This thesis seems to be confirmed by the name Negramaro, that neither comes from, as some claim, the dialect name "niuru maru used by the locals, nor from its bitterish taste, but from two words indicating both the black color: the Latin Nigra and the Greek Mavros, used together to underline the intense dark black colour, both of the peel of the grape and of the gotten wine.
The Negramaro, when it isn't vinified pure, is mixed with Black Malmsey, with its soft and velvety taste: together they are used for the production of the rosè wines from Salento. these wines are the best in Italy known for their ability to combine structure and delicacy. The production of rosè wines is typically a tradition of salento and derives from the custom of the agricultural labour of the area that, according to the ancient Greek technique, gently to press the grapes contained in the sacks so that to do her "to shed tears" without holding the must to contact with the peels.
For over one century the Negramaro, for its mass cultivation (in fact it have been harvested up to 500 quintals per hectares), was known as a cut vine and it was often used to improve the nothern wines with its intense colour. Only in the last twenty years, thanks to the work of those young producers who have concentred on quality, the Negramaro has become known as a good wine for its organoleptic qualities. A wine of great personality, recognizable at the first sip, strongly tied to the Salento region with its intense colour and strong sunshine.

The characteristics of the bunch: medium sized cluster, conic, compact. A medium to big grape of black-purplish colour peel and juicy pulp.

Ripening time: Late

The characteristics of the wine: it constitutes the base of the best wines of Salento, from the cool and savory rosè to the powerful and grandiose red; both are recognizable from their natural elegance and softness. The Negramaro in its pure form has a dark ruby colour with almost black highlights; dry, bitterish, round taste. Vinified with the black Malvasia it produces an excellent rosè, a wine to accompqany all meals, caracterized by a cherry colour with pink highlights.

Curiosity: recent studies have shown that the wine produced by the Negramaro, if consumed in moderate quantity, can have beneficial effects on health. It has a high content of resveratrolo, a substance known for its anti-infiammatory characteristics. It has also been shown of provoking the death of carcinogenic cells.

Conti Zecca's labels in which the vine is present: NERO, TERRA, CANTALUPI RISERVA, CANTALUPI Rosè, CANTALUPI Rosso, CANTALUPI Negramaro, SARACENO Rosso, SARACENO Negramaro, SARACENO Rosato, DONNA MARZIA Rosso, DONNA MARZIA Rosato, DONNA MARZIA Negramaro Rosso, DONNA MARZIA Negramaro Rosato, SANTO STEFANO Rosso, SANTO STEFANO Rosato.