Puglia Press Trip - Puglia Center

Puglia Press Trip
There’s something about Puglia that draws you into its soul the very moment you arrive
From our travel notebook, we’d like to share some impressions and experiences from our
first press trip to Puglia this spring, hosted by Puglia Doc, and Consorzio Terra Antica and Perillo
Tours.
Joining us on the tour were: Rosanna Coscia, President of the Puglia Center, Vito Rago,
U.S,Vice-President of The Puglia Center, Leonardo Labia, Italy, Vice-President of the Puglia
Center, Martha Bakerjian, who writes the Guide to Italy Travel for About.com, part of the New York
Times Company; Jennifer Ceaser who covers travel for the New York Post; Jessica Langan-Peck
from Frommer’s Travel Guide online newsletter; Sharon McDonnell, a free-lance travel writer,
based in New Orleans; Rossella Rago, host of RRCooking with Nonna.com; and our generous
sponsors Dr. Raffaele De Santis, President of Puglia DOC; and Dr. Stefano L’Abbate, President
of Consorzio Terra Antica; and our press partners, Marco Magano, Director of Bari Television and
Michele Oggiano of FaxOnline.it.
After a comfortable flight on Alitalia to Rome, we boarded a short flight
to Brindisi, arriving on a warm and sunny afternoon, just in time to
begin our tour of the beautiful countryside of Otranto. Located in the
southern Murgia hills reaching to the blue-green Adriatic Sea, we were
able to enjoy a view of numerous rows of olive groves and palm and
cypress trees on our drive to the Masseria Montelauro (www.masseriamontelauro.it ), our home
away from home for a few days. A masseria is a restored farmhouse resort, popular throughout the
Puglia region. They offer unique lodgings, restaurants, orange and lemon-scented gardens, and
walkways, poolside havens and lounging areas, fit for a King and Queen.
We began our journey visiting Otranto’s local town and historic center and taking lots of photos.
By the late afternoon, we arrived back at the Masseria Montelauro, and were treated to some
aperitifs, and delicious home-made eggplant meatballs prepared by our gracious host, Elisabetta
Massaro, the proprietor of the Masseria. To top off the first evening, we were treated to a pasta
making demonstration, that was just like watching a sculptor create a work of art, from just water
and flour. Did you know that there are a series of basic utensils that are used to cut the various
shapes of pasta that make the holes in the spaghetti? Dr. Raffele De Santis, president of Puglia
DOC, who dedicates his time and energy to promote Puglia, made sure that from the time we
arrived in Puglia we would have every convenience and all our travel requests would be taken care
of. So all of us, were very comfortable and relaxed from the start.
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After a short rest, we arrived in the rustic and homey dining room for a delicious
and healthy meal of many succulent meat, vegetable and fish dishes. We were
able to enjoy a pleasant time, getting to know each other. After a good night’s
sleep, we headed to the local towns the next morning to see the architecture
and experience the culture and history with our wonderful tour guides, Rossella
Colucci, public relations and marketing for Puglia DOC, (www.pugliadoc.net) and Daniela Lopez y
Royo, owner of a tour guide agency called “ViviSalento” who often works with Puglia DOC.
Daniela is a dedicated historian, who took us to see many old churches, especially in Lecce,
referred to as the Florence of the south and the home of Baroque. It was a very special treat to
study the architecture of these ancient churches and chapels and learn about the local Saints and
the people who built these beautiful treasures.
We also visited a few popular “hot” spots for afternoon coffee breaks and for some people
watching. We reveled in some of the secrets of Ostuni and Lecce that Daniela shared with us that
have been handed down through the ages. One that we all found interesting, was that when a
women’s husband was away, if she put some geraniums in her window that would mean she was
open to having some company. Hmm!
On our second day in Otranto, we drove to Galatina to visit the Cantine Santi
Dimitri winery (www.santidimitri.it), owned by the Vallone family since the end of the 17th century.
They have wonderful wines and have extended their product line to include an unforgettable
mandarin-flavored olive oil to die for. We toured the winery and learned about the art of making
young wines and the stainless steel aging process. The Ciciallegra, a white table wine and the
Aruca, a nice pinot bianoco were well- balanced and very tasty with our antipasto dishes. Some of
us who preferred red wine, enjoyed a delicious and hearty, Aruca, negroamaro. The Aruca, rose
negroamaro was a nice treat for those who wanted to try the Santi Dimitri rose.
