Not only are the wines of I Pàstini our first-ever imports from Puglia, they also have provided an introduction to the native Minutolo grape, sparking a love affair with this rare specialty of the region known as the Valle d’Itria. Minutolo preserves lip-smacking acidity and low alcohol despite the baking-hot Puglian summers, flaunting a gorgeous perfume of blossoming flowers, lemon verbena, and wild sage. Fortunately for us, a small group of dedicated growers brought the variety back from the brink of extinction two decades ago, allowing curious wine lovers to revel in its evocative suggestions of the sun-drenched Italian South.