Vernaccia di Serrapetrona DOCG

One of Italy's strangest DOCGs: a red sparkling wine from Vernaccia Nera made with three fermentations, the second on dried grapes and the third in tank to produce the bubbles. The result is deep purple with a pink froth, smelling of blackberry, violet, black pepper and clove, with a slightly bitter, tannic grip under the fizz. The secco version is savory and works with cured meats; the dolce is sweet and spicy, more like a Marche Brachetto. Only a few hundred thousand bottles are made, and Alberto Quacquarini accounts for most of them.