Sunday School

WINE

Pelaverga, Verduno, Poderi Roset, ’21

Piedmont, Italy

In Piedmont, Nebbiolo usually steals the spotlight, but the little-known Pelaverga grape has its own devoted fan club. Poderi Roset’s 2021 Verduno Pelaverga shows exactly why this rare variety deserves attention: it’s delicate, aromatic, and just a bit cheeky.

Pelaverga has been grown around Verduno for centuries, a true local heirloom that nearly slipped into obscurity before a handful of dedicated producers kept it alive. Poderi Roset carries that torch today, tending their vines with care and bottling a wine that bursts with red berries, rose petals, and a distinctive pop of white pepper. The palate is light and silky, with fine acidity and a gentle tannic grip that keeps things lively. It’s elegant without being stuffy, the kind of wine that seems to flirt with you as you drink it.

For those who love Piedmont but want something off the beaten track, Pelaverga is a revelation. Poderi Roset captures the grape’s playful spirit while honoring its deep roots in Verduno, offering a bottle that feels both rare and refreshingly approachable. Not every underdog gets their moment, but Pelaverga makes sure you never forget it once you’ve tasted it.

$16 glass   •   $11 glass

CHEESE

Calkins Creamery Vampire Slayer

Honesdale, PA · Cow–R

Calkins Creamery, a sixth-generation family farm in northeastern Pennsylvania, is dedicated to protecting the planet as well as creating delicious cheese by hand. With the motto, “Conserve, Preserve, Sustain,” they use recycled newspapers for the cows’ bedding, solar panels to power the electricity, excess whey from the cheese to feed their pigs—and the cows make for great lawn mowers. Their herd of 160 Holsteins enjoys a low-stress life, which cheesemaker Emily Bryant believes produces higher quality milk and better cheese. She only uses raw milk and vegetarian rennet to make her cheeses.

Vampire Slayer is a farmhouse cheddar hand-mixed with garlic, onion, and paprika. It is triple-dipped in cream before black wax seals in the robust flavor. This Halloween, keep the monsters at bay with this semi-hard local cheddar. It’s to die for!

$9  •   $6