Primitivo: Zin’s not quite identical twin (#ItalianFWT)

Expect the unexpected – in wine as in life – that’s my new mantra.

Not sure what I was expecting when I poured my first Primitivo from Puglia in southern Italy. Yes, it’s genetically the twin of Zinfandel, the popular California grape variety. But these twins grew up an ocean apart – in different terroir (land, climate, soil) from one another.

So let’s break it down and talk all things Primitivo. The Italian Food, Wine and Travel bloggers are doing just that on Twitter this Saturday, Nov. 7, starting at 8 am PT/11 am ET. If reading this post in time, please join us by following the #ItalianFWT hashtag.

What is Primitivo?

The name “Primitivo” derives from the Latin “primativus” and Old Italian “primaticcio” – both meaning “first to ripen” or “early ripening.”

Recent DNA tests indicate Primitivo is a Croatian immigrant who’s been living in southern Italy for centuries. In its homeland, just across the Adriatic Sea from Italy, the grape is known as Tribidrag and Crljenak Kasteljanski.

When did this grape make the journey across the sea? Possibly thousands of years ago when the ancient Greeks touched these Italian shores. Or, as some studies maintain, the grape migrated west in the 15^th and 16^th centuries with Slavs and Greek-Albanians who fled to Puglia to escape persecution by the Ottoman Turks.

We do know that in the early 19^th century, southern Italian immigrants introduced this dark-skinned grape to the United States as Zinfandel.

We know a few other things about Primitivo:

1. Because of its thin skin, Primitivo is especially “sensitive” to its terroir.
2. Primitivo is difficult to pick in one harvest. Grapes ripen unevenly, so bunches have to be left on the vine to ripen fully.
3. Primitivo can produce high sugar levels, much of which gets converted into alcohol during fermentation. It’s not unusual to find wines with alcohol as high as 16 or 17%.  

Nature and nurture

Long and narrow Puglia, in the heel of Italy’s boot, has almost 500 miles of coastline along the Mediterranean Sea. It’s hot and dry, with cooling breezes from being surrounded on three sides by water, and the soil is fertile. Half of Italy’s olive oil is produced under the hot sun of Puglia.

A few decades ago, the European Union offered incentives to farmers to uproot their centuries-old Primitivo vineyards in favor of international varieties. Fortunately, some vineyards survived and in the last 10 years, the acreage of land planted to Primitivo in Puglia saw a 40% increase. Now, the grape is grown on over 27,000 acres of land.

Some of the best examples, Primitivo di Manduria DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) and Primitivo di Manduria Dolce Naturale DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita), are found in the red soils of Taranto Province. Primitivo also grows on the hills of Gioia del Colle and on the Bari Province Murgia uplands.

Puglia IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) covers the entire Puglia region. Winemakers in this region have a well-established system of cooperatives. The IGT category allows them to take advantage of relaxed restrictions and high yields.

A Primitivo tasting journey

I’ve only tasted a few Zins in my time as a serious wine drinker. But if you ask me to describe a typical Zin, I’d use words like “jammy, spicy, smoky, hot.” Frankly, that last descriptor, the one about the high alcohol level, often keeps me from choosing a Zin.

Back to those expectations. I was surprised immediately to find a Primitivo with only 12.5% alcohol (the CALX FUSO21), and its pale ruby color caught me off guard, too. Then I tasted this easygoing wine. Was this really Zin’s twin?

Naturally, one Primitivo is only one Primitivo. So I bought another one and guess what? It was different and still unlike the Zins I recalled. Maybe I’m not remembering correctly? I can solve that, I thought, as I grabbed my car keys and headed to the local wine store. But alas, one Zin is only one Zin.

And so it goes. Nothing conclusive to report from this limited tasting, but it was a fun trip anyway. Here’s what I poured and discovered along the way:

Wine #1: 2018 CALX FUSO21 Primitivo Puglia IGT

Produced by Cantine Polvanera, Gioia del Colle, Italy, and imported/distributed by PortoVino wines. The distributor states: “FUSO is our project to search for and bottle Italy’s natural and characterful daily drinkers. We work with farmers and producer friends who are committed to organic viticulture, low-intervention, and terroir-driven wines.”

The Gioia del Colle area has a reputation for wines with slightly more subdued body and alcohol. Made from certified organic grapes grown in limestone and fermented in stainless steel. Unfiltered and unfined with minimal sulphur dioxide.

My tasting notes: Transparent ruby leaning toward garnet in color. Fresh cherry on the nose, and a cherry/spicy palate. Medium acidity. Medium finish. Looking for a fun and light, everyday drinking wine? This is it! Alcohol: 12.5%. Price: $16.

