Susumaniello is a variety of black grape originating from Italy, particularly from the Puglia region, located in the south-east of the country. The name "Susumaniello" is often associated with an ancient legend of local farmers, who while working in the vineyards, referred to the grapes with the term "susu 'maniellu," which in an Apulian dialect means "loaded like a donkey". This name reflects the perception of the grape variety as producing abundant bunches. The bunch of grapes is medium in size, with small, round berries of a bluish-black colour with a high concentration of polyphenols and anthocyanins, and very colourful with a very low acidity. The characteristics of Negro Amaro are exactly the opposite, which instead has a very high acidity. This grape variety is known for producing full-bodied red wines with an intense aroma and rich flavours, with notes of black fruits, spices and a pleasant acidity. The high productivity of Susumaniello drops drastically with the age of the strain, until the maturity of the plant is reached, with maximum quantities of no more than 1-1.2 kg/strain. The high productivity of the young strains, combined with the intense colour of its musts, meant that in the past Susumaniello was once used for the production of sweet filtrate purchased from wineries in northern Italy, but later the exhaustion of demand for these products has caused interest in Susumaniello to decline. Due to the modernisation of the vineyards with the transition from the sapling to the espalier system, there was almost a total disappearance of Susumaniello. The fact that the more mature plants give low production, and therefore the high concentration of the musts and their good fixed acidity, has led to their rediscovery, allowing us to obtain great red wines from Susumaniello, both pure and paired with Negro Amaro and black Malvasia from Brindisi.
