The fine wines of the Langhe > Verduno Pelaverga wine

Verduno Pelaverga wine is produced in the hilly area of some municipalities in the province of Cuneo, from grapes coming from Pelaverga Piccolo vines, to which it can be added (until a maximum of 15%) those of different varieties, red-berried and non aromatic. Its color is a more or less loaded ruby red, with cherry-like or violet reflections; its smell is intense and fruity, and spiced; its taste is dry, velvety and harmonic; its minimum alcoholic content is 11%, and it is a table wine. “Verduno Pallaverga” or “Verduno” DOC denomination is reserved for the red wine which corresponds to some conditions and requirements fixed. The area of production consists of the province of Cuneo, the municipality of Verduno, and partly the municipalities of Roddi d’Alba and La Morra; it is not prescribed a minimum ageing; according to the legend, a priest from Verduno, the Pious Sebastiano Valfrè, brought with him a pile of Pelaverga vine shoots from Saluzzese in 1700. In reality, Pelaverga is a very ancient cultivation, which has been always present in the territories of Verduno, Roddi d’Alba, and La Morra. It used to be a sporadic cultivation, mixed with the Barbera and Nebbiolo ones, which led to wines obtained by mixing different grapes. Wine producers have begun to vinify purely this original product only since 1970. “A young knight – said the historian Armando Gambera – which opens the road to the great wines of Alba, with its readiness, its bright ruby red, with its fascinating spiced smells and its fresh acidity”. “Pelaverga Piccolo”, which is the vine at the base of this wine, has different ampelographic and oenological characteristic than the “Pelaverga Nero” one, which is cultivated in Saluzzese. According to history, the confusion, generated by the homonymous names of these two vines, was responsible for the late DOC denomination: wine producers had to wait until 1995 to indicate on their own labels the “Verduno Pelaverga” DOC denomination. The 9 hectares of Pelaverga vineyards are located almost entirely in the municipality of Verduno, a small town whose Celtic name means “flourished hill”. The hills which host this vine are characterized by a clayey ground, which is rich of calcareous and arenaceous marls. Nearly 80.000 bottles were produced in 2000, which is the result of 26 companies. Verduno Pelaverga wine is nowadays well-known in Italy, and it is exported in Germany and Switzerland. Its color is a more or less loaded ruby red, its smell is vivacious, intense, fruity, dominated by a pepper spice; its taste is dry, fresh and velvety; its alcoholic content is between 12 and 13,5%. The best year was 2000, the medium price for a bottle is £10.000. It is advisable to serve Verduno Pelaverga wine at a temperature between 15° and 18°C, in red wine glasses (specifically suitable is the “tulip” one). This intriguing and fanciful wine is better drunk young or after a moderate ageing. It is good for nocturne snacks with cheese and salami, meat appetizers, tajarin, “agnolotti” from Langa, Piedmontese gnocchi and rice. Its name and spicy aroma made people think of Pelaverga wine as aphrodisiac.