Wine production

Since 1788 our Cellar Gioia del Colle are in the heart of the homeland of Primitivo, wine is made here in compliance with ancient traditions to obtain quality wines that are born from the passion for the Apulian territory and from the love for art in all its forms.

The Primitivo wine of the Cantina Storica del Cardinale is produced from the first pure pressing of the grapes of this ancient and noble vine grown in Puglia. The wine production phase starts immediately after the harvest to maintain the highest quality of the grapes and avoid any possible degradation.

On the same day of the harvest, the grapes are taken to the Cellar in Gioia del Colle and subjected to the destemming process, an operation necessary to separate the berries from the stalks, immediately after which the grapes are conveyed to the soft press for the crushing phase. From the pressing the must is obtained which is then placed in the cellar tanks.

Cantina Storica del Cardinale is one of the very few to have concrete tanks built in the 1950s which allow for optimal oxygenation of the must, which adds quality to the Primitivo wine produced.

Destemming

As soon as the grapes arrive in the cellar from the vineyards, the first operation that is carried out is the destemming or the separation of the grapes from the stems. The stalks are all the part that makes up the bunch of grapes with the exception of the berries. This operation is carried out to prevent the wine from containing an excessive amount of tannins of which the Primitivo grape is already rich and to prevent the water contained in the stalks from diluting the must and altering its natural colour.
Destemming takes place mechanically with the aid of a steel cylinder which, by rotating, pushes the grapes towards the next passage and retains everything else.

Must and fermentation

Immediately after destemming, the Primitivo grapes are sent to the maceration phase in which they are transformed into must in the fermentation cells. Cantina Storica del Cardinale is one of the last to have concrete fermentation cells built in the 1950s which allow for ideal oxygenation of the must during this phase. This phase is followed by the soft pressing and finally the separation from the pomace which starts the next phase of wine refinement.