All the Stars of Cupertinum Wines / Excellent rewards from awards, guides and international magazines

Confirmations and surprises for Cupertinum wines, this is how we can sum up the haul of awards received this year from wine guides and prestigious international magazines. Here follow the main awards to the labels of the historic Copertino winery: The Spinello dei Falconi was awarded as Wine/Price by the AIS Sommeliers’ Vitae Guide (which writes: “a winery that bursts with energy and vitality from all pores… each label speaks an accomplished and truthful language making itself an expression of all the historical Salento varieties”); TopWine by SlowWine; Best Wine by Joe Bastianich and Tiziano Gaia, in “The Great Tale of Italian Wine”.

  • Glykòs Passito won for the seventh time the DolcePuglia award, the AIS competition.
  • The Copertino Riserva, the Settantacinque, the Negroamaro and the Glykòs are awarded 4 Grappoli by the Bibenda guide by FSI Copertino sommeliers.
  • The Settantacinque, the Copertino Riserva and the Squarciafico Rosato are awarded 4 Stars by Touring’s Vinibuoni d’Italia.
  • Wine Spectator and Decanter also for 2024 confirmed their awards to Copertino Riserva and Negroamaro with scores ranging from 90 to 92.
  • And last but not least: on Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book guide to wines from around the world, Cupertinum has been listed among the best Italian wineries. A great result! The historic and celebrated guide reports: Copertino Riserva, Settantacinque, Spinello dei Falconi and Negroamaro! International affirmation for which it is worth toasting!

“The entire production is a sort of hymn to Negroamaro, which is interpreted with a stylistic signature of purity and authenticity and forged in different versions,” writes VITAE, the guide of the Italian Sommelier Association. Important: All the Guides point out the advantageous value for money of all the wines.

Cupertinum confirms itself with these awards as a reality of excellence, reliable over time, dynamic in identifying new goals and achieving them!

“I see confirmation and surprises in the new 2026 wine guides for our wines. With these awards, Cupertinum confirms its status as a company of excellence, reliable over time, dynamic in identifying new goals and achieving them,” says Francesco Trono, president of Cupertinum. Winemaker Giuseppe Pizzolante Leuzzi, now accustomed to the awards that come flooding in year after year, is also satisfied: “The focus on quality and modern winemaking that respects tradition is understood and rewarded. These awards reward the members, the winery’s workers, and the territory.”

 Here is a brief list of recent awards and prizes received by Cupertinum wines:

  • Cupertinum has been included among the best Italian wineries in Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book guide to wines from around the world. The renowned guide, edited by Margaret Rand, recommends: Copertino Riserva, Settantacinque, Spinello dei Falconi, and Negroamaro!
  • Danielle Callegari of Wine Enthusiast award: 92 points to Copertino Riserva DOC; 91 points to Primitivo Salento IGT: “two fantastic deals from this winery that confirm the high quality of the company’s labels.”
  • Wine Spectator awards Copertino Riserva DOC 2015: 89 points and Aldieri Primitivo Salento IGT 2021: 89 points (“well-elevated reds, medium-bodied, with light tannins,” says expert Eric Guido).
  • As far as international recognition is concerned, another great result is worth mentioning: the Gold Medal at the International Wine & Spirits Awards for COPERTINO RISERVA and POGGIANI Negroamaro.
  • Guida essenziale ai vini d’Italia (DoctorWine Daniele Cernilli )awards Copertino Riserva 92 points and Spibello dei Falconi 90 points.
  • The VITAE guide published by the Sommelier Association awards 4 VITI to Settantacinque Copertino and 3 VITI to Copertino Doc, Copertino Riserva, Poggiani Negroamaro, and Spinello dei Falconi. The sommeliers write: “wines of recognized and appreciated quality; the Negroamaro, in its various forms, represents the jewel in the crown.”
  • SlowWine: Cupertinum is featured in the SlowFood guide with the TopWine award for Spinello dei Falconi and a beautiful description that highlights the advantageous quality/price ratio, with accurate and complimentary organoleptic descriptions of all the wines.
  • The Touring Club’s Vinibuoni d’Italia guide awards our wines 4 stars to Copertino DOC Riserva, Copertino DOC and Spinello dei Falconi and 3 stars to Squarciafico Rosato and Settantacinque.
  • Bibenda, the guide published by the Italian Sommelier Foundation, awards Settantacinque, Copertino DOC Riserva, Aldieri Primitivo, and Poggiani Negroamaro with 4 Grappoli.
  • The Veronelli Guide awards 3 Red Stars to Settantacinque Copertino DOC and 2 Stars to all wines, with special mention to Spinello dei Falconi and all Copertino DOC wines.
  • The Il Golosario guide by Gatti/Massobrio names Primitivo as a Top Wine.

“Wine is the song of the earth to the sky” wrote the master of food and wine criticism Luigi Veronelli. It is worth repeating this for the awards given to Cupertinum wines!