What to see in salento between wine tastings

Visiting Salento means allowing your senses to lead the way. The scent of Mediterranean vegetation, the colour of the earth, the sunlight reflecting off the sea and the flavour of native wines come together to create a landscape best experienced at a leisurely pace.

Between Manduria, Sava, Maruggio and the Ionian coast, every place reveals a different side of Puglia. A tasting at Masseria Borgo dei Trulli can become the starting point for a journey through historic villages, traces of the Messapian civilisation, Saracen trulli and beaches lapped by crystal-clear waters.

Just a few kilometres from the Masseria lies Maruggio, one of the most enchanting villages on Salento’s Ionian coast. Its historic centre, known as “Terra Murata”, invites visitors to wander through its narrow streets in search of hidden courtyards and noble residences.

The history of the village is also closely linked to the Knights of Malta, who left their mark on the local architecture. Maruggio is the perfect place to begin the day, when its streets are at their quietest, or to enjoy a late-afternoon stroll before heading to the coast.

The ideal wine with which to begin a journey through the Maruggio area is Roselle Primitivo di Manduria DOP. Its grapes come from vineyards in the Roselle district, in the heart of the municipality. Here, Primitivo vines are grown using Puglia’s traditional bush-vine training system.

From Maruggio, the journey continues towards Manduria. Before becoming known as the land of Primitivo, Manduria was one of the most important centres of the Messapian civilisation.

The Archaeological Park of the Messapian Walls preserves evidence of this ancient past, while the Fonte Pliniano, described by Pliny the Elder, is one of the city’s most iconic landmarks.

In a city so rich in history, the perfect wine to accompany this stop is Mirea Primitivo di Manduria DOP, one of Masseria Borgo dei Trulli’s most intense wines.

Mirea is produced from old bush-trained vines. The grapes are harvested by hand and left to ripen until they begin to dry naturally on the vine.

Between Maruggio and Manduria, it is easy to spot Saracen trulli, known locally as truddi or pajare. Built by skilfully stacking stones without mortar or cement, they were once used as shelters and utility spaces for agricultural work.

These buildings differ from the trulli of the Itria Valley in their simpler forms and more direct connection with the countryside. Far from being merely decorative features, they bear witness to the ingenuity of local farmers, who worked with the materials available to them and adapted to the conditions of the land.

Masseria Borgo dei Trulli takes its name from the presence of these distinctive structures. Seeing them among the rows of vines means discovering an essential part of the winery’s identity and of the landscape in which its wines are produced.

The wine chosen to represent this stop is Saracena Primitivo Salento, a label whose name immediately evokes the ancient stone structures scattered throughout the countryside.

The journey from the countryside to the coast is a short one. Campomarino di Maruggio welcomes visitors with sandy beaches, clear waters and a precious dune system covered in Mediterranean scrub.

In summer, it is the perfect place for a swim or a few hours of relaxation. In spring and autumn, the coastline invites visitors to take long walks, surrounded by the scents of the sea and wild herbs.

Here, Duna Mirante Primitivo di Manduria DOP is the wine that best embodies the geographical and sensory connection with this land. It takes its name from the dunes of Monaco Mirante, a protected natural area and unspoilt beach with dunes rising as high as 12–13 metres.

Old bush-trained vines grow here, around 400 metres from the Ionian Sea. The vineyard is planted directly in the sand and surrounded by Mediterranean herbs such as rosemary, thyme and oregano, which give the wine body and character.

To discover this part of Salento, you must also pay attention to everything that surrounds the wine: the bush-trained vines, the Saracen trulli, the red earth, the villages and the wind-sculpted dunes.

Every bottle produced by Masseria Borgo dei Trulli is born from the dialogue between these elements and offers a new opportunity to discover them. Roselle tells the story of the Maruggio countryside, Mirea expresses the depth of Primitivo, Saracena preserves the memory of rural life, and Duna Mirante captures the surprising encounter between the vineyard and the Ionian Sea.

Between one tasting and the next, all that remains is to set off and explore.

Book your experience at Masseria Borgo dei Trulli and discover Salento through its landscapes, flavours and wines.