2022 Institut Agricole Regional (IAR) Valle d'Aosta Vuillermin

Despite all the French words in this wine’s name, it is indeed from Italy. The Valle d’Aosta, or Vallée d’Aoste in French, is a bilingual Italian region wedged into the Alps between Piemonte, France, and Switzerland. The valley, with Mont Blanc / Monte Bianco at its western end, is a great place to ski, hike, or lounge in the thermal baths. It’s also chock full of interesting local grapes that you won’t see anywhere else. The Institut Agricole Régional (IAR) is a highly-respected agricultural university, working farm, professional technical school, and research center in the Valle d'Aosta region of northwest Italy - imagine a U.C. Davis nestled in the Alps. In addition, the IAR makes small quantities of textbook versions of wines from the valley's varieties. Farming uses biodynamic principles. Vuillermin, though arguably the Valle d'Aosta's most elegant variety, is exceedingly rare. There are only 3 hectares of it planted and just one other commercial producer. The IAR's Vuillermin is