Enhanced bottle photo | Primal Wine
Valentina Passalacqua — natural wine producer
Valentina Passalacqua
-9%

Primitivo 2018

$30.95 $33.95
Tasting notes

At 10.5% ABV, this is Primitivo stripped of all its usual excess — no oak, no jam, no heat. The Kimmeridgian limestone soils at Gargano push a saline, mineral thread through the ripe cherry and blackberry fruit that keeps every sip sharp and defined. It drinks like a southern Italian answer to Beaujolais.

BodyFruitTanninAcidity
CherryBlackberrySalineMineral
Dry/Sweet:Dry
Wine Type:Red Wine
Wine Style:Light Body
Grapes:Primitivo
Farming:Organic and Biodynamic
Vintage:2018
Alcohol:10.5%
Country:Italy
Region:Puglia
Appellation:Puglia IGT
Bottle Size:750ml
Sugar Level:Zero Added Sugar
Current favorites
Domaine Lucien Boillot et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin "Les Evocelles" 2023, natural wine bottle at Primal Wine
Domaine Lucien Boillot et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin "Les Evocelles" 2023
$179.00
Kuentz-Bas Alsace Pinot Noir 2025, natural wine bottle at Primal Wine
Kuentz-Bas Alsace Pinot Noir 2025
$30.00
Important information

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.

Important Compliance Requirements

FedEx and other carriers we might occasionally use can only deliver wine to customers who are 21 years or older. Someone must be at the address to receive the package; carriers don't just drop a package and leave. They must ensure the person receiving the wine is 21 or older. Shipping to PO Boxes is not allowed.

Ship to a FedEx Store

If nobody can be at your address to sign for the package, you can have your order sent to a FedEx store instead. Enter your preferred FedEx store as the shipping address at checkout and we'll ship your order there. Once it arrives, you have 5 business days to pick it up, and you'll need to show your ID.

Re-shipping a Package

If a package is returned to us after three failed delivery attempts, we can only re-ship the wine upon payment of a re-shipping fee, to be determined based on the shipping address and number of bottles. Shipping wine is extremely expensive. We are sorry about this, but we have no other choice. Please make sure there's always someone at the address you enter as your shipping address.

If you'd like to receive a refund for a package that was returned to us after FedEx made three delivery attempts, we can do that but we must keep a $20 refund fee; FedEx charges us a lot of money for returns, unfortunately, I can't stress this enough.

Re-routing a Package

If you'd like to reroute a package after it's been shipped, we can do so for a $20 re-routing fee. We cannot re-route a package across state borders. For any change of address, please contact us as soon as possible, ideally within 1-2 days from placing the order or we cannot guarantee we'll be able to reroute or change your order's shipping address.

Canceling an Order

If you'd like to cancel an order after it's been shipped, we can do so upon payment of a small cancellation fee – the amount depends on the size of the order. Carriers charge us a lot of money to recall a package en-route.

Heat/Frost damage

We are not responsible for heat- or frost-related issues. We offer ice packs upon request, at a cost, but even so, we can't be held liable if it's 104 where you are and corks pop. Please let us know if you think that there could be heat-related issues. If we don't hear anything from you regarding weather issues before an order is shipped, or if you don't request a hold due to the weather, we are not responsible for heat/frost damage.

Placed an order. What next?

1. You will receive an order confirmation email with your order summary.*

2. As soon as your order ships from the warehouse, usually within 2-3 business days, this applies to all shipping rates, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with your tracking information. 2DAY shipping refers to shipping time; we still need 2-3 business days to prepare an order. We need to pick and pack, QA, add printed collateral, and palletize the orders.

3. Please track your package using the tracking service.

4. The carrier will attempt delivery a maximum of 3 times. After 3 delivery attempts, your package will be sent back to our warehouse.**

*Please ensure your email address is correct; otherwise, you will not receive the order and shipping confirmation emails.

**If delivery is attempted 3 times without success, or if you fail to retrieve your package from the carrier depot by the stated deadline, the shipping fee will not be refunded to the customer.

Returns Policy

If you are not satisfied with your purchase, please contact us at (424) 414-2040 or via e-mail at hello@primalwine.com between 9 am and 5 pm Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Sunday, we would like to understand and try to solve your concerns. We can offer refunds only as store credit.
Primitivo 2018
$30.95$33.95

Producer profile

Valentina Passalacqua

Valentina Passalacqua's estate is located in Apricena, inside Gargano National Park in northern Puglia. The family has owned the land since the early 1900s, when it was used exclusively for cattle grazing — considered too rocky and poor for agriculture. That same rocky terrain turned out to be limestone and marble of Kimmeridgian origin, soils that are mineral-rich, free-draining, and well-suited to viticulture. Passalacqua returned to the property in 2008 after a career in law and business in London, and began converting it into a working farm and winery.

