The calcareous soil is ploughed so as to be oxidised and regenerated with the natural nourishment found in the clippings from the pruning of the olive trees, which is also the oldest form of fertiliser.
Secular olive trees grow on sun bathed planes surrounded by stone walls that embrace and protect them. People still remember the expert pruners who used to climb up the tallest branches.
Today that dexterity has given way to expert knowhow, but pruning it is still the art to thin the crown of these 5 meter high plants, carefully removing the inner new shoots and encouraging the older outer branches to develop, as they are the more productive.
This is the heart of Puglia. An enigmatic land marked by a criss-cross of country roads and different cultures, dotted with cathedrals and large white country houses that offer shade in the summer sun. The Terra di Bari is set in deep red soil and should be explored with all the senses, especially with the palate.