Chakra Verde Verdeca Gioia del Colle DOC - 2023

In the heart of Puglia, Giovanni Aiello crafts wines that reflect his deep love for the region. Calling himself an "Enologo per Amore" (Winemaker for Love), he gained experience across Italy and abroad before returning home to establish his winery.

Based in Gioia del Colle, Giovanni blends tradition and innovation, focusing on Primitivo for reds and Verdeca for whites. Some vineyards are over 100 years old, cultivated with traditional bush vine methods.

At 300 meters above sea level, between Castellana, Putignano, and Fasano, his vineyards benefit from temperature shifts and Murgia’s cooling winds, enhancing the aromatic depth of native varieties. The region’s calcareous soils add a distinctive touch to his elegant, terroir-driven wines.

Puglia’s terroir is shaped by its vast plains, rolling hills, and Mediterranean coastline, offering a diverse landscape that supports a wide range of grape varieties. The region enjoys a hot, dry climate, with long, sun-soaked summers and mild winters, moderated by the cooling sea breezes. The soils in Puglia are primarily calcareous, clay, and sandy, providing excellent drainage and contributing to the depth and fruit-forward character of the wines. The region’s diurnal temperature variations between day and night help preserve the acidity and aromatic intensity in the grapes, ensuring a balanced profile in the wines.

The two most prominent areas for Primitivo are Primitivo di Manduria and Primitivo di Gioia del Colle, both producing wines with distinct characteristics due to differences in terroir. Primitivo di Manduria, located near the southern tip of Puglia, benefits from hot, sun-drenched conditions and calcareous, sandy soils. The wines here are typically rich, full-bodied, and fruit-forward, with ripe dark fruit flavors, soft tannins, and a velvety texture. The warmth of the region contributes to the wine's higher alcohol levels and deeper concentration.

In contrast, Primitivo di Gioia del Colle, located further north in Puglia’s inland hills, experiences a slightly cooler climate with clay-limestone soils and higher altitudes. The wines here tend to be more structured and balanced, with livelier acidity, firmer tannins, and a more spicy, complex profile. The terroir of this area allows for a slower, more even ripening of the grapes, resulting in wines that maintain fresh fruit character while showcasing the region's earthy minerality.

In addition to Primitivo, Puglia is known for other important grape varieties, such as Negroamaro, which is particularly prevalent in the Salice Salentino area and produces deep, dark wines with flavors of black fruit and herbs, and Nero di Troia, which is known for its bold, tannic reds with a characteristic earthy quality. The region also grows Bombino Bianco, Malvasia, and Fiano, contributing to the production of both white and rosé wines, all of which showcase the sunny, warm nature of Puglia’s terroir.