Vuillermin

   This is a full-flavored, somewhat tannic red from the Valle d’Aosta. Fairly light-bodied, but rich and aromatic.

   Vuillermin is an ancient indigenous variety that has been revived by the Institut Agricole Régional in Aosta and certain growers in the valley, including Feudo San Maurizio, which produced this bottle. 

   According to the VinoRadio Blog, the owner of Enoteca Vino Nostro in San Francisco says that Vuillermin “is so rare that there is no vineyard of it. As the story goes, the grapes used to make this wine were collected by the producer from small plantings around the region.”

   My bottle also came from Enoteca Vino Nostro. A splurge at $51.

   Food pairing: We had this bottle with a pork tenderloin roasted with garlic, thyme, salt and pepper, with a few bacon strips on top to moisten it. A good match, but this wine might go even better with another of my wife’s recipes: beef slow-cooked with onions, a little bacon, red wine, and orange peel, and served over rice.