Gravina DOC

Gravina's winemaking tradition stretches back to antiquity: the ancient settlement occupied the hill of Botromagno along the Via Appia and was originally called Sidion, a Greek colony whose inhabitants were known as Sidini. Red-figure pottery and wine vessels dated to the 4th century BCE, now held in the Museo Fondazione Pomarici Santomasi in Gravina, document the viticultural importance of the town during the Magna Graecia period. The key grape varieties of the DOC, Greco, Malvasia, and Aglianico, are all of clear Greek derivation. The Via Appia, connecting Rome to Brindisi, passed directly through Gravina, making it a strategic trading hub for centuries. Emperor Frederick II, struck by the abundance of wheat and wine, gave the town its motto 'Grana dat et vina', meaning 'it offers wheat and wine'. Formal DOC recognition came on 4 June 1983, and a producers' consortium was established in 2000.

• Greek colony (ancient Sidion) documented by 4th-century BCE red-figure pottery and wine vessels in the Museo Fondazione Pomarici Santomasi
• Key DOC grapes, Greco, Malvasia, and Aglianico, are all of clear Magna Graecia derivation
• Via Appia passed through Gravina, linking Rome to Brindisi and making the town a wine trading crossroads through antiquity and the medieval period
• DOC formally approved 4 June 1983; producers' consortium established in 2000

Gravina occupies a singular position on the Murgia limestone plateau in Puglia's province of Bari, bordering Basilicata to the west. While the vast majority of Puglia is flat coastal plain, Gravina is surrounded by rolling hills and sits at a base altitude of approximately 380 meters, with northern sections and the central ridge exceeding 610 meters. This elevation produces substantially cooler temperatures than surrounding areas, allowing for extended ripening and the preservation of natural acidity that defines the appellation's white wine style. The town itself stands dramatically on the edge of a deep ravine, a limestone canyon carved by seasonal water action and known locally as a 'gravina', which gives both the region and the DOC their name. The Alta Murgia National Park, established in 2004 and covering about 68,000 hectares of Cretaceous limestone plateau, surrounds the production zone. Soils are predominantly calcareous and rocky, rich in minerals, with excellent drainage properties typical of karstic limestone terrain.

• Elevation 380 to 610 meters on the Murgia limestone plateau; one of the very few elevated, white-wine-focused appellations in Puglia
• Bordered to the west by Basilicata; flanked to the north by Castel del Monte DOC and to the east by Gioia del Colle DOC
• Calcareous, mineral-rich, well-drained soils on Cretaceous limestone; karstic terrain with dramatic ravine (gravina) geology
• Alta Murgia National Park, established 2004, covers approximately 68,000 hectares around the production zone and has been designated a UNESCO Geopark

Greco forms the backbone of Gravina DOC Bianco, comprising a minimum of 50% of the blend and contributing bright citrus intensity, lively acidity, and the mineral-driven character that defines the appellation's style. The Greco cultivated here is considered closely related to the Greco di Tufo of Campania, finding its ideal pedoclimatic expression on the Murgia plateau. Malvasia Bianca or Bianca Lunga, required at a minimum of 20%, adds aromatic white flower notes and stone fruit complexity. Up to 30% of Bianco di Alessano, Chardonnay, Fiano, and/or Verdeca is permitted as a blending component. In practice, Botromagno's benchmark expression blends 60% Greco and 40% Malvasia. The appellation permits five wine types in total: Gravina Bianco (dry or amabile, still or as Spumante), Gravina Rosso and Rosato (minimum 40% Montepulciano, minimum 20% Primitivo, up to 30% Aglianico, Uva di Troia, Merlot, and/or Cabernet Sauvignon), and Gravina Passito, made from 100% Malvasia.

• Greco (minimum 50%): citrus, green apple, lively acidity, mineral character; considered closely related to Greco di Tufo of Campania
• Malvasia Bianca/Bianca Lunga (minimum 20%): white flowers, stone fruit, aromatic lift and textural complexity
• Up to 30% Bianco di Alessano, Chardonnay, Fiano, and/or Verdeca permitted in Bianco and Spumante
• Rosso and Rosato: minimum 40% Montepulciano, minimum 20% Primitivo; Passito = 100% Malvasia

Botromagno stands as the sole commercial producer of Gravina DOC Bianco and the appellation's principal ambassador. In 1991, brothers Beniamino and Alberto D'Agostino merged with the existing local cooperative winery, creating Botromagno as the first successful example of a privately owned winery partnered with more than 100 local grape growers. Their parents had originally rescued the cooperative from bankruptcy, and since the early 1990s the family has worked to shift the focus entirely toward quality. The estate spans approximately 36 to 40 hectares divided into multiple vineyard plots. Their flagship Gravina Bianco, blended at 60% Greco and 40% Malvasia, is cold-fermented in stainless steel with no malolactic fermentation and no oak contact, emphasizing freshness and mineral expression. From the 2013 vintage onward, the vineyards producing Gravina DOP wines have been certified organic. Beyond Gravina Bianco, Botromagno produces rosato, rosso, and a Passito dessert wine, and focuses on native varieties including Nero di Troia, Primitivo, and Verdeca.

