Any time you have the chance to feature a wine made from a grape no one has ever heard of from a place no one has ever heard of that happens to be spectacular, you’ve got to do it! Cascina Melognis Pelaverga is from the southwestern alpine foothills of Piedmont near the city of Saluzzo. Here, the imposing peak of Revello dominates the landscape and the glacial stream of the Po River runs out of the hills and carves out a small valley peppered with fruit orchards and the occasional vineyard. The appellation was founded in part to preserve the local Pelaverga variety, and Cascina Melognis was founded by Michele Fino and his wife Vanina Maria Carta with the same goal. We want to encourage them to continue their efforts, because this wine is worth it! The aroma of this wine is passion fruit caught as it falls ripe from the tree, strawberries that glisten with morning dew, oregano and sage picked from an Italian grandmother’s backyard garden and blood orange so rich there might be real blood in it (or at least a note of iron rich clay). Pure mana on the palate, bursting with fresh berries and chalk and white pepper, with delicate texture and ebullient acidity that sings like a songbird. Pair with Alpine cheeses on a sunny day.