Primitivo, Negroamaro and Salento Rosso from Perrini Organic

Perrini Organic Producer Profile

Quick Facts

Name of Estate	Perrini Organic
Region	Puglia
Country	Italy
Proprietor	Vito and Mila Perrini
Size	50 hectares
Farming	Organic (Certified)
Soils	Sand, red limestone and clay
Grapes grown	Negroamaro, Primitivo
Fun facts	Though grapes are the main production at the Perrini farm, they also produce excellent oranges.

Though grapes are the main production at the Perrini farm, they also produce excellent oranges.

Name of Estate	Perrini Organic
Region	Puglia
Country	Italy
Proprietor	Vito and Mila Perrini
Size	50 hectares
Farming	Organic (Certified)
Soils	Sand, red limestone and clay
Grapes grown	Negroamaro, Primitivo
Fun facts	Though grapes are the main production at the Perrini farm, they also produce excellent oranges.

Get to know
Perrini Organic

producer profile 26.06.2019

Perrini Organic Producer Profile

In the very Southern part of the heel of the "Italian boot", which is really the <glossary title="902">Salento Peninsula</glossary> of the <glossary title="836">Puglia</glossary> region, the Perrini family have been making wine for generations. For many years most of the grapes were sold to local  <glossary title="729">négociants</glossary>, as the means and finances to <glossary title="428">estate-bottle</glossary> were not available to many of the local <glossary title="329">contadinos</glossary>. Vito and his sister Mila Perrini <glossary title="332">converted</glossary> their family’s 50 <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary> to <glossary title="746">organic</glossary> <glossary title="1103">viticulture</glossary> in 1993, long before many in the area had even considered it. They built an underground <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary>, definitively not the norm or the tradition in the region, and more importantly, a huge but necessary expense to make truly subtle wines, as opposed to the often too-heavy-handed <glossary title="441">fermentations</glossary> of the region's native red grapes. Their vines are 30-35 years of age on average and are spread over a number of zones in the hills and shoreline around <glossary title="244">Castellaneta</glossary>, near <glossary title="1011">Taranto</glossary> (incredibly, the town where Rudy Valentino was born). The vineyards are <glossary title="810">plowed</glossary> in spring months and the <glossary title="1129">yields</glossary> are kept to around 55<glossary title="524">hl</glossary>/ <glossary title="523">ha</glossary>. The grapes are <glossary title="520">picked by hand</glossary> and immediately brought to the <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary> in small baskets. The wines are then <glossary title="1104">vinified</glossary> in <glossary title="986">stainless</glossary> at <glossary title="1018">controlled temperatures</glossary> for 12-14 days of <glossary title="610">maceration</glossary>, then <glossary title="74">aged</glossary> in <glossary title="986">stainless</glossary> and <glossary title="445">glass-lined</glossary> <glossary title="1140">tanks</glossary>. The entire <glossary title="427">estate</glossary> is <glossary title="260">certified organic</glossary>, even by the <glossary title="1059">USDA</glossary>!

