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

Sottoterra Nero di Troia 2018

$28.95
Tasting notes

Nero di Troia at 12.5% ABV with only 4 days of skin contact produces something genuinely rare from Puglia: a wine that smells of violet and sour cherry, sits lightly on the palate, and has a stony, saline finish driven by the limestone and marble soils of the Gargano. It drinks like a Southern Italian answer to Gamay.

BodyFruitTanninAcidity
VioletSour CherryBlack PepperMineral
Dry/Sweet:Dry
Wine Type:Red Wine
Wine Style:Medium Body
Grapes:Nero di Troia
Farming:Organic and Biodynamic
Vintage:2018
Alcohol:12.5%
Country:Italy
Region:Puglia
Appellation:Puglia IGP
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.
Sottoterra Nero di Troia 2018
$28.95

Producer profile

Valentina Passalacqua

Valentina Passalacqua's estate is located inside Gargano National Park near Apricena, in the province of Foggia, northern Puglia. The family acquired the land in the early 1900s, but for decades it was considered too poor for agriculture and was used only for cattle grazing. The family eventually recognized that the rocky, mineral-rich ground, which sits atop a marble deposit, was well-suited to viticulture. Today the farm covers 70 hectares of usable surface, of which 48 hectares are planted to vine at approximately 200 meters above sea level.

Passalacqua converted the land from pasture to vineyard, which meant the soil had never been exposed to conventional agricultural chemicals. She obtained organic certification in 1999 and began applying biodynamic practices from 2000 onward. The estate was established in part with EU subsidies designated for women entrepreneurs in depressed areas of southern Italy. Harvesting is done by hand. Passalacqua also launched a separate label, Progetto Calcarius, focused on specific plots with Kimmeridgian limestone soils.

Across both the Passalacqua and Calcarius labels, winemaking follows a non-interventionist approach: spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts, no fining, no filtration, and minimal or no added sulfites. The Sottoterra wines use short macerations in stainless steel with no temperature control, prioritizing freshness over extraction. The estate grows indigenous varieties including Nero di Troia, Primitivo, Falanghina, and Bombino, among others.

Wine region

Puglia, Italy

Puglia occupies the heel and ankle of the Italian boot, running roughly 400 kilometers from the Gargano promontory in the north down to the Salento peninsula in the south. The region borders the Adriatic to the east and the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and its proximity to the sea moderates what would otherwise be an extreme continental climate. Northern Puglia, centered on the province of Foggia and the sub-Apennine Tavoliere plain, is hotter and drier than the south, with soils that shift between calcareous limestone, clay, and in places around the Gargano, marble-veined rock with calcified seashells.

Puglia's three dominant indigenous red grapes are Negroamaro, Primitivo, and Nero di Troia, each with a distinct geographic heartland. Negroamaro dominates the provinces of Brindisi and Lecce in the Salento; Primitivo is centered on Taranto; and Nero di Troia is concentrated in the province of Foggia and northern Bari. Key DOC and DOCG designations for Nero di Troia include Castel del Monte Nero di Troia Riserva DOCG and Rosso Barletta DOC, though many producers, including Passalacqua, bottle it under the broader Puglia IGP classification. The Gargano National Park area, where Passalacqua farms, sits on Kimmeridgian limestone soils dating to the Jurassic era, producing wines with a pronounced mineral and saline character.

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