Sagrantino is an Italian grape from the Umbria region that has been planted in a few East Coast vineyards, including Va La in Pennsylvania's Chester County. There, Anthony Vietri grows a number of Italian vinifera for his red blends. What's available for purchase is almost totally from Italy, including one called Collepiano produced by Arnaldo-Caprai. I wrote about it in an interview with the winemakerback in 2013. A dark wine that's highly tannic, it's best married on the dinner table with - according to winemaker notes - a piece of roasted meat, preferably one with a bit of fat content, game, and aged cheeses.

But the newest bottle I just finished came from an unlikely location, in the hills of northwestern North Carolina and Raffaldini Vineyards. A winery already known for making and bottling Italian varietals such asVermentino, Sangiovese and Montepulciano, it planted the Sagrantino a few years ago and released its first bottle of it, a 2015 vintage, in early March.