Fiano is a grape variety typically associated with Campania on the other side of the Apennines from Puglia, but Puglia’s plantings of Fiano have been increasing, and the variety seems well suited to this region. Li Veli makes this Fiano as one of its two white-wine offerings.

The Salento area and its leading grape variety Negroamaro are recognized as producing some of Italy’s best rosato (pink) wines. Li Veli Primerose is a great example of this hearty style of rosé wine.

While Li Veli focuses much of its attention on Negroamaro, Orion is dedicated to the other important grape variety of the Salento Peninsula: Primitivo. The Italian alter ego of Croatia’s Tribidrag and California’s Zinfandel, Primitivo has been grown in Puglia for centuries and is gaining newfound recognition in Italy. The wine’s name, Orion, is not related to the constellation, but rather to an ancient wall. Orion means “limit” or “boundary” in Greek, and a wall that once served as the boundary of Salento when this was a Greek colony is today a country road that runs alongside Li Veli’s Primitivo vineyard.

Salento peninsula has always been a great wine producing area of Italy and a land of crossing cultures. Primonero was born from the heart of this land with its most representative grape: Negroamaro, whose name emphasizes the dark colour of its fruit: niger from the Latin “black” and amauros from the Greek “dark”. In memory of Greeks and Romans, the two main cultures dominating and crossing each other in this region.

Passamante is Li Veli’s entry Salice Salentino, the Negroamaro-based wine that defines the Salento Peninsula. Though no oak aging is required for non-riserva Salice Salentino wines, Li Veli gives Passamante 6 months in barriques to round out the wine and introduce additional complexity. Passamante is the name of the wooded area next to the vineyard.

Li Veli features little-known native grape varieties of Puglia in its Askos line. Verdeca is the white entry in this line. Not much Verdeca is grown in Puglia, and almost none outside the region, so it’s exciting to see a varietal Verdeca wine like this one from Li Veli. Askos is a Greek word for a type of wine container, harkening back to the pre-Roman days when the Ancient Greeks colonized Puglia and produced wine here—perhaps from Verdeca.

Li Veli features little-known native grape varieties of Puglia in its Askos line. With just 125 acres (50 ha) in all of Italy, Susumaniello certainly fits in that category. Li Veli’s varietal Susumaniellos are a rare opportunity to taste this ancient grape variety that is just starting to garner attention. This wine is a pink version, essentially a white wine made with red Susumaniello grapes.

Li Veli features little-known native grape varieties of Puglia in its Askos line. With just 125 acres (50 ha) in all of Italy, Susumaniello certainly fits in that category. Li Veli’s varietal Susumaniellos are a rare opportunity to taste this ancient grape variety that is just starting to garner attention.

Li Veli features lesser-known native grape varieties of Puglia in its Askos line. This wine is made from a member of the widespread Malvasia family, but from a red-skinned variety that is peculiar to Puglia. Malvasia Nera di Lecce, named after the city of Lecce in Puglia, is rarely found outside its native region. Even in Puglia, it is not often found as a varietal wine, because it is usually blended with Negroamaro. That makes the Li Veli Malvasia Nera a real treasure.

Li Veli features native grape varieties of Puglia in its Askos line. Primitivo is now well known, but it remains in the shadow of Negroamaro and several other Italian grape varieties, so Li Veli includes it in this project.

Li Veli Pezzo Morgana is a single-vineyard Negroamaro from the Salice Salentino denomination. The vineyard is planted using the ancient Settonce system based on hexagonal distribution rather than rows. This wine is a riserva, which requires at least 2 years of aging, including 6 months or more in wood.

Masseria Li Veli (or “MLV”) is Li Veli’s most prestigious wine. It is based on Primitivo and Negroamaro but takes a modern turn by adding a healthy proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon. The result is a particularly powerful and long-lived wine.