Hanging Gardens And Vines In The Castle: An Italian Dream Turned Into Reality
They have been sister cities since 1963, and one was named after the other. Despite being thousands of miles apart and one being renowned worldwide, the other has something that no one else in the world owns. What am I talking about? Cupertino (US, CA) and Copertino (Italy). The first, famous for being the capital of high tech was named after Saint Joseph of Copertino. He was a Franciscan friar born just in Copertino, and is revered as the patron saint of aviators, travelers and students. Many things connect these two places, but the small Italian Copertino boasts a treasure unique in the world.
A vineyard on the terrace of a castle.
Copertino is a picturesque town that has a magnificent fortress that was built in the 16th century. It is considered one of the most impressive defensive structures from the Italian Renaissance. Located in a famous wine region, the town also hosts a cooperative winery, founded in 1935 by some thirty wine-growers. This year, the 350 members who cultivate 400 hectares of vines are celebrating the first 90 years of their cooperative.
The grapes are mostly local: Negroamaro, Malvasia Nera, Malvasia Bianca, Primitivo, and some international grapes that have found homes in these places for a long time. But there is also a particular variety of Negroamaro, the Negoramaro Cannellino, that is cultivated in a quite unusual place: the outside walkway of the castle. Actually, it's a kind of "back to the roots". In the past, the upper parts of the castle ramparts, walls, and communication trenches were used as hanging gardens, where people cultivated citrus trees, vineyards, and olive trees, useful in case of siege for the self-support of the inhabitants. Over time, though, as circumstances changed, the usefulness of those crops came to an end, and they were abandoned and then forgotten… Until 2013.
The vineyard on the rampart of the castle
That year, the Cupertinum cooperative president Francesco Trono submitted to the local authorities an original project: 'We had verified with the archival sources that in the past, the walkways were cultivated – explained Francesco Trono– and thus proposed to restore at least the vineyards in that place. They accepted our idea with enthusiasm.' Indeed, it is a one-of-a-kind project: it has no precedent either in Italy or abroad. "The 'vineyard on the castle' enhances the most original aspects of the culture and crops of Salento Copertino – Trono claimed - It is no by chance that the Copertino DOC bottles produced by our winery bear the castle's portal as their emblem on the label, while the Igt Salento bottles of wine are dedicated to Squarciafico and Spinello dei Falconi, two noble families who lived in the castle."
So, after many years, the vineyard returned on the communication trenches. In April 2014, they planted 100 vines of Negroamaro Cannellino, an ancient and early variety. The training system follows the oldest winegrowing tradition in Salento, the Apulian alberello, which calls for the vines to grow as isolated plants, without the aid of supports or palisades. It develops into a compact and lower form, generally not more than one meter in height. This choice allows the plants to make maximum use of the soil's water and nutrients resources, particularly important in the poor soils and arid climates typical of Apulia. Even the arrangement of rows is a reminder of the past: the vines are planted according to the quincunx, an order used by the Romans.
A bottle of "Copertino Rosso Riserva" and the entrance of the castle.
Today, this vineyard is regarded as the first and only vineyard on a fortress in the world, and the moment of pruning is always a time of celebration for the castle and the Cupertinum winery. Although the Castle is always open to visits, the vineyard can be visited only a few times a year, during moments of wine-tourism (such as "Calici di Stelle" in August) or cultural days chosen by the castle management. The wine made with the grapes from the vineyard is ready yet, unfortunately. Once they can produce it, it will be auctioned off, with the proceeds going to support a land enhancement project.
However, the headquarter of the Cupertinum winery is not far from here. If you decide to visit the wonderful Salento region and Copertino, I recommend tasting some of their wines. The full-bodied and fruity "Copertino Rosso Riserva DOC", made with Negroamaro grapes in purity, is a deep ruby red wine with an intense bouquet of blackberry, plum, ripe fruits, and a warm flavor with hints of almond and black currant. The mouth-watering freshness of their pink wine "Spinello dei Falconi Salento IGT Rosato", from Negroamaro grapes vinified in rosè, with its bright and charming coral color and flavors of cherries, redberries, and wild rose, is a great wine for summer dishes and carefree drinking. An authentic taste of old Apulia with a contemporary twist.
Elisabetta Tosi
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