A specialty coffee exursion to Southern Italy – Pierre Cafe’ in Gravina di Puglia
Folks, If you haven’t been to Puglia, trust me when I say, you’re gonna fall head over heals in love with it. We’re talking unspoiled beaches, picture-perfect towns and fried pizza till you drop. While these are already great reasons to book your next trip to visit the heal of the boot, for coffee lovers there is one last decisive argument: Pierre’ Cafe in Gravina di Puglia! While Gravina di Puglia wouldn’t have been on the top of my bucket list if it wasn’t for Pierre Café, it is well worth a visit to soak in the traditional Italian way off the beaten path while indulging in one of the best coffee you’ll have in Italy.
Pierre Cafe’ lies just a couple of minutes walking outside the historic center of Gravina di Puglia. Luigi Paternoster is proudly managing the coffee shop and roastery that his parents first opened in the early 1980s. Since the beginning they had this notion of quality, that, despite Italy’s good reputation regarding coffee, is and was not self-evident. Sure, the average espresso in Italy tastes better than in some other European countries, but is still a long shot from the bar the third wave movement has set for quality coffee.
Luigi offers a wide selection of coffee roasted on site and is working with coffee sourcing companies like Nordic Approach, known for their focus on high quality coffee beans. During my visit beans on offer included for one the Miscela Pierre, with 50% Brazil (Cerrado Dulce) and 50% India (Bababudan). Furthermore, Pierre Cafe´ is featuring a presentable number of single origin coffee. To date these beans are on the menu: Kello – Etiopia Guji, Samii – Yirgacheffe Etiopia, Magarissa – Amara Etiopia, Bokasso – Sidamo Etiopia, Burtukaana Natural – Sidamo Etiopia, Cyanika – Nyamagabe Rwanda, Cerrado Dulce – Brazil, La Cabana – El Salvador, Santa Rita – Santa Ana El Salvador, El Divino Niño – Huila Colombia.
If you are familiar with the specialty coffee landscape in Southern Europe you’ll understand what a big deal it is, to find such quality coffee in a small city as Gravina in Puglia. Luigi is working hard to spread the movement and is supporting other small coffee businesses with training and know-how. The future’s looking bright! Soon, Pierre Cafe’ beans will be the first specialty coffee served in Bari, the capital of southern Italy’s Puglia region, A new coffee shop called Avamposto will open late spring in Via Raffaele de Cesare 8 and exclusively brew Pierre Cafe’. Another tourist destination not to miss in Southern Italy is Matera, where Ridola Caffè is proudly featuring Pierre Cafe’ and therefore turned a pioneer of specialty coffee in the Basilicata region.
Address:
Piazza Cavour 26
70024 Gravina in Puglia, Italy