We began working in the Apulia region in 1998 under Tormaresca label in the region's Murgia and Alto Salento areas. This was another case - maybe even the best example - of redeeming marvelous terroir. Wine has been made on the plateaus of the "heel" of the italian boot since the time of the ancient Greeks. Until just a few years ago, this region was the largest producer of wine grapes in the entire country. However, most of the grapes were exported. As soon as they were cut from the vines, they were sent elsewhere in Italy and around the world, where they were used to make table wine.

Indeed Apulia, which sits between the Adriatic and the Ionian - has long been known for quantity, not quality. That's been changing recently, and local terroir is now experiencing a true renaissance. Apulia is crisscrossed by wine routes, and modern wineries are popping up all over the region. Wines like Primitivo, Negroamaro, Fiano and Aglianico are once again being recognized. There are twenty-five DOC in Apulia today. We hope to make our contribution to this fruitful and fertile movement.

A vacation-cum-exploration trip to this southern frontier opened our eyes to its potential. In the mid-1990s, I traveled there, Cotarella by my side, as always. It was immediately clear to us that though this region had a proud history and ancient grapes that dated back to the days of the Magna Grecia, it had yet to blossom fully in enological terms. In many other places, Antinori has arrived and started out selecting and reworking the grapevines and grooming the land. In Apulia, we found the inverse situation: wonderful grapes growing on perfect land, but an almost complete lack of modern facilities designed to produce high-quality wine.

Cantina di Masseria Maime has been in business since 2009. It's very modern and was conceived based on Renzo Cotarella's latest winemaking theories. It sits amid fields, woods, and centuries-old olive groves. We've worked on marketing too, with innovations like Fichimori, a red wine meant to be served cold. We also make an extra-virgin olive oil from Cellina and Coratina olives, both native to Apulia."