If the Cantina Lavis Pinot Grigio showed you Trentino’s white wine soul, this is the region at its most ancient and distinctive. Teroldego is one of Italy’s most fascinating indigenous red grape varieties — cultivated in Trentino since ancient times and found in its truest, most expressive form almost exclusively on the Rotaliana Plain, a unique glacial basin at the confluence of the Adige and Noce rivers where the deep, gravelly soils and Alpine climate create conditions perfectly suited to this remarkable grape. It is a variety of real character and depth: extremely rich in polyphenols, producing wines of a deep, intense colour and a structure and complexity that sets it apart from anything else grown in northern Italy. Cantina Lavis — one of Trentino’s most historic and respected cooperatives, with roots stretching back to 1850 — are among the finest custodians of this ancient variety, farming their Teroldego vines on the gentle slopes of the Avisio Hills with the same care and precision that defines everything they produce. The Vigneti is a beautiful, characterful expression of the grape: deep and vivid in the glass, with a nose of dark cherry, wild berry, and a lovely spicy, earthy complexity that speaks directly of the Alpine terroir. On the palate it is full-bodied and generous, with the rich polyphenol structure giving it a lovely depth and grip, balanced by a natural freshness and vitality that keeps the wine alive and vibrant. A genuinely rare and exciting red — and at £16.49, a remarkable introduction to one of Italy’s most ancient and distinctive grape varieties.