Puglia Wine Tours & Tastings
Puglia’s wines are Primitivo di Manduria, Negroamaro from Salice Salentino and the Salento rosato, sun-ripened reds from the flat vineyards of the heel, plus the whites and light reds of the Valle d’Itria hills. Compare the top-rated wine tours and tastings below, then read our notes on the regions.
Formats: winery tastings in the Valle d’Itria near Martina Franca, Locorotondo and Alberobello; Primitivo tastings and cellar visits around Manduria and Bari; Salento winery days from Lecce; dinners in the vineyard; wine-and-oil combinations.
What you taste: Primitivo di Manduria, Negroamaro and its rosato, Salice Salentino, Locorotondo and Martina Franca whites, and Verdeca and Minutolo from the hills.
Price: 35 to 65 dollars for a tasting with snacks; 90 to 150 for a dinner or a day with transport.
The wines
Primitivo di Manduria, a DOC since 1974, must be at least 85 percent Primitivo and at least 13.5 percent alcohol; it is rich, dark and the region’s flagship, and the same grape as California’s Zinfandel. Negroamaro leads Salice Salentino, a DOC since 1976, and makes the pale, dry rosato that Puglia drinks all summer. The Valle d’Itria hills around Martina Franca and Locorotondo are cooler and make crisp whites from Verdeca and Minutolo, which is why the winery tastings there are so popular with visitors staying among the trulli.
The tours
Most tastings are at the winery: a cellar visit, three or four wines with cheese, taralli and oil, an hour to ninety minutes, at a price that suits an afternoon. Bari-based day trips reach a Primitivo estate with transport; Lecce-based days cover Salento producers. Vineyard dinners at sunset are the most-booked format in summer. Self-drivers have the most choice; the estates are spread across the plain.
Frequently asked questions
What is Puglia’s best wine?
Primitivo di Manduria for reds, Negroamaro rosato for summer, and the Valle d’Itria whites for something you will not find abroad.
Do I need a car for wine tours in Puglia?
For most estates, yes; tours from Bari and Lecce with transport exist and are listed above.
When is the harvest?
Late August to September, early for Italy because of the heat.
How we choose
We list only experiences with a strong rating over a meaningful number of reviews and free cancellation where available, and we favour small-group and family-run hosts. FindEatLocal earns a commission when you book through GetYourGuide or Viator links on this page; it doesn’t change the price you pay. More about how we choose.