Since 1903 in the heart of the Campi Diomede
Canosa di Puglia, located in northern Apulia halfway between Bari and Foggia, is one of the oldest wine-growing communities in the region. Cantina Diomede has been producing wine here since 1903 – on the same soil that legend gave its name: the Campi Diomede, the fields of the Homeric warrior Diomedes, who landed on the Apulian coast after the fall of Troy and allegedly brought the first vines from which the Uva di Troia was to emerge. Today, the winery belongs to the Fantini Group, which combines the locally grown expertise of decades with supra-regional knowledge with its team of oenologists.
The winery manages around 200 hectares of vineyards in Apulia and the neighboring Basilicata – two landscapes characterized by calcareous, clayey soils and a distinct continental climate with hot summers and cool nights. A large part of the sites is located in the hills north of Bari as well as in the DOC area Castel del Monte at an altitude of up to 480 meters.
Handwork in the vineyard, experience in the cellar
The management of the vineyards follows an organically oriented approach: most work is carried out manually, from pruning to the manual harvest, which for the Canace only takes place at the beginning of November – a late harvest that allows the grapes maximum ripeness. Before fermentation, the grapes for the flagship wine are partially dried on the vine to increase concentration and aromatic depth.
In the cellar, the team around cellar master Dennis Verdecchia combines classic Apulian winemaking tradition with precise technology: controlled mash fermentation for 15 to 20 days, followed by aging first in concrete containers, then twelve months in French oak barrels. In addition, there is a second line with shorter barrique contact, which places greater emphasis on the accessibility of the autochthonous varieties. The operational structure is deliberately divided into two: a broader range for daily enjoyment, a strictly limited selection from selected plots.
Nero di Troia as the centerpiece – and a grape variety with history
At the center of the range is consistently the Uva di Troia, mostly called Nero di Troia in this country – a late, color-intensive variety with strong tannins and distinct aging potential, which was underestimated as a blending grape for centuries and only gained attention as a varietal bottling in the last decades. Cantina Diomede is one of the few wineries that aligns its program so consistently with this variety. The offer is supplemented by Aglianico – also from the limestone-clay hills of the Murgia – as well as white and rosé wines for the lower price segment.
The Canace Nero di Troia – named after the cities of Canosa and Acerenza, between which the vines grow – is the clearest argument for the quality of the house: ruby red, almost black glass, notes of ripe cherries, plums, cocoa, and coffee, carried by present but silkily integrated tannins and a fresh acid line on the finish. It goes well with braised lamb, game dishes, or mature Pecorino.
