The denomination of origin Aleatico di Puglia DOC refers to different types of red wines, at various levels of sweetness, dertivated from the Aleatico grape. The area covered by the denomination is very large, essentially including all six provinces of Puglia: Foggia, Barletta-Andria-Trani, Bari, Taranto, Brindisi and Lecce. In this vast area traditionally more table grapes were produced than wine grapes. Moreover most of the wine production is still used for blending wines or as a base for fortified wines and liqueurs. Because of a rather soft disciplinary and the large area covered, Aleatico di Puglia DOC is not as famous or esteemed as the wines belonging to the other Aleatico DOC appellations, such as Aleatico di Gradoli DOC or Elba Aleatico Passito DOCG. Traditional Aleatico di Puglia is sweeter and more full-bodied than the types from Lazio or Tuscany, mainly due to the fact that the climate in Puglia is considerably drier and warmer. In fact, the name of the region of Puglia comes from the Latin "a pluvia", "without rain". For similar reasons, southern Italy is called "Mezzogiorno", precisely because of its long and hot summers (the name "Midi" given to the south of France has exactly the same meaning and origin). In the area of the Aleatico di Puglia DOC appellation, with 300 days of sunshine a year and temperatures that regularly exceed 40° C in summer afternoons, the grapes develop high levels of sugar concentration. Inevitably, therefore, the wines produced in these areas are rich in alcohol and/or residual sugars.