producer visit 14.08.2019

This visit to Perrini Organic took place in November, 2013

This visit to Perrini Organic took place in November, 2013. Words by Jules Dressner, photos by Eben Lillie. After driving around in circles for about 45 minutes, we finally found the Perrini family's main property. Mila Perrini happily greeted us, and took us into their tasting room to taste currently bottled stuff.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_14//d1/1e/d11ee58daa639a00cdf639520416c8e0.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_14//99/18/991864e197a8bf620dbd01c248d38623.jpg" /> Her brother Vito, who is head <glossary title="1103">viticulturist</glossary> and winemaker at the <glossary title="427">estate</glossary>, quickly joined us. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_14//7b/66/7b6605eca8be00b1e359728048b50470.jpg" /> While chatting over some house-made olive oil and fennel crackers (made with Perrini olive oil, of course), we talked about 2013 being a nice <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary> with a warm <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary>. I also spotted this banner:  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_14//cf/fa/cffa3c59d39f15e702d2c75759338c70.jpg" />   Breastfeeding: Start Them Young and <glossary term="Organic" title="746">Organic</glossary> They Will Become! Mila and Vito farm a total of 50 <glossary title="523">ha</glossary> of land, with 30 of those planted in <glossary title="828">Primitivo</glossary>, <glossary title="712">Negroamaro</glossary> and a little bit of <glossary title="443">Fiano</glossary>. The rest mostly consists of orange groves and olive trees, but also includes livestock and all types of others fruits and vegetables. The land is extremely fragmented and spread out, and we spent the entirety of our visit in one of the biggest of these zones.  Walking out of the tasting room, we crossed a site of olive trees with salad and potatoes planted between rows. Vito explained that the trees provide natural shade for the crops, which helps avoid <glossary title="549">irrigation</glossary>. Just a little further, we spotted this huge, heaping pile of shit. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_14//7f/e1/7fe1d72cd930381c793e12c07ce1e0cc.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_14//f3/6f/f36f24a6375e74f912badb30ea37b6eb.jpg" /> This is lamb and cow manure from animals the Perrinis own, and is used as <glossary title="442">fertilizer</glossary> throughout the farm. Because one rarely if ever has an opportunity to take a group photo in front of a seemingly never ending pile of dung, we did just that.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_14//c6/8f/c68f2171c8a77e32d9fe7725d2cb2bb7.jpg" /> Right next to the poop, we visited our first vineyard, mostly 60+ year old vines of <glossary title="712">Negroamaro</glossary> and <glossary title="828">Primitivo</glossary>. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_14//76/dc/76dc5f3306dfd45311b57ffaa90e6e6e.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_14//c9/5c/c95c95adeb727c142e2764aea6b0ba5d.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_14//4a/ec/4aec7b1492972a190083cc7833af3c7c.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_14//a1/c6/a1c63411df871bb60d0e756f65814715.jpg" /> The soils here consist of <glossary title="909">sand</glossary>, red <glossary title="596">limestone</glossary> and <glossary title="301">clay</glossary>.  Vito explained that for various reasons, 5 to 8% of the <glossary title="427">estates</glossary>' <glossary term="Old Vines" title="740">old vines</glossary> are dying every year, forcing him to replant. It's a pity, because he is one of the few <glossary title="1103">viticulturists</glossary> in his area who still cherishes them: "No one cares about <glossary title="740">old vines</glossary> here. Everyone replants regularly to get the highest <glossary title="1129">yields</glossary> possible."  <glossary title="549">Irrigation</glossary> systems are in place, and used only in cases of extreme heat.  "We don't want to use too much water, because this precipitates illness. But if it's way too hot, the plant completely shuts down. We therefore do what we see fit; if the plant needs refreshment, we will provide it." Continuing our tour of the vineyard, we walked to another mixed <glossary title="760">parcel</glossary>, this time with much <glossary title="909">sandier</glossary> soils.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_14//22/3f/223faba3873d9276f3dec1004f5442b8.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_14//cc/59/cc599fe51a2f8b3d67ad1359ab0f2c96.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_14//f3/27/f32796312387e135f2c2f6cabefb6f40.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_14//a9/62/a962584a28256ad85718a364ef95c48c.jpg" /> The Perrini's vineyards are very much characterized by shifts in the land's soil: when the <glossary title="419">elevation</glossary> is slightly higher, they are more rocky, while the lower parts consisting of mostly <glossary title="909">sand</glossary>. This highly affects the grapes' <glossary title="639">maturities</glossary>, forcing Vito to be very diligent at <glossary title="520">harvest</glossary>, which unsurprisingly is all <glossary title="520">done by hand</glossary>.  After a nice trot through the vines, we tasted some 2013's in the <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary>.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_14//7e/8f/7e8ffb0819b54f616ad6a10545cba841.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_14//6c/9d/6c9d341e024389752606fbc45722bae1.jpg" /> The vast majority of the wines <glossary title="441">ferment</glossary> and <glossary title="74">age</glossary> in the large <glossary title="986">stainless steel</glossary> <glossary title="1140">tanks</glossary> pictured above, giving them a refreshing brightness often lacking in <glossary title="836">Puglian</glossary> wine. We got to taste numerous tanks of <glossary title="828">Primitivo</glossary>, <glossary title="712">Negroamaro</glossary> and the <glossary title="308">co-fermented</glossary> <glossary term="Salento" title="902">Salento</glossary> <glossary title="185">bottling</glossary>, all <glossary title="521">harvested</glossary> at seperate times and awaiting their final destiny. 2013 will be a truly exceptional <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary> in <glossary title="836">Puglia</glossary>.  In the car ride to <a href="http://louisdressner.com/producers/delprete/" target="_blank">Natalino del Prete's</a>, Kevin made a point that resonated with me: the Perrinis, who are after all one of the first Italian <glossary title="427">estates</glossary> we started working with (2002), live apart from our little Louis/Dressner micro-universe of increasingly tight-knit <glossary title="1089">vignerons</glossary>: you don't see them at all the hip wine fairs, they don't have crazy late nights with Luca Roagna and are basically off the radar of <glossary title="708">natural wine</glossary> aficionados. They are simply a family doing its own thing, and we just so happen to be totally into it. Thanks Mila and Vito!

