Negroamaro
Negroamaro is a dark-skinned grape best known in the Puglia region in southern Italy. The wines from this grape tend to show a deep ruby-red color in youth, graduating to richer, darker red after a couple of years. Its aromatics are elegant, and young Negromaro typically displays notes of fresh red cherry, forest fruits, licorice and tobacco.
With some age, the wines take on other aromas like dried prunes, black pepper and some herbal and botanical notes. On the palate, Negroamaro can take on an earthy character, with some spice and occasionally a chunky tannic finish.
The Negroamaro grape is used to produce red and rosé wines, some of which are single varietals and a great many of which are blends. Negroamaro is most often blended with Malvasia Nera, Susumaniello or Primitivo. As a blending component, Negroamaro’s high alcohol and relatively high tannin adds strength to blends that would otherwise be quite light.
Grown throughout Puglia, Negroamaro is most often associated with the southern part of the region: the Salento peninsula. Here, two provinces are known to produce particularly good examples, Lecce and Brindisi. The province of Taranto is always a significant stronghold for Negroamaro production, though to a lesser extent. The region’s Mediterranean climate is warm and has limited rainfall, an optimal environment to cultivate the hardy and drought-resistant Negroamaro variety to ripeness.
Negroamaro is used to produce numerous Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) and Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) level wines throughout Puglia. Perhaps the best known is Salice Salentino DOC, where the Negroamaro variety thrives on the growing area’s combination of clay and limestone soils.
Other revered 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 also plays a large part. Some notable non-DOC wines include Puglia Negroamaro IGT and Salento Negroamaro IGT.
A limited amount of Negroamaro is grown in California and Australia, but for the most part, it is solely associated with southern Italy.
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 levels of tannin. Alternatively, it may come from old Greek and Latin, which would approximately translate to “dark dark” or “dark black,” again referencing its color. Synonyms include Negro Amaro, Nigramaro, Negramaro, Amaro Nero and Nicra Amaro.
Negroamaro should not be confused with Negramoll, a red wine grape grown throughout the Iberian Peninsula and the most widely planted grape on the island of Madeira.
Eliminate confusion both online and while shopping with help from our digital Buying Guide below. Each bottle has been sampled and rated by our expert tasters at Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Browse by style to find an interesting Negroamaro wine to try.
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Mount Saint Joseph Wines 2018 Negroamaro (Sierra Foothills)
Sierra FoothillsThis big, complex and attractively oaky wine offers a broad array of ...See Full Review$30 -
Menhir Salento 2016 Filo Negroamaro (Salento)
Southern ItalyThis velvety red delivers dark, plummy fruit perked up by heady accents ...See Full Review$32 -
Cantine De Falco 2017 Salore Negroamaro (Salice Salentino)
Southern ItalyDense black-plum and blackberry aromas are woven with orange peel and clove ...See Full ReviewN/A -
Vetrère 2018 Tempio di Giano Negroamaro (Salento)
Southern ItalyThis red smartly matches intense brambleberry fruit with anise and orange peel ...See Full ReviewN/A -
Menhir Salento 2016 Nº Zero Negroamaro (Salento)
Southern ItalyThere's ample intensity to the aromas of blood orange peel, red plum ...See Full Review$16 -
Tenuta del Pajaru 2020 Paritaru Negroamaro (Puglia)
Southern ItalyDense aromas of baked plum, black cherry jam, iodine and clove make ...See Full Review$25 -
Azienda Agricola Rocca 2019 Podere don Cataldo Negroamaro (Salento)
Southern ItalyThis rich, plummy red carries seamless accents of cola, blood orange and ...See Full Review$21 -
Schola Sarmenti 2019 Roccamora Negroamaro (Nardò)
Southern ItalyRich aromas of toasted vanilla and anise ride over a plummy, dense ...See Full Review$22 -
Schola Sarmenti 2017 Nerìo Riserva Red (Nardò)
Southern ItalyToasted anise, clove and cinnamon spice tones are at the fore in ...See Full Review$25 -
Vetrère 2018 Lago della Pergola Negroamaro (Salento)
Southern ItalyVery rich aromas of chocolate-dipped dark cherry, plum jam, clove and bubblegum ...See Full ReviewN/A -
Leone de Castris 2018 Maiana Negroamaro (Salice Salentino)
Southern ItalyRipe red-plum and cherry aromas meet lifted elements of crushed herbs and ...See Full Review$15 -
De Vecci 2018 Negroamaro (Salento)
Southern ItalyBrisk, brambly aromas of blackberry and red plum meet delicate accents of ...See Full Review$17 -
Vespa 2017 Il Fedale Negroamaro (Salento)
Southern ItalyShowing mild depth to the blackberry and cranberry aromas on the nose, ...See Full Review$35 -
Amastuola 2019 Organic Negroamaro (Salento)
Southern ItalyA mix of freshly pressed blackberry and red plum meets orange rind ...See Full Review$16 -
Mottura 2020 Negroamaro (Salento)
Southern ItalyThis fruity, straightforward red offers aromas and flavors of blackberry jam and ...See Full Review$15 -
Varvaglione 2019 12 e Mezzo Negroamaro (Salento)
Southern ItalyThis easy, fruity wine delivers slightly candied tones of brambleberry and red ...See Full Review$14 -
Colter's Creek 2020 Rosé of Negroamaro (Lewis-Clark Valley (ID))
IdahoThis one-of-a-kind bottling in the Northwest brings notes of herb and melon. ...See Full Review$23 -
Prima Materia 2019 Negroamaro
Lake CountyThis fascinating, full-bodied and complex wine offers an unusual and intriguing array ...Editors’ ChoiceSee Full Review$30 -
Montoliva 2018 Negroamaro (Sierra Foothills)
Sierra FoothillsLeather, earth and barnyard aromas lead to herbal, earthy flavors in this ...See Full Review$30 -
Varvaglione 2017 12 e Mezzo Negroamaro (Salento)
Southern ItalyReduced upon opening, this starts off with a stewed cabbage tone that ...See Full Review$14
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