia, so rich that they could never be held in a single glass. Yet, with their range of wines, Cantine San Marzano tells a story of tradition, expertise and passion that brings together the very best of the region’s wine production.