I am finally back to posting about Italian Indigenous Varieties. I haven’t written a post in this series since May so I imagine it will be 2024 before I get through all the varieties. My goal for the rest of 2018 is to finish the letters N and O and to be in the varieties that start with the letter P. Let’s see if I can follow through on my plan. I skipped two varieties and will go back to them next week but for today, I want to write about one that comes from the Valle d’Aosta called Ner d’ala nero. It is a red grape that has been growing in the region for more than 100 years. It is now grown in very few areas but is not extinct. When used in a blend it gives color and intensity.

I couldn’t find too much about the variety or producers who use it. I wanted to write about a variety from Aosta because a friend showed me a photo he took last weekend hiking there. I never go to the mountains in the summer but it certainly made me think I was missing out. Aosta is such a beautiful part of Italy.  I very much like the wines from there as well, straight forward and vertical on your palate. I haven’t spent nearly enough time there and would love to go back and explore the region, the wines and the mountains.