2024 Giustini Negroamaro Salento "Vecchio Sogno" Puglia

Tucked between the Ionian Sea and the rolling hills of the Itria Valley, the small village of San Giorgio Ionico sits at the heart of Puglia's Salento peninsula — the "heel" of Italy's boot, and home to some of the country's most distinctive native red grapes. This is the terroir behind Vecchio Sogno, a 100% Negroamaro from Tenuta Giustini, a family estate now in its fourth generation of winemaking.

The Giustini story began in 1991, when Giuseppe Papadopoli, after years managing vineyards for larger producers in the region, purchased his family's first hectares in a district called Giustini — the name that would eventually anchor the winery. Vecchio Sogno, meaning "old dream," was the estate's very first bottling in 2005: a tribute to Giuseppe's dream of building a winery of his own, and the wine that marked the family's shift from bulk grape-growing to producing and selling under their own label. The estate's own winery followed in 2015, and the family now farms roughly 30 hectares across the Salento IGP zone.

Grapes for Vecchio Sogno are hand-harvested in mid-September from vines rooted in medium clay soils, then destemmed and gently punched down before a 10-12 day maceration and fermentation at controlled temperature. The wine is aged entirely in stainless steel, a choice that preserves the bright, unfiltered character of Negroamaro rather than layering it with oak — consistent with the estate's stated philosophy of minimal intervention and letting the indigenous variety speak for itself.

Vecchio Sogno has built a loyal following among retailers and consumers across the US, UK, and Italy for its easy-drinking, food-friendly style and reliable quality vintage to vintage, making it a strong entry point into Puglia's native red wine tradition.