harvest report 19.01.2020

2020 Harvest Report from Vito Perrini

harvest report 06.11.2019

2019 Harvest Report from Vito Perrini

Dear Friends,  I am happy to present you with the new <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary> 2019. From the start the cultivation of the vines and development of the grapes wasn’t easy. In May we had a strong wined that decimated the <glossary term="Budding" title="1166">budding</glossary>, in June a drop in temperature interrupted the lengthening of the <glossary term="Cluster/Bunch" title="1138">bunches</glossary>, in July a heavy <glossary term="Hail" title="1136">hailstorm</glossary> that damaged the <glossary term="Cane" title="232">canes</glossary>, leaves and grapes. But thanks to our tireless work we managed to revive the the plants and the grapes. In fact, even if the quantity of the grapes was reduced, the majority of what we harvested was of the highest quality, well-ripened, flavorful and <glossary term="Aromatic" title="120">aromatic</glossary>. To guarantee a high quality, we did three <glossary term="Pass" title="1144">passes</glossary> in each vineyard selecting only the best <glossary term="Cluster/Bunch" title="1138">bunches</glossary>, relieving the plant of some fruit and giving the other <glossary term="Cluster/Bunch" title="1138">bunches</glossary> the opportunity to <glossary term="Maturation" title="639">mature</glossary> in better conditions. Luckily then the weather became truly exceptional and fantastic, always dry, ventilated with sun and temperatures constant from 21-24℃. After so, so much work and fatigue, we are proud to have done the best work in a difficult year! As they say……the good sailor sees the storm. An affectionate toast to all from Italy's south.  Vito Francesco Perrini and family

