Winery Suggestions Near Positano and Puglia

We are taking a trip this summer and will be driving from Positano to Puglia and then Puglia to Rome. As I am not familiar with the region, I’m looking for recommendations on wineries to visit. Could be at each destination, but en route would be great as well since the drives are long.

Any restaurant recommendations also appreciated!

TIA!

Pasitano is one of my favorite places on earth but is so VERY touristy. We did not find a truly great restaurant but
Ravello, a small town up the hill from Pasitano try these 2 places - both great for what they are:

http://www.salvatoreravello.com for the view, setting and solid food

Cumpa Cosimo (no website) “Nettas” for great, traditional, delicious, Italian - I cried when I tried her manicotti!

In Salerno which is just south of Amalfi Coast try this place for vino - http://www.montevetrano.it/en/wines/montevetrano-2/
Stayed at their inn a few years back which is attached to winery. Introduced bordeaux varietals blended with Aglianico - good stuff.

This region is the home of Bufala di Mozzarella - we went to a farm/dairy and sampled plus every restaurant specializes in the fresh stuff - Love it!

Ravello has to be one of the the most beautiful places on earth. I’d eat roadkill there and be happy.

I second Cumpa’s. Try the marinated anchovies and almost any of her pastas, but check the bill. The pricing is sort of made up on the spot.

As far as the OP’s original question, I saw only one winery the whole time in Amalfi. It was north of Positano high on the cliff. I think there is a sign along the road, but the area is really mostly known for its lemon production.

What about the Puglia region? I think there are more winery possibilities there, no?

Ravello is also a favourite place for me, albeit despite being reasonably close to Positano, will be somewhat slow/stressful to get there (and pricey to park). Do avoid market day as that’s in the car park.

Another fan of Netta Bottone’s restaurant, I’ll copy paste an extract from an earlier post I made here:

• I vividly recall a meal there in 1990. I was there on holiday with some friends, two couples and myself and another single lady. We’d eaten there earlier in the week, and Netta had done her usual (intentional) ‘forgetting’ of a few items on the bill. However this night the couples had a modest disagreement and the girls had stormed off (only half seriously). We arranged to meet them at the restaurant. We arrived after them and clearly had been talking about earlier, as when the bills came, Netta turned to the girls and said “Just the main course each”. She then turned to the boys and said firmly “You had the starter, the main, the dessert AND the wine”. We paid with a smile - we knew we’d been rumbled.

Their skill, is that they do trattoria really well. If you want fancy, then the swanky hotels do that (one tip from a travel forum - check the swanky hotels for lunch, as it can be surprisingly cheap then).

Wineries. The best local one is Marisa Cuomo / Gran Furor in Furore. We’ve not been, but would if/when we return to that coast. The Riserva red is very good indeed, though it seems the white gets the plaudits these days. We tasted it for the 1st time 2 weeks ago, and it was perhaps a little more mineral/viscous (in the way Viognier can be) than expected. It is meant to age well. Montevetrano is a bit of a trek, so only consider if getting up VERY early to beat the traffic & take it in with a side trip to Paestum and or the nicely functional Salerno.

With a car I’d be looking at Avellino, Taurasi and around, staying a night or two there on the way to Puglia & making it the wine highlight of the trip. It’s the best concentration of quality producers in the south (IMO of course). Depending on your route to and into Puglia, Matera is worth consideration for its Sassi, now recognised by UNESCO. Less fancy, but actually quite intriguing in it’s own right was Gravina, a town split by a huge ravine. It isn’t a tourist spot, and like much of Puglia can seem a little run-down, but I really took to it.

Once into Puglia proper, unless it’s the brilliant Castel del Monte in the North (nearer to Foggia) or Moscato di Trani, then Salice Salentino also would appeal, plus scattered questing producers such as Vallone (near Lecce?). In and around the Trulli, it’s more floral quaffing whites e.g. Locorotondo (which I really liked the vibe of).

Of the various towns/cities, we didn’t make it to Lecce, but would liked to have done so. Ostuni quite big/bustling so useful for shopping, wine/food shops. Martina Franca/Locorotondo have good charm. Didn’t go to Alberobello (probably THE big tourist spot, probably why I didn’t go!). Trani up near Bari airport is a gem, with Venetian architecture. A nice open Roman excavation not far from where we stayed in Speziale. In general the driving is good, but a little intimidating in the towns themselves. Not so much for the traffic (though parking can be difficult), but rather for the narrow & hap-hazard streets making it difficult to see the route clearly. No by-passes either, so straight through (though straight is an utter misnomer)

Some suggestions of wines I like, so personally would interest me to visit.
Castel del Monte or nearby - Rivera
Lecce or nearby - Vallone (Gratticciaia in Amarone style is remarkable)
Salice Salentino or nearby - Leone di Castris & Candido
Guagnano - Taurino

but do taste outside these, as whilst there can be plenty of variability, the VFM can be excellent round here. I recall a stunning Primitivo of low alcohol & pleasing brett/VA for about €7 in a restaurant. The brett/VA shows an example of that variability. There are probably more wannabee Zins these days amongst the Primitivos, which is a shame (for my palate).

p.s. One final suggestion. Take the bus up from Bar Nazionale in Positano (where you can buy the bus tickets and check the timetables) to Montepertuso. The trattoria (we were told by a charming / gregarious / chilled American couple) up there is pleasingly local/homely, with decent & unfussy food. It’s not really a tourist destination. The real reason to go up there is to walk back. That walk being 30-45 minutes depending on how many times you stop to take photos of Positano which is in view (vertically below you) most of the way. Impossible to get lost as you can see your destination and it makes a striking comparison to the other great way to see Positano - from the ferry approaching it.

That walk is, along with many others, in the excellent tall pocket walking book by Julian Tippett in the landscapes series. It may occasionally be light on details, but really opens up a still rather undiscovered charm of the region.

Don’t know how I forgot about this place. Right on the beach in Positano. Best fish I’ve ever had and they serve local wines. Le Tre Sorrelle.

Just left Salerno this morning. Had a lovely meal last night at l’Unico. Roasted razor clams, sautéed regular clams, pasta with sea urchin and a bottle of lovely fiano for 50 euros all in. (Only the mullet in parchment was less than stellar).

Pleasant underrated town too. It’s no Positano, but if you like antiquity, the Greek temples at Parstum are outstanding and close by. Can go to Amalfi, Positano and Capri by ferry.

Restaurant in Positano- Il Ritrovo. Awesome. Great reports on Trip Advisor. Up near the top of the town. And they will pick u up and drive u back. In our case our waiter was the driver.
Cannot comment on any wineries in the area but we walked through a vineyard (and lemon and olive groves) as we got lost on a hike trying to go from Montepertuso/Nocelle to Praiano.
Highly recommended hiking nonetheless.
Might be the one to which Michael Martin was referring.
My suggestion is to eat/drink local-especially in that part of Italy.

If you are going to hike, I recommend Path of Gods and Valley of the Mills. Both are in the cliffs behind Positano/Amalfi. Both can be accessed right from town.

But take the bus to the top and avoid those stairs!!!

Those are just the warm up.