All of us took time out to enjoy some light servings of savory dishes that consisted of the local
cheeses, meats and vegetables that were perfect complements to the Santi Dimitri young red and
white wines.
We were happy to meet our host and tour guide, Carlo Martin Vallone, joining him was Pierpaolo
Sammartino who oversees their press department and also writes for Marie Claire Maison
magazine.
Upon our arrival to the Masseria Montelauro, we prepared for a cooking class
with the staff and guest chef Angela (www.divinaria.com) and the lovely Nonna Giulana. With
aprons and utencils in hand, we learned the secret to making the perfect meatballs and a "five star"
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eggplant casserole called, “parmigiana di melazane”. Cooking something new with a friendly
group of people is so rewarding and better still, when you sit down to eat your creation, you feel
such a great sense of accomplishment.
Our next day’s travels took us to Gallipoli. When you first view this
glorious sea town, you are immediately mesmerized by its beauty.
Here we made a special stop for a seafood lunch at the IL BASTIONE
Restaurant (www.ristoranteilbastione.it), located high above the Adriatic seacoast and another
grand vista, perfect for picture taking. We sampled dishes and dishes of fresh fish and vegetables.
The sea urchins are very popular and colorful and make a lovely centerpiece until they are eaten.
Some of our bravest colleagues even tried red oysters, apparently they are found only in the deep
sea off of Gallipoli.
We continued our drive by tour with short stops in Porto Badisco, Santa Cesarea Terme and
Castro, all enchanting ports and towns, where you can smell the fresh air and see the architectural
influence the Spanish, the French and the Moors had on the land through the ages. We began to
agree that each province of Puglia had its own distinct personality. One hour you’re in a quaint
medieval town sipping an espresso and the next you’re up in the hills at a seaside resort
overlooking the sea, enjoying the calm sea breezes.
After a full day of sightseeing, we arrived at our next two lodging
destinations, the Masseria Marzalossa (www.marzalossa.com), a renovated farmhouse featuring
an 18th century country décor complete with lemon and orange tree
walkways and the Masseria Alchimia (www.masseria-alchimia.it), which offers a modern,
self-service experience with neon lit bathtubs and comfortable outdoor lounging terraces.
The second-half of our week, we were hosted at a family style welcome
dinner by TerrAntica (www.consorzioterrantica.it) for approximately 30
people at the Grand Hotel La Chiusa di Chietri’s lovely restaurant (info@lachiusadichietri.it). Here
we met our host and sponsor, the president of TerraAntica, Dr. Stefano L’Abbate and his lovely
family. He made everyone feel at home with his generous hospitality and sense of humor. It is
always amazing how Pugliesi chefs can create new ways to make chicory, fava bean, tomato and
cheese dishes look and taste so good. Dr. L’Abbate, offered a friendly toast and grand welcome to
us all.
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As is the custom in Puglia, all visiting journalists are invited to meet the regional
Mayors and tour their cities. So we were treated to visits with Mayor Bruno De
Luca of Alberobello and Mayor Domenico Tanzarella of Ostuni. We also
enjoyed a morning visit to Alberobello where our history guide, Alessandro,
took us on a tour of the Trulli. This is a very special way of living, simple stone
homes, that are cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The houses are all
renovated and can be rented for a week or a month at a time. We had some
time to shop and see the town and found it to be heavily populated by tourists
young and old. Information about renting is available at: info@trullienatura.it
Apulia, “terrantica”, ancient land, where history meets the five senses of travelling.
Continuing our visits through the countryside, we stopped for lunch at
the Tenuta Monacelle resort and restaurant (www.tenutamonacelle.com). Here we were treated to
flutes of procescco and colorful and yummy hors d’ oeuvres. What was so memorable and made
us all ooh and ahh was the way the snacks were displayed in the garden and winding paths. Some
were placed by the stairway, decorating the entrance to the outdoor patio dining area with small
orchids on the side of each plate set in front of a sunny palm tree.
We lingered over the lunch offerings and complimentary wines and desserts before we set off for
short visits to the Masseria Lamiola Piccola in Ostuni and the Masseria Torre del Diamonte in the
heart of the Itria valley and close to Fasano.