Wine #2: 2015 Cantele Primitivo Salento IGT

Founded as a family wine bottling business in 1979, Cantele has been producing its own wines since purchasing several vineyards in the 1990s. Today, the Cantele estate has 124 acres under vine and manages an additional 371 acres of vineyards that are owned by local winegrowers. Cantele contributes to viticultural research in partnership with several Italian research institutions. The estate is also reducing the use of manmade herbicides and pesticides in its vineyards.

Salento is the limestone-based peninsula that divides the Adriatic Sea from the Ionian Sea and forms Italy’s heel. Salento IGT is one of the most commonly used IGT categories in Puglia. Grapes for this wine are from Sava, Torricella, and Manduria. After fermentation in cool temperatures, the wine is aged in barriques for approximately six months.

My tasting notes: Dark ruby, less transparency than the CALX. Well-integrated aromas of cherry, herbs (oregano, thyme), and licorice. On the palate, I get cherry and sour cherry upfront, followed by baking spice on the mid-palate, and a dash of pepper at the end of a medium+ finish. Medium+ acidity. More polished and complex than the CALX Primitivo. Alcohol: 13.5%. Price: $14.

Wine #3: 2016 Sola Zinfandel Sierra Foothills, California

In 2007, founder Tim Halikas, with the help of Greg Buonocore, launched Sola. Their goal was to produce “the highest-quality West Coast wines at the lowest possible sustainable prices.” The warm, high altitude terroir of the Sierra Foothills, where cool nights preserve acidity, is well suited to red wines like Zin. Running along the Sierra Nevada mountain range, the region consists of mostly sandy clay and granitic soils.

Grapes for this wine are grown at approximately 2,400 feet in elevation. The fermented wine spends 50% of its time in stainless steel and 50% in barrels for 10 months (8% new American medium-toasted barrels and the remainder in neutral French and American barrels).

My tasting notes: Ruby red with purplish hues and some transparency. Cherry, raspberry, jammy baked fruit, and plenty of smoke on the nose. I get sour cherry, sweet smoke, black pepper, cloves, and a bit of grip on the palate. Medium+ acidity. Medium+ finish. Yup, this is how I remember Zin. Something this smokin’ begs for barbecue. Doesn’t come across as hot despite 14.7% alcohol. Price: $12. 

Sources: Civic Winery, Portovino Italiano, Wine Folly, Wines of Puglia, wine-searcher.

Pairings: What works and what’s “meh”

Over a week spent digging into Primitivo (and comparing it to Zin), the spouse and I had successful pairings and some that were just “meh.”

• CALX paired with baked Penne pasta and sausage – Pleasant and unassuming, the CALX Primitivo supports this cheesy, tomato-based dish without overpowering it. An all-around easy weekday meal.
• CALX paired with Uruguayan lentil stew – Turkey bacon lends this stew a light savory flavor just right for pairing with a light-bodied red wine. We tried the medium-bodied Cantele Primitivo with this stew, too, but the wine took over and dominated the dish. Meh. Regular bacon may be a better choice for a deeper Primitivo like the Cantele.
• Cantele paired with antipasto – Salami and feta cheese give this simple antipasto the fat and protein needed to match the depth of the Cantele Primitivo. Herby sourdough toast matches the wine’s profile, too.
• Finally, we shared the last of the Zin with our family over a take-out, pesto and Alfredo chicken pizza. Yummy! Bet a classic pepperoni and mushroom pizza would also work with any of these three wines – and I just learned a new barbecue joint opened in town. Yeeha!

Want to learn more about Primitivo? Check out these bloggers’ posts (below) and join us Saturday 11/7 for the chat!

• Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla: Pasta Fra Diavolo Topped with Stuffed Squid + Li Veli Orion Primitivo 2018
• Terri from Our Good Life: Pumpkin Sage Alfredo with Scallops and Matanè Primitivo
• Linda from My Full Wine Glass: Primitivo: Zin’s Not Quite Identical Twin
• Lynn from Savor the Harvest: Pouring Primitivo, Four Wines From Puglia
• Susannah from Avvinare: Tasting Primitivo di Manduria
• Nicole from Somm’s Table: Two Sides of a Coin: Primitivo and Zinfandel (with Ribs Two Ways)
• Katarina at Grapevine Adventures: Challenge Your Belief About Primitivo
• Wendy at A Day In The Life on the Farm: Primitivo: Old World vs. New World
• Jennifer at Vino Travels: Primitivo: Zinfandel of Southern Italy 
• Gwendolyn at Wine Predator: Godfather III: Turley Zin vs Barricone Primitivo