Alezio is a small DOC wine region in Puglia, south-eastern Italy. It centers around the town of Alezio, which lies a few miles inland from the Gulf of Taranto coast on the Salento peninsula. The DOC's catchment area covers only a few square miles, between Alezio town and the coastline north and south of Gallipoli. Immediately abutting the Alezio vineyards are those of the Matino and Galatina DOCs. Flat, hot and dry, the terroir here is typical of Puglia.
The Alezio DOC covers red and rosé wines, the former more popular with local producers. Negroamaro, Malvasia Nera, Sangiovese and Montepulciano are the varieties of choice, as they are across the 'heel' of Italy.
This area is strewn with evidence of Puglia's other key industry, olive-oil production, and the landscape reflects the struggle between olives and grapes on one side and streets and houses on the other. Puglia produces almost 50% of Italy's national olive-oil output and has long been known as a prolific wine generator. Historically, high grape yields and the flat, baked wines (affected by excessive heat) they create brought Alezio and its neighbors a lowly reputation. This is beginning to change, however: the region is seeing a growing number of winemakers favoring quality over quantity as the world market demands high-quality, origin-specific wines. The mass-produced blending wines previously made here are gradually losing their grip on vineyards and ledger books.
Despite being wedged between the Adriatic Sea and the Gulf of Taranto (at the northern edge of the Ionian Sea), the climate here is both hot and dry. Puglia's name derives from the Latin phrase a pluvia, meaning 'without rain'. Southern Italy has been nicknamed Il Mezzogiorno, meaning 'the midday', due to its long, hot summers (le Midi in southern France has precisely the same meaning and origin). With 300 sunny days each year and mid-summer afternoon temperatures regularly surpassing 40C, the grapes which grow here develop high levels of sugar over the growing season. The wines made from these grapes are subsequently high in alcohol, and it is one of the key challenges for Alezio winemakers to harness this and craft balanced, attractive wines.