The estate farms 80 hectares of vineyards at approximately 200 meters above sea level. The winery obtained organic certification in 1999 and subsequently converted to biodynamic farming. Canopy management and early harvesting are central to Passalacqua's approach in the vineyard — grapes are picked before full ripeness to retain acidity and keep alcohol levels low, which runs counter to the conventional high-extraction style typical of southern Puglia.

In the cellar, all wines undergo spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts. For the Primitivo, destemmed grapes macerate on the skins for four days in stainless steel with no temperature control. The wine is aged in stainless steel, then bottled unfined and unfiltered under crown cap with fewer than 30ppm of added sulfur dioxide. No fining agents and no oak are used.

Wine region

Puglia, Italy

Puglia forms the heel of Italy's boot, flanked by the Adriatic Sea to the east and the Ionian Sea to the southwest. The region covers roughly 83,000 hectares of vines and has a hot Mediterranean climate with dry summers that regularly exceed 30°C, moderated by constant sea breezes from both coasts. The northern sub-zone around the Gargano promontory and Foggia province sits at higher elevations and benefits from cooler temperatures and mineral-rich limestone soils compared to the flat coastal plains further south.

Puglia holds 4 DOCG and 28 DOC appellations, with Primitivo di Manduria DOC (established 1974) and its DOCG counterpart for sweet wines being the most recognized. Gioia del Colle DOC, located on the Murge plateau south of Bari at around 400 meters elevation, is considered the original home of Primitivo in Italy. The dominant grape varieties across the region are Primitivo, Negroamaro, Nero di Troia, and Bombino Nero for reds, with Falanghina, Bombino Bianco, and Fiano among the key whites. Wines from northern Puglia, including the Gargano area, typically carry the broader Puglia IGT designation.

Frequently asked question

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.

Signature on delivery is mandatory for wine deliveries. Please make sure someone is at the shipping address to sign for the package.

If applicable, please consider delivering the package to a business address to ensure someone is available to sign for the package.

We also have the option of delivering the package to a Carrier's store for pickup. Please reach out to us to coordinate.

Carrier will try to delivery a package up to three times before returning the package to us.

See here our shipping policy.

If you miss a delivery and a package gets returned to us we have two options:

1) Reship the package right away: due to the very high cost of shipping and returns, we must charge a re-shipping fee to be determined based on package size and shipping destination.

2) Consolidate the returned package with your next order: this option is free of charge and it's the most popular option.

See here our shipping policy.

This collection features our best selling natural wine from all around the world. It's the best place to start you natural wine journey! Browse one of the largest selections of natural wine available online in the United States.

Primal Wine Natural Wine Club is the best way to discover natural wine. Let us do the heavy-lifting, sit back, and relax. We will send you an ever-changing selection of natural wine made by top producers from around the world.

What wine writers and experts are saying

Recognized among the best natural wine retailers and clubs in the country.

"We included Primal Wine among America's 50 best natural wine retailers in our print edition."
"Best natural wine club: many would agree that Primal's selection is among the best."
"Primal Wine curates an excellent selection of wines you most likely aren't familiar with."
"A storefront to bookmark if you're looking to get funky with your drinking habits."
"Best wine subscription services: Primal Wine Club is great for beginners to natural wine."
"Wines that taste like Williamsburg, a hip neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York."
"This box from Primal included reds, an orange, and a white, and came with a worksheet to jot down my notes."
"In the 2024 USA Today 10BEST edition, Primal Wine is once again a runner-up in the best wine club category."
What Is | Primal Wine

What is natural wine?

Natural wine is a type of wine made in small batches from organic or biodynamic grapes with minimal intervention.
Read More
What Is Biodynamic Wine Info Cards | Primal Wine

What is Biodynamics?

Biodynamic wine is wine made from grapes farmed biodynamically. Biodynamic farming is a holistic approach.
Read More
What Is Organic Wine Info Cards | Primal Wine

What is organic wine?

Organic wine is made with grapes farmed organically. Organic farming is an alternative to conventional farming.
Read More
What Is Vegan Wine Info Cards | Primal Wine

What is vegan wine?

Vegan wine is wine made without using animal products during the fining phase of the clarification process.
Read More

What are you drinking tonight?

Explore the cellar, or let us choose for you with a curated natural wine club shipment.

Shop All Wine Join Our Club