2017 Pasini San Giovanni Il Valtenesi' Groppello

Region: Lake Garda < Lombardia < Italy 
Grapes: Groppello Gentile
Vineyard/Cellar Stats: Certified organic farming, biodiverse vineyards, fully carbon-neutral and solar-powered vineyard, coarse rocky soils on high elevation slopes of glacial Lake Garda, stainless steel, 13%
Winemaker: Paolo, Sara, and Luca San Giovanni
           
WHY IS THIS A UNICORN? Another weird grape – Gropello – makes this cherry spicy light red from an offbeat region of Italy.

Founded in 1958, Pasini San Giovanni is still run today by the family, now the third generation of winemakers. They work mostly with the Groppello grape, which can be traced to Sangiovese.  With thin skins and light color, they produce this fresh, bright red with tastes of flowers, cardamom spice, and sweet cherry (kind of like an Italian version of Poulsard), and it’s fresh fresh fresh!  This pretty light red is a slam dunk for bringing in fall, and while it doesn’t beg for food, it is a nice partner for everything from veg to soups to pasta dishes.   PLUS, this fat-bottom bottle makes it look shorter, so you should probably just finish this with a friend (or alone) in one sitting.  LONG LIVE EASY DRINKING REDS!