While Cantele’s approach to grape growing and winemaking is rooted in the traditions of Salento viticulture, it doesn’t mean that the current generation of the Cantele family doesn’t continue to experiment and push the boundaries of southern Italian winemaking.

One of its most critically acclaimed projects has been AMATIVO, a wine made from a blend of two of Puglia’s most important red grape varieties: Negroamaro and Primitivo. And the name of the wine, like the blend, is a composite of the grapes that go into it: AMA from the amaro in Negroamaro and TIVO from Primitivo.

An “international-style” wine created by blending two native grapes from Puglia, the flavour profile of this cuvée gets its earthiness from the Negroamaro and its rich fruit character from the Primitivo. While the Negroamaro imparts freshness and just the right amount of tannic structure, the Primitivo gives the wine balance through its rich red fruit flavour.