Casa Vinicola Coppi pays tribute to its founder with forgotten grape variety

'Susumaniello' is not a name which immediately springs to mind when one thinks of grape varieties from the heel of Italy.

"There has been, in the last 10-15 years, a bottom-up movement led by young people living in Puglia to re-discover Susumaniello, a rare grape which was at risk of disappearing. It is fresh with a modern, fruity taste, in spite of its old origin," says Robert Bianco, export manager at Casa Vinicola Coppi.

The winery launched Susanuvole, a 13.5% ABV expression made entirely from Susumaniello. The variety was cultivated on the calcareous-clay soils of the Murgia hills, which gives it a particular quality, according to Bianco: "The history of Casa Vinicola Coppi is an ancient one, it is the history of a Pugliese family devoted for decades to wine production in the Murgia dei Trulli hills. It is the land of the prestigious Primitivo DOC Gioia del Colle, with its unique elegance, freshness and balance, influenced by the hills and the stony soil it grows on, a denomination that has consistently grown in world markets thanks to both its quality and local marketing efforts."

"Out of 26 Tre Bicchieri awards assigned by Gambero Rosso to Puglia in 2026, eight have been assigned to Gioia del Colle DOC wineries, a consorzio composed of only 20 wineries," he continues.

Antonio Michele Coppi

The wine is not just a tribute to this very particular local grape variety, nor just the area it comes from, it was also made to honour the memory of Antonio Michele Coppi, founder of the winery which carries his surname. Coppi, who was also a senator, died in 2o24 at the age of 75.

"Antonio Coppi was always able to understand market evolutions and market requests," says Bianco. "He decided to plant vineyards with Southern Italian grapes like Falanghina and, most recently, Susumaniello, which was planted eight years ago and produced its first vintage in 2023, which is the vintage now on the market."

The meaning of the label

The Susanuvole label sports the fetching motif of a hot air balloon, something which Bianco says is intended to evoke the taste of the contents inside the bottle.

"Despite 'Susumaniello' ('somarello' in Italian) meaning to shoulder a burden, like a donkey does, referring to high fruit yields, the Coppi style is for lower quantities and fresh fruit. The hot air balloon is a symbol of this lightness – able to float up into the air, defying gravity. In fact, 'Susanuvole' is Pugliese dialect for 'over the clouds'. Antonio Coppi was a positive man who always used to say: over the grey clouds there is a shining sun."

To pair with this medium-bodied style of wine, Pugliese dishes of legumes and vegetables, such as orecchiette with turnip tops, roasted mushrooms, aged cheeses or octopus in a tomato sauce are all suggested.