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Baresana grapes

The white gold of Bari, sweet and tender skinned. They’re perfect for jams!

Origin

On the list of ingredients at risk of extinction, one is called the Baresana grape. The Baresana, also known as Lattuario Bianco or Turchesca, is famous for its unique flavor. The grapes are medium to large sized, and golden colored with tender skin. They’re a grape typical of the area around Bari and are ripe for picking between August and early October. Their production in the Bari region has extremely old roots, going all the way back to the 1700s. The name ‘Baresana’ was introduced by small farmers to distinguish them from the myriad of other names they were known by, including Lattuario, Turca, emperor, etc. This is a very high quality variety but one that has been overtaken by others in recent years by more easily transportable types like the Regina and Italia. But it remains uniquely characteristic of Pugliese tradition.

Cookit

Baresana grapes used to be left to dry on the vine (after the leaves were removed), and were then picked and cooked with dried figs to obtain the well known and storied ‘vincotto Barese.’ This is what gave a dark amber color to a traditional Christmas sweet called cartellate baresi, but these days, honey is used more often than vincotto. Baresana grapes are perfect in the kitchen when paired with soft ingredients, not just because of how sweet they are, but also because they’re crisp with a very thin skin.

Did you know

Baresana grapes are a traditional agricultural product, and the jewel in the crown of local grape producers and regional Pugliese cuisine. Sweet, fruity and golden colored, you know they’re ripe when the grapes become transparent and you can clearly see the seeds inside. Once they reach a high sugar content, the grapes exposed to the sun become spotted or wrinkled.

Variety

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