Guides 2025. Hoard of awards for Cupertinum wines

International and national recognition and awards for Cupertinum wines. Here is a telegraphic list – in order of date of arrival – of the main ones:

  • On the world-famous Pocket Wine Book wine guide by Hugh Johnson, Cupertinum was listed among the best Italian wineries. A great achievement! The celebrated guide, edited by Margaret Rand, reports: Copertino Riserva, Settantacinque, Spinello dei Falconi and Negroamaro!
  • Wine Enthusiast and Wine Spectator award Cupertinum’s Copertino Riserva and Primitivo Salento Igt. Danielle Callegari and Alison Napjus of Wine Enthusiast award: 92 Points to the 2015 Copertino Riserva Doc; 91 Points to the 2020 Primitivo Salento Igt: “two fantastic bargains from this winery that confirms the high level of quality.” # Wine Spectator awards Copertino Riserva Doc 2015: 89 Points and Primitivo Salento Igt 2021: 87 Points (“well elevated, medium-bodied reds with light tannins”).
  • Gambero Rosso: 2 Bicchieri to Copertino Doc and 2 to Spinello dei Falconi Rosato. Marks also for Glykós and Copertino Doc Riserva. “Well made Copertino Rosso, which shows notes of plum and undergrowth on the nose, while on the palate it is fresh and with good sapidity, and Spinello dei Falconi, a rosé from Negroamaro grapes, with tones of busco fruit and Mediterranean scrub, smooth and immediate,” write the editors.
  • The Sommelier Association’s Vitae guide rewards Glykós and Spinello dei Falconi with the 4 Viti excellence and with 3 Viti the Settantacinque Copertino Doc and the Cigliano Chardonnay Salento Igt.
  • DiWineTaste awards: Settantacinque and Copertino Riserva: 4 Diamonds and 1 Star; 4 Diamonds to Primitivo, Negroamaro and Copertino Doc.
  • Spinello dei Falconi Rosato Salento Igt was awarded by Joe Bastianich and Tiziano Gaia, in “Il grande racconto del Vino italiano” they list it among the best wines.
  • SlowWine: Cupertinum is featured with a nice card pointing out the advantageous quality/price ratio, with timely and laudatory organoleptic descriptions of all the wines.
  • The Touring Club’s Vinibuoni d’Italia guide rewards our wines with 4 Stars to Copertino Doc and Spinello dei Falconi and 3 Stars to Squarciafico Rosato.
  • Luca Maroni’s guide Migliori vini italiani awards: 94 points to Negroamaro; 93 to Giortì and Spinello dei Falconi; 92 to Copertino Doc, Squarciafico Bianco and Squarciafico Rosato.
  • Bibenda, a guide of the Italian Sommelier Foundation, awards Settantacinque, Glykós with 4 Grappoli; Copertino doc, Cigliano and Giortì with 3 Grappoli.
  • The Veronelli Guide assigns 2 Stars to all the wines with a note of merit to Spinello dei Falconi and Copertino Doc wines
  • Gatti/Massobrio’s Il Golosario Guide reports Primitivo as TopWine.
  • Finally, Le Viole grappa wins the Silver Medal at the Premio Alambicco d’Oro (Golden Alembic Award) organized by the ANAG Associazione Nazionale Assaggiatori Grappa e Acquaviti (National Association of Grappa and Spirit Tasters). Le Viole – also awarded in the three previous editions – is distilled from Negroamaro pomace from the Copertino doc area.

A crackling list of awards, it almost seems like a battery of fireworks, recognizing the quality of the wines and the renewal put in place over the past decade by the historic Copertino winery. Prosit!

“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!