• Masseria Torre Maizza: Adjacent to the Torre Coccaro and also owned by Muolo, Torre Maizza leans more toward the chic. Fall promotion, about $360 per room for a minimum four-night stay. www.apuliacollection.com.

• Masseria Domenico: One of the region's best known family-owned inns, incorporating a 15th century watch tower, with spa, beach club and golf. Double rooms with breakfast from about $365. www.imasseria.com/en/home.

RECOMMENDED: The newly opened Palazzo Papeleo near Otranto, one of region's only ''luxury'' lodgings, gets strong reviews. www.hotelpalazzopapaleo.com. From about $30 including breakfast. In Trani, Hotel San Paolo al Convento, just across the square from the cathedral, is considered the top upmarket choice. www.sanpaoloalconvento.traniweb.it.

FOOD, DINING

Cooking classes: We took ours at Masseria Torre Coccaro (above). When scheduling allows, the class visits one of the nearby fish or vegetable markets. About $110 includes lunch for two.

Also recommended by Travel + Leisure: The Awaiting Table in Lecce, www.awaitingtable.com.

Osteria Antichi Sapori - Montegrosso: Simply spectacular local fare in the Minervino Murge region, not far from Castel del Monte. www.antichisapori.biz . Entrees, $11.40-$14.25. In the same area, Lonely Planet recommends Masseria Barbera, www.masseriabarbera.it.

Barbecue: On weekend evenings in summer, grills are set up in the historic district of Cisternino; go into one of the nearby butcher shops for the meat; they'll grill it on the spot.

Seafood: Gallipoli's historic zone, reached by a causeway from the modern town, is an island ringed with fish restaurants. Highly recommended is La Puritate.

Local eateries: Nearly every town seems to have at least one standout. Ask your hotelier for recommendations.

Wines: Try local bottles, especially the Primitivo; most aren't sold elsewhere, though you can find some produced by the Rivera family (www.rivera.it), the region's oldest, throughout Italy and the U.S. If you want to visit wineries, you'll need to make arrangements in advance; wine tourism is just beginning here.

RESOURCES

The following companies offer tours and arrangements in Southern Italy:

• Southern Visions: Tours and cuisine itineraries, www.southernvisionstravel.com.

• Mediterranean Life: Owned by the sister of Vittorio Muolo, with arrangements for groups, meetings and individual travel, specializing in gourmet tours. www.apuliacollection.com.

• Puglia Region tourism (in Italian): www.viaggiareinpuglia.it.

• Italian Tourist Board: 212-245-5618; www.italiantourism.com.

• GiraPuglia: A Guide to Food and Wine Tasting: This useful but hard-to-get English publication is available through www.tirsomedia.it.

• Lonely Planet Guide to Puglia and Basilicata, available online and in local bookstores.

• Travellers Puglia, from Thomas Cook Publishing, available online through Amazon.com.

-- JANE WOOLDRIDGE

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