Pravis Trentino Cabernet 2012

For over 40 years, the family-owned winery has farmed the majestic slopes of the Dolomite Mountains next to historic Lake Garda and at the foot of Castel Madruzzo. The area is characterized by mountains and lakes, medieval castles, and landscapes that are the foundations of the rural winemaking culture, which forms an integral part of their society. Growing on steeply terraced slopes that require Herculean efforts and hand harvesting, these wines are singular in style and a totally different experience from other Northern Italian regions. Some of these vineyards rise as high as 3500ft above sea level. Pravis has plantings of the autochthonous Nosiola, existing only in a few small parcels in this region and nowhere else in the world. There is an array of other aromatic whites, such as Kerner, Muller-Thurgau, Gewurztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, and Schiava Gentile. The reds are exposed to intense daytime sunlight, as the Dolomites form a natural cloud barrier, with temperatures dropping dramatically in the evening. These diurnal shifts allow full phenolic ripening of the grapes but retain acidity and freshness. These are red wines of both power and elegance, such as the Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Nero.