For a special treat we dined that night at the Havana-Polignano
restaurant of Mr. Gianni Spano (gianispano@hotmail.com) in the heart of Polignano a Mare, a
seacoast town complete with caves overlooking the Adriantic, that is just as beautiful by day as by
night. How often do you dine in a Cuban restaurant overlooking a 1400 year old Venetian port?
Here we dined with the town Mayor, Angelo Raffaele Bovino. The next day, we visited to the
Masseria Sant’Angelo de Graecis and their historic Olive Oil Museum to see how olive oil was first
processed with crude tools and man-made machines. Tasting their olive oil with a piece of fresh
made bread in mid-morning was very refreshing.
Next, we were off to meet the Mayor Lello Di Bari of Fasano. who was very happy to greet us and
politely posed for photos. The City Hall building in Fasano is something out of a movie set. You
see the beauty of the interior and exterior structure built in the late 1800’s. So much marble and
attention to detail in doorways and hallways, it was a museum unto itself.
One of the many highlights of the trip was our afternoon cooking
lesson at the prestigious Masseria Torre Coccaro resort and
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cooking school (www.masseriatorrecoccaro.com). Here we met two American ladies who live in
Puglia for most of the year and love it! They joined us as we prepared a full-luncheon menu which
consisted of many native mouth-watering dishes that we enjoyed including; a traditional mussels,
rice and potato dish, called riso patate e cozze, a delicious stuffed fried panzerotti (a small
pocket-like bread), filled with tomatos, cheese and capers and a wonderful Ragu’ Pugliese dish,
called “brasciola” that consisted of fresh rolled up meat. This Masseria has the look and the feel of
living and dining on an old mission-style estate, complete with an herb garden and chicken coops.
Thanks to the help of our chef extraordinaire, Cosimo Massaaro. As we were leaving for our next
tour spot, we met a New York-based travel journalist in the lobby of the Torre Coccaro, who was as
excited as we were to be exploring Puglia in early spring.
Getting more background on the first settlers in Puglia, we made an afternoon visit to an historic
cave site called “Lama D’Antico" and the ancient city of Ennazia within the Comune di Fasano.
Here we followed in the footsteps of the early inhabitants to understand how they lived and
survived near this sacred land by the sea. It was interesting to learn that during WWII, enemies
were hidden in a nearby stone building in and around the surrounding farmland.
We were all very grateful to our history guide, Francesco Decantis (decantisfrancesco@tiscali.it),
for an invaluable tour. Next we headed to the 18th century Masseria
Cimino (www.masseriacimino.com) next door to the San Domenico Golf Course for light pastries
and tea. Sitting on comfortable oversized white sofas and chairs we chatted about the day’s
events and what we learned about the history and the people of this land.
On our last evening, at our farewell dinner, in more formal attire,
we dined at the luxurious Masseria San Domenico (www.masseriasandomenico.com). This is a
place where you could get lost for a month and indulge all your senses in pure luxury. A perfect
place for large dinner parties, weddings and business and family celebrations. The dinner menu
consisted of a selection of gourmet dishes beginning with a vegetable flan, a puree of fava beans,
an unforgettable ricotta cheese and basil risotto, laganari with peppers and sausage, a greengrocer
style fillet of fish matched perfectly with their red and white wines. Dessert consisted of a Masseria
San Domenico rose and seasonal fresh fruit.
We made a few additional stops : to a wonderful full-service health spa, La
Sommita in Ostuni (info@lasommita.it), and the peaceful and relaxing
Palmento Hotel Resort in the town of Locorotondo (www.ilpalmento.com)
and the VR Beach Club in Ostuni, owned by Vincenzo Romito (www.viarbeachclub.it
). We also got a chance to learn about “cartapesta” or as we know it, papier
mache figurines an artistic artform that is part of the cultural heritage of
Lecce (www.cartapestariso.it).
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As our trip came to an end and we departed for the airport to begin our journey back home, we all
felt that we had experienced something unique and special in a part of the world that makes you
feel totally relaxed as you take in its beauty. Thanks again to all our generous hosts and sponsors
and the Puglia Center for a wonderful travel experience we will remember for a lifetime. The Puglia
Center will continue to make it our goal to have Puglia discovered by all our fans!
by Kate McGrath
P.S: if you would like to visit Puglia and live like an Italian, Perillo Tours is
offering a "Discover Puglia" program at www.perillotours.com
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