Susumaniello Quinzio I.G.P.

Susumaniello is a variety of black grape originating from Italy, in particular from the Puglia region, located in the south-east of the country.

The name "Susumaniello" is often associated with an ancient legend according to which local farmers, while working in the vineyards, referred to the grapes with the term "susu 'maniellu," which in Apulian dialect means "loaded like a donkey." This name reflects the perception of the grape variety as producing abundant bunches.

The bunch is medium in size, with small, round berries of a bluish-black color with a high concentration of polyphenols and anthocyanins, very colourful, with very low acidity.
The characteristics of Negro Amaro are exactly the opposite, which instead has a very high acidity.
This grape variety is known for producing full-bodied red wines with an intense aroma and rich flavors, with notes of black fruits, spices and a pleasant acidity.

The high productivity of Susumaniello drops drastically with the age of the strain, until reaching, with the maturity of the plant, maximum quantities of no more than 1-1.2 kg/strain. The high productivity of the young strains, combined with the intense color of its musts, meant that in the past Susumaniello was once used for the production of sweet filtrate purchased from wineries in northern Italy, but later the exhaustion of demand for these products has caused interest in Susumaniello to decline. Due to the modernization of the vineyards with the transition from the sapling to the espalier system, there was the almost total disappearance of Susumaniello.

The fact that the more mature plants give low production, and therefore the high concentration of the musts and their good fixed acidity, has led to their rediscovery, allowing us to obtain great red wines from Susumaniello, both in purity or in combination with Negro Amaro and black Malvasia di Brindisi.
The wines obtained appear ruby ​​red in color with often purple-red reflections.
To the sense of smell it is possible to perceive fruity notes, of plum, berries, red fruit jam; The spicy fragrances reminiscent of pepper and vanilla are also very pleasant.