COLOUR
Red
TYPE
Still
VINTAGE
2024
GRAPE
Pelaverga Piccolo
PRODUCER
Antica Casa Vinicola Scarpa
REGION
Piemonte
CHARACTERISTICS
Body
Medium - Light
Sweetness
Dry
Acidity
Medium - High
Finish
Medium - Long
Intensity
Mid - Pronounced
Tannins
Medium - Low
AROMAS & FLAVOURS
ABOUT THIS WINE
Antica Casa Vinicola Scarpa, founded in 1854, is a historic pillar of Piedmontese winemaking located in Nizza Monferrato. Despite their physical location, they hold a rare historic exemption allowing them to vinify and bottle Verduno Pelaverga outside of Cuneo province. This wine is sourced from a tiny 1.1-hectare plot within the celebrated Monvigliero estate, widely regarded as the finest vineyard in the Verduno commune. Pelaverga Piccolo is a hyper-local grape that was nearly lost to history after the phylloxera epidemic of the 19th century, but was passionately revived by local growers in the 1970s. Scarpa's philosophy of slow, traditional winemaking shines in this rare bottling, which captures the unique heritage of one of Piedmont's most distinctive and scarce grape varieties.
ALCOHOL
13.5%
AVG. PRICE
€21
STYLE
Classic
VEGAN
YES
SULPHITES
When to drink
Now or Later
Ideal temperature
12-16°C
INTERESTING FACTS
Fact 01
Pelaverga Piccolo was rescued from near-extinction in the 1970s after being devastated by the 19th-century phylloxera epidemic.
Fact 02
The grape contains high levels of rotundone, the same chemical compound that gives black pepper its signature spicy aroma.
Fact 03
Scarpa holds a rare historic exemption allowing them to vinify and bottle Verduno Pelaverga outside of the Cuneo province.
FOOD PAIRING
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WINE MAKING PROCESS
The winemaking process for Scarpa's Verduno Pelaverga is designed to preserve the grape's delicate, fresh, and highly aromatic character. The grapes are entirely hand-harvested in small crates. Maceration takes place over 10 days on the skins in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, with two manual pump-overs performed daily to ensure a gentle extraction of color and fine tannins. Following alcoholic fermentation, the wine is racked into stainless steel where it undergoes spontaneous malolactic fermentation. To maintain the pure, unadorned expression of the Pelaverga grape, the wine is aged entirely in stainless steel tanks for six months, with absolutely no oak contact. It is bottled with minimal filtration and no clarification, followed by an additional two months of bottle refinement before release.
