Glykós Passito awarded to DolcePuglia

The Glykós Passito 2013 Igt Salento of Cupertinum, historic winery from Copertino, has won the Dolce Puglia Award 2015 in the category of wines from black berry grapes. Such award is acnokledged by the Italian Association of Sommeliers, an is devoted to the international valorisation of Apulia’s sweet wines. Glykós (in Greek means sweet), absolutely the first Passito from pure negroamaro, is one of the new labels wanted by the enologist Giuseppe Pizzolante Leuzzi. The first vintage was produced with the grapes from 2012 vintage and has convinced several tastes (among them Franco Ziliani, Domenico Caruso, Francesca Landolina …). Glykós, meditation and dessert wine, is ruby ​​red with garnet reflexes; it has hints of cherry, plum, myrtle and licorice root. The grapes with which it is produced are grown in vineyards from Copertino. The prize awarded to Glykós by the AIS is also confirmed by the high rating given by Luca Maroni in its 2016 Annuario dei Migliori Vini, where you can read: “Glykós’s superior quality, obviously after the majestic concentration of compositional richness, is enveloping and persuasive … the fabulous expression of this rich and sumptuous passito … the most magnificent gift of this wine is its rare, dense, pasty extractive and sweet concentration… A great wine of excellent wine-making qualities, of a real transformation.” Francesco Trono, President of Cupertinum, states: “The 2015, eighteenth anniversary of the foundation of the winery is getting to its end successfully. The latter award reinforces the great acknowledgements we received during this year. In fact, Paolo Massobrio has included the Primitivo Igt among the Top Hundred 2015 (the Top 100 Wines) of Golosario’s ranking; Touring Club Guide has awarded the Golden Star to the Copertino Doc; the Espresso Guide reports the Winery as the best in the province of Lecce; The Veronelli Guide rewards the high quality of all our wines; and the SlowWine SlowFine Guide emphasizes the ratio quality/money of all our wines. These are rewards also for the enhancement of our territory and its economy.”

“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!