2020 Cascina 'Tavijn Vino Rosso 68 Barbera/Ruche (Fireman Hat Label) - Piedmont, Italy (750ml)

Named "68," this Barbera Ruché blend honors Nadia Verruà's uncle Sisto (root is sei or "six") and her dad Ottavio (root is otto or "eight"). The grapes are farmed organically by the family, and everything is tended to and harvested by hand. Once picked, the grapes are destemmed and whole clusters are gently pressed and co-fermented in vats with native yeast. The grapes macerate for two months before a year of aging in a mixture of cement, fiberglass, and slavonian oak before bottling with no filtrations or sulfur additions. The wine is lively and juicy, with wildflower aromatics, a slight fizz, and notes of Amarena cherry, green olive, and herb. Pair with pizza topped with spicy sausage, onions, and olives, or Hanoi style lemongrass beef.