harvest report 13.10.2017

2017 Harvest Report from Perrini Organic

In <glossary title="244">Castellaneta</glossary> in <glossary title="836">Apulia</glossary>, the 2017 <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> has started on an ideal, bright day of August. A mellow winter and a dry and sunny summer allowed us to ward off any vineyard disease and for the grapes to reach an ideal health and <glossary title="784">phenolic</glossary> ripeness. From our first analysis and tasting the juices, we have registered optimal sugar and <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary> levels, with <glossary title="120">aromatic</glossary> and juicy grapes, indicating excellent quality even though we suffered from 50 to 60% losses. We began the <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> with the earliest ripening <glossary title="828">Primitivo</glossary> grapes and then <glossary title="712">Negroamaro</glossary>, <glossary title="443">Fiano</glossary> and <glossary title="688">Moscato</glossary>, leaving the late-ripening <glossary title="828">Primitivo</glossary> on the plants. Thanks to favorable weather conditions, this will give birth to our extraordinary <glossary title="765">Passito</glossary>. Grapes are carefully selected and <glossary title="520">manually harvested</glossary> in small cases. They are immediately brought to the winery for <glossary title="827">pressing</glossary>, which happens within a few hours. The rich <glossary title="700">must</glossary> with an <glossary title="1381">alcoholic potential</glossary> between 12° and 14,5° has promptly started <glossary title="976">spontaneous fermentation</glossary>, thanks to the generous presence of <glossary title="538">native yeasts</glossary> naturally present on the skins. Very quickly, scents of fruit and flower perfumed the air from our <glossary title="1140">vats</glossary>. While the majority of our production is produced in <glossary title="986">stainless steel</glossary>, we also put a selection of our best <glossary title="828">Primitivo</glossary> and <glossary title="712">Negroamaro</glossary> in <glossary title="469">French oak</glossary> <glossary title="144">barriques</glossary> in our underground <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary>. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Sep_18//14/41/14416254b70d990dee018515be73e94b.jpg" />

harvest report 26.10.2007

2007 Harvest Report from Vito Perrini

harvest report 25.10.2004

2004 Harvest Report from Vito Perrini

October 25th, 2004: The 2004 <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> is very exciting. The weather was ideal, hot (from 25 to 35 degrees celsius) and dry, without rain. The first grapes <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvested</glossary> are the <glossary title="828">Primitivo</glossary> and the <glossary title="712">Negroamaro</glossary> grown at a vineyard near the sea where the soil is warm and fertile. In this <glossary title="1133">plot</glossary> the harvesting began on the 15th of August and lasted until the 30th of September. In our vineyards on hillside the <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> of <glossary title="828">Primitivo</glossary> and <glossary title="712">Negroamaro</glossary> started on the 20th of September and lasted until the 30th of October. (Actually the <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> is still being carried out. We are picking today!) Here the <glossary title="656">micro-climate</glossary> is cooler, the soil is poorer and easier to work. For us the <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> is very long because we are picking from different <glossary title="1026">terroirs</glossary>. The grapes have different natural, optimal ripeness in the different spots and we try hard to pick at this kind of optimal <glossary title="639">maturation</glossary>. The <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> was done <glossary term="Hand Harvesting" title="520">by hand</glossary> and the grapes were (and will be) in <glossary title="795">pigeage</glossary> around 30 minutes from picking. The production per <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary> is kept between 50 to 65 quintali (5 to 6.5 metric ton) per  <glossary title="523">hectare</glossary>. The <glossary title="441">fermentations</glossary> are on the skins in <glossary term="Temperature Control" title="1018">controlled temperature</glossary> day and night for 14-16 days. This year the grapes are just the best. They are perfumed, healthy, flavorful and have an optimal balance of antocyans (red pigments) and <glossary title="784">polyphenols</glossary> (compound flavor molecules). We remind you that <glossary title="828">Primitivo</glossary> and <glossary title="712">Negroamaro</glossary> have a high content of Resveratrol which is a naturally occuring antioxidant that has been shown to reduce tumor incidence in animals by affecting one or more stages of cancer development.

producer profile 26.06.2019

Perrini Organic Producer Profile

producer visit 14.08.2019

This visit to Perrini Organic took place in November, 2013

harvest report 19.01.2020

2020 Harvest Report from Vito Perrini

harvest report 06.11.2019

2019 Harvest Report from Vito Perrini

harvest report 13.10.2017

2017 Harvest Report from Perrini Organic

harvest report 26.10.2007

2007 Harvest Report from Vito Perrini

harvest report 25.10.2004

2004 Harvest Report from Vito Perrini

Perrini Organic’s wines

Perrini Organic

Salento Rosato

Perrini Organic

Salento Rosso

Perrini Organic

Primitivo del Salento

Perrini Organic

Vino Rosso Negroamaro