On the banks of the Volturno river north of Naples, there is a town called Casale Campagnano, where Dr. Antonio Buono founded Selvanova in 1997. The winery is devoted to the strictly local varieties of this part of Campania, Pallagrello Nero and Bianco. Aglianico, the most iconic Campanian variety, counts as a foreign grape recently introduced to the area. Pallagrello was once relatively famous and a favorite of the king of Naples, but it was thought to have gone extinct after phylloxera until the 1990s, when it was rediscovered by chance. We’re happy to have it back for its lovely, lush aromas of black raspberry, inky black cherry, and rich, fruity body. One quarter of this wine is Aglianico, which adds pepper spice and smoky soil, touches of lavender and a bit of chalky tannic backbone. The finish is fresh and cherry scented. Selvanova farms organically and intervenes as little as possible in the cellar to maintain the purity of flavor for the cuvee. This would be an excellent choice for Pizza.