Italy is home to an endless array of tasty, lesser-known varieties and one of our favorite Italian sleeper-grapes is a small red one from Piemonte known as Pelaverga. Grown almost exclusively in Verduno, Pelaverga is surely the rarest of the Piedmontese "little grapes" (such as Grignolino, Dolcetto, Barbera, Freisa, Ruché…). 

About a half-dozen local producers have stayed true to Verduno’s special grape, amongst them the Alessandria family. It’s in this sun-bleached hamlet, kissed by the breezes coming off the river Tanaro, that Pelaverga thrives. The Alessandrias produce a wine that typifies why so many wine geeks swoon for Verduno Pelaverga; a wine that, at its core, is lively and refreshing, with tangy, red plum flavors and floral aromas accented by elaborate spice notes. 

Since the 1870s, the Alessandrias have made their wines in Verduno. This being Piedmont, their transcendent Baroli get most of the attention but this has always been a house that prides itself on the quality of all their wines with purity and freshness the common thread weaving them together.  Vittore Alessandria, the current family winemaker, aims to create a “mirror to the landscape”; each and every one of his wines have a balanced sense of structure achieving complexity without excessive weight or artifice.

The Alessandrias take particular pride in their Pelaverga. They call it “Speziale” in reference to the gentle spicy notes the grape is known for. All those savoury herbaceous notes and bright berry flavors make this bottle perfect for almost all meals but seriously, with a bit of a chill, I can't think of a better wine to sit on the porch with as you watch the apocalypse roll by.

Fratelli Alessandria Verduno Pelaverga Speziale 2021 $26.99 | Bright cranberry color with mauve reflections. Airy strawberry and white tea notes on the nose with undertones of dried rose petal, whole white peppercorn, wet rock. The palate is juicy and spicier with more herbaceous flavors of sage and thyme coming through. Perfect for roasted bird, creamy pastas, charred broccolini with lemon zest and Calabrian chilies…. we could go on forever.