Every Italian knows about the "challenge of Barletta," one of the stirring chapters in his country's history of the16th century. It was a joust fought before the Apulian city on February 13, 1503, in which 13 Italian knights battled 13 French knights. The encounter would never have taken place had Chevalier Charles de Touques, Monsigneur de La Motte, not dined at an inn in Barletta where he was served an excellent wine. According to a manuscript that belonged to Don Prospero Colonna, a member of the army of Consalvo, the grand captain who was defending Barletta and who, in the joust, acted as judge on the field for the Italians-the document was later found in the archives of the House of Colonna-La Motte drank too much that night and was unable to curb his tongue or his animosity. In his remarks, he grossly insulted Italy and its soldiers. It was an imprudence that turned out to be fatal. In the incident, the apple of discord was an excellent red wine that, in commemoration of the historic encounter, has retained the name of the town as its denomination. To commemorate the event and to satisfy the curiosity of tourists, the Cantina della Sfida (Inn of the Challenge) has been re-created in the medieval center of Barletta with furnishings and equipment of the period.

In addition to Uva di Troia, Montepulciano, Sangiovese and Malbec are used in making DOC Rosso Barletta. The latter variety bears the name of a Bordeaux negociant, who imported it into France sometime after the middle of the 18th century. In France, it has Negro Dolce as a synonym, while in Apulia, where it was introduced early in the present century, it is also known as Negro Amaro Rosso.