Name: The West End Grills Cantele, Amativo Recipe
Cook time: 48 h
Total time: 48 h
Yield: 25 servings
Ingredients: 70 percent Primitivo grapes (ripe); 30 percent Negroamaro grapes (ripe); 5 g Commercial wine yeast (strain for red wines, e.g., Saccharomyces cerevisiae); 1 tsp Yeast nutrient; 0.5 tsp Tartaric acid (if needed to adjust acidity); 0.5 tsp Campden tablets (potassium metabisulfite) - crushed; 1 each Clean fermentation vessel (stainless steel or food-grade container); 1 each Glass or stainless steel carboy for secondary fermentation; 3 pieces Oak aging (French or American oak) - medium toast, cubes or barrels; 1 each Airlock and stopper; 1 each Siphon tubing; 25 each Bottles; 25 each Corks; 0.1 tsp Bottle conditioning sulfite (potassium metabisulfite) - small dose

Med Bag of Chips

Ham, cheddar cheese, fresh tomatoes, and arugula.

Ham and Cheese Sandwich

Sliced turkey, lettuce, tomato, and mustard in a whole wheat wrap.

Fit Turkey Wrap

(Bold, rich blend of Primitivo and Negroamaro with soft tannins)

Harvest Primitivo and Negroamaro grapes at full phenolic ripeness. Target roughly 70% Primitivo and 30% Negroamaro by weight. Remove any underripe or rotten fruit; keep stems if desired for structure, otherwise destem.

Harvest & Selection

Crush the grapes lightly to break skins and start juice release. Place the must (crushed grapes and juice) into a clean, sanitized fermentation vessel. For a 25-bottle batch, use approximately 23–25 liters of must.

Crushing

Sanitize all equipment thoroughly. Add crushed Campden tablets (0.5 tsp) to the must to inhibit wild yeast and bacteria. Wait 24 hours before inoculating with cultured yeast.

Sanitation & Sulfite Addition

Check the must's acidity and sugar (Brix). If acidity is low, add tartaric acid up to 0.5 tsp and mix thoroughly. If necessary, adjust sugar to desired starting Brix for ~13–14% ABV (target about 22–24°Brix) by adding grape concentrate or sugar—note: additions change character.

Adjustments

Rehydrate the commercial red wine yeast per the manufacturer's instructions (usually in 5–10 ml warm water with a pinch of yeast nutrient). Add yeast nutrient (1 tsp) into the must and then inoculate with the rehydrated yeast (about 5 g) evenly into the must.

Yeast Rehydration & Inoculation

Allow fermentation to begin in the vessel at controlled temperature (22–26°C / 72–79°F). Fermentation should start within 24–48 hours. Punch down or pump over the cap 2–3 times per day to ensure color and tannin extraction and to keep the cap moist.

Primary Fermentation

Maintain maceration for 7–14 days depending on desired extraction and soft tannins. For a softer tannin profile, favor shorter maceration (7–10 days) and moderate temperatures. Monitor specific gravity daily; when it drops to about 1.000–1.010, consider pressing.

Maceration Management

Press the fermented must to separate wine from skins. Transfer free-run and press fractions to the carboy(s) for settling. Top up to minimize headspace and fit an airlock.

Pressing

Allow secondary fermentation/malolactic fermentation to occur in the carboy at 18–20°C (if desired for softer acidity). This can take 2–6 weeks. Monitor malic acid decrease (or use a malolactic culture if you want to ensure it).

Secondary Fermentation / Malolactic

Rack the wine off gross lees after malolactic fermentation completes (about 2–3 racks over 2–3 months). Use sanitized siphon tubing, minimizing oxygen exposure.

Racking

Add medium-toast oak pieces (3 small cubes or one small barrel equivalent) to the carboy to impart gentle oak character and soften tannins. Age on oak for 6–12 months, tasting periodically. For a bold but soft profile, aim for ~8–10 months.

Oak Aging

If available, introduce micro-oxygenation or controlled headspace management to polymerize tannins slowly for a rounder mouthfeel. Monitor sulfite levels and top up (small doses) to maintain stability.

Micro-oxygenation & Monitoring

After aging, rack the wine off any remaining lees and sediment, and fine if necessary (bentonite or protein fining agents) to achieve desired clarity. Allow the wine to settle for several weeks after fining.

Final Clarification

Sanitize bottles and corks. If using a small sulfite addition for bottle stability, add a measured dose (about 0.1 tsp potassium metabisulfite per batch equivalent) to the wine prior to bottling to reach ~30 mg/L free SO2 (adjust based on pH).

Bottling Preparation

Carefully siphon wine into bottles, leaving minimal headspace. Cork and label bottles. Store bottles horizontally in a cool, dark place at 12–16°C (54–61°F).

Bottling

Allow bottles to rest for at least 6 months before drinking. This blend (Primitivo 70% / Negroamaro 30%) will present bold fruit, spice, and soft tannins after 6–12 months bottle aging and will develop additional complexity over 2–5 years.

Bottle Aging

Primitivo grapes (ripe)

Negroamaro grapes (ripe)

Commercial wine yeast (strain for red wines, e.g., Saccharomyces cerevisiae)

Yeast nutrient

Tartaric acid (if needed to adjust acidity)

Campden tablets (potassium metabisulfite) - crushed

Clean fermentation vessel (stainless steel or food-grade container)

Glass or stainless steel carboy for secondary fermentation

Oak aging (French or American oak) - medium toast, cubes or barrels

Airlock and stopper

Siphon tubing

Bottles

Corks

Bottle conditioning sulfite (potassium metabisulfite) - small dose

Cantele, Amativo

Make Cantele, Amativo Recipe in just 48h . (Bold, rich blend of Primitivo and Negroamaro with soft tannins)

Cantele, Amativo

Descriptors

Tasting Notes

Food Pairings

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