• Botromagno (est. 1991): D'Agostino family transformed the historic Cantina Sociale into Puglia's only Gravina DOC Bianco producer
• Partnership model: privately owned winery working with more than 100 local grape growers across approximately 36 to 40 hectares
• Organic certification for DOC vineyard sites from the 2013 vintage onward; cold stainless-steel fermentation, no oak, no malolactic
• Exports to more than 11 countries; full range includes Gravina Bianco, rosato, rosso, Passito, and varietal Nero di Troia and Primitivo wines

Gravina DOC was approved by D.P.R. on 4 June 1983, published in Gazzetta Ufficiale no. 23 of 24 January 1984, and last updated by ministerial decree of 7 March 2014. The disciplinare defines five typologies: Bianco, Spumante, Passito, Rosso, and Rosato. For Bianco and Spumante, the blend requires a minimum of 50% Greco and minimum 20% Malvasia Bianca and/or Bianca Lunga, with up to 30% from Bianco di Alessano, Chardonnay, Fiano, and/or Verdeca. For Rosso and Rosato, the blend requires minimum 40% Montepulciano and minimum 20% Primitivo, with up to 30% from Aglianico, Uva di Troia, Merlot, and/or Cabernet Sauvignon. Passito must be 100% Malvasia. The maximum permitted yield for all types is 15 tonnes per hectare. Minimum alcohol levels are 11% for Bianco and Rosato, 11.5% for Rosso, 10% for Spumante, and 12% (with 15% potential) for Passito. The production zone covers the entire territories of Gravina di Puglia and Poggiorsini, plus portions of Altamura and Spinazzola, all in the province of Bari.

• DOC approved 4 June 1983; last updated by D.M. 7 March 2014; five typologies: Bianco, Spumante, Passito, Rosso, Rosato
• Bianco/Spumante: minimum 50% Greco, minimum 20% Malvasia Bianca or Bianca Lunga, up to 30% Bianco di Alessano/Chardonnay/Fiano/Verdeca
• Maximum yield 15 tonnes per hectare; minimum alcohol 11% (Bianco/Rosato), 11.5% (Rosso), 10% (Spumante), 12% (Passito with 15% potential)
• Zone: full territories of Gravina di Puglia and Poggiorsini, plus designated parts of Altamura and Spinazzola, province of Bari

Gravina in Puglia is a compelling wine tourism and cultural destination, dramatically sited on the edge of a deep limestone ravine on the Murgia plateau, about 50 kilometers from Bari and 20 kilometers from Matera. The town's Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, built by the Normans in the 11th to 12th centuries in Romanesque style and rebuilt after a 15th-century fire, is one of the most significant monuments in the region. Frederick II's castle ruins occupy a nearby hilltop, reportedly designed in 1231. The Gravina Sotterranea, an extensive network of underground tunnels and caves, offers a remarkable window into the town's layered history. Gravina gained additional international recognition after featuring in the James Bond film 'No Time to Die', specifically for its striking Ponte Acquedotto bridge-aqueduct spanning the ravine. The Saint George's Fair, held each April since 1294, is one of Europe's oldest fairs. Local gastronomy centers on wheat, olive oil, and wine, with Pallone di Gravina cheese a celebrated local specialty. Nearby attractions include UNESCO-listed Matera (20 kilometers), Alberobello and its trulli, and the Alta Murgia National Park, now a UNESCO Geopark.

• Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta: Norman-built 11th to 12th century Romanesque landmark, rebuilt after a 15th-century fire; Frederick II's castle ruins nearby
• Gravina Sotterranea: extensive underground tunnel and cave network; Ponte Acquedotto bridge-aqueduct featured in James Bond film 'No Time to Die'
• Saint George's Fair held each April since 1294, one of Europe's oldest fairs; local specialties include Pallone di Gravina cheese and Altamura DOP bread
• Proximity to UNESCO-listed Matera (20 km), Alberobello trulli, and Alta Murgia National Park (UNESCO Geopark)