Matino is a DOC of the Puglia wine region in south-eastern Italy. Not only the smallest DOC in Puglia, at a latitude of 40 degrees north Matino is also the most southerly. It covers red and rose wines from the vineyards around the small town of Matino, a few miles inland from the Gulf of Taranto on the Salento peninsula. The Matino catchment area covers only a few square miles between Matino and Alezio, five miles to the north-west. Flat, hot, dry and densely planted with vineyards and olive groves, this is typical Puglia countryside.
Puglia produces almost 50% of Italy's olive oil and has long been known as a prolific wine generator, and until the turn of the 20th century Matino did little to diminish this reputation. Historically, high yields and the flat, baked-tasting wines they produce brought little respect to the region's viticultural reputation. There are undeniable signs of change, however, as the region is seeing a growing number of winemakers favoring quality over quantity. As the world market demands well-crafted, origin-specific wines, the mass-produced blending wines made here before are gradually reducing their grip on local vineyards and ledger books.
Matino DOC wines are made primarily from Negroamaro, accompanied by Malvasia Nera and Sangiovese. Together with Montepulciano and Primitivo, this combination dominates wines from all over the southern half of Puglia.
Despite being wedged between the Adriatic Sea and the Gulf of Taranto (at the northern edge of the Ionian Sea), the climate here is 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 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 potential alcohol, and it is one of the key challenges for Matino winemakers to harness this and craft balanced, attractive wines.
