What is Negroamaro
Pronunciation: Neg-row-amaro
Negroamaro is a dark-skinned grape grown primarily in the Puglia region in southern Italy.
It is used to produce both red and rosé wines, primarily blended with Malvasia Nera, Susumaniello or Primitivo grapes. As a blending component, the hearty varietal’s high alcohol and tannin bolsters blends that might otherwise be quite light. However, Negroamaro is being increasingly used to create striking single-varietal wines.
Wines made with Negroamaro often present a deep ruby-red color in youth, which evolve into a richer, darker red with age. Younger expressions exhibit notes of fresh red cherry, forest fruits, licorice and tobacco. With age, these wines develop elegant aromas like dried prunes, black pepper and some herbal and botanical notes such as dried thyme.
Negroamaro Regions
Grown throughout Puglia, Negroamaro is mainly associated with the southern Salento peninsula, or the heel of Italy—particularly the peninsula’s provinces of Lecce, Brindisi and, to a lesser extent, Taranto. The peninsula’s warm and dry Mediterranean climate provides an optimal environment for cultivating this hardy and drought-resistant varietal.
Negroamaro is used to produce numerous Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) and Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) wines throughout Puglia. Among the best known is Salice Salentino DOC, where the grape thrives in the growing area’s combination of clay and limestone soils.
Other notable expressions of Negroamaro can be found in Brindisi DOC, Copertino DOC, Leverano DOC, Squinzano DOC and Terra d’Otrano DOC. Some of these regions also have distinct DOCs for Riserva or Rosato wines, in which Negroamaro plays a starring role. Some notable non-DOC wines include Puglia Negroamaro IGT and Salento Negroamaro IGT. Outside of Italy, a limited amount of Negroamaro is also grown in California and Australia.
Synonyms for Negroamaro include Abruzzese/Abbruzzese, Lacrima and Niuri Maru. It should not, however, be confused with Negramoll, a red wine grape grown throughout the Iberian Peninsula and the most widely planted grape on the island of Madeira.
Negroamaro Tasting Notes
Wines made with Negroamaro are characterized by bold black fruit flavors such as black cherry, plum and blackberry on the palate and a distinctive herbaceous finish of dried thyme. More complex expressions can also exhibit earthy notes such as coffee, tobacco and dark chocolate.
Negroamaro grapes are found in red, and rose wines.
Structural Characteristics
Examples of Negroamaro to Try
Pairs Well With
Handling Tips
Fun Facts
- Negroamaro’s roots in Puglia stretch back to roughly 3000 years ago, around the time Greek settlers arrived in the region from across the Adriatic Sea.
- The origins of the name “Negroamaro” are not precisely known. An approximate translation from Italian means “dark, bitter,” which may refer to the grape’s particularly dark color and its high tannins. Alternatively, it may come from old Greek and Latin, which would approximately translate to “dark dark” or “dark black,” again referencing its color.
- DNA analysis suggests that Negroamaro is related to Verdicchio and Sangiovese.
