Produttori di Manduria 'Aka' Primitivo Rosato, Puglia 2024

This is Primitivo rosato, not pink water. Provence does polite; Puglia does punchy. From Manduria, this rosé carries real colour and plenty of flavour. Bright strawberry and cherry fruit are front and centre, with a little spice and a savoury twist on the finish. There's more weight and texture here than the classic Provence model, yet it still keeps its freshness. Generous, fruit-driven and unmistakably southern Italian, it shows exactly what Primitivo can bring to rosato.

Great with grilled chicken, charcuterie or spiced vegetable dishes, where its fruit and body stand up to bold flavours.

Produttori di Manduria is Puglia's oldest cooperative, set up in 1932 with just 17 growers, who, nowadays have over 400 members who, collectively, cultivate more than 2,000 hectares of vines. They've long been champions of Primitivo going back long before it was the fashionable grape it is today. And while wines made from this grape forms the backbone of their production, they also make a number of very interesting whites and this is where the local variety Fiano comes into its own. They're keen to keep their standards to the highest level and this is borne out by the awards they regularly achieve right across their range.