Cantina Giara is located in a magical corner of Puglia not far from Adelfia, in the province of Bari, surrounded with meadows, wild orchards, old vineyards and wild forests. Giorgio Nicassio’s family has been making wine on this beautiful land since his grandfather started in the late 80’s. This tradition is now kept alive and flourishing by Giorgio, who has dedicated his passion to making living, vibrant natural wines that express terroir and his vision without compromise. Giorgio’s unflinching and loving focus is on traditional local varieties and guiding them towards becoming unforgettable wines.

These grapes include Primitivo, Verdeca, Malvasia, Greco, Fiano and Moscatello Selvatico. The work in the vineyard follows strict biodynamic guidelines, with the aim of favoring health and biodiversity of the soils and the environment. The vineyards grow on calcareous soils and range from 35 to 65 years of age, many trained with the traditional and almost extinct “Tendone Vecchio Impianto” method. Giorgio’s “natural wine” philosophy aims at elevating the most unadulterated and pure expression of fruit and terroir. This translates in the cellar, where he only works with wild fermentations without temperature control, never using winemaking additives, fining nor filtration.

The soul and strength of the skins, for both reds and especially whites, are vital elements in unleashing a wine’s potential in Giorgio’s opinion, so maceration is at the center of his work. Giorgio likes to define himself as a humble craftsman of wine, with each of his wines displaying a different character just like a living being would. From the 2020 vintage, all of the wines are bottled without addition of SO2.