It would be a real shame not to accompany the exquisite Valtellina dishes with a good local wine.

Dating back to ancient times, the cultivation of vines has shaped the Valtellina landscape, giving life to the unique panorama of terraced vineyards and today boasting productions recognised by prestigious quality marks and world famous.

This activity is particularly evident in the area of Chiavenna, a pretty town at thenorthern tip of Lombardy, nestled in the valley of the same name between the Lepontine and Rhaetian Alps and the fourth stop on our tour of the flavours and aromas of Valtellina.

Here viticulture enjoys a dominant position: we are in the very heart of DOC Valtellina, which in Valchiavenna is expressed with high-quality and robust red wines suitable for ageing, the result of tough viticulture in the mountains and a successful combination of territory, clones and microclimate.

The main grape variety is Nebbiolo, which in the valley takes on the name Chiavennasca, acquiring characteristics that are slightly different from those found in Piedmont: many believe that the name derives from the local dialect ciu vinasca, meaning 'more vinous'.

This variety gives rise to high quality red wines such as Sassella, produced in a small, steep and very windy area, and l'Inferno, which is made from grapes grown in an area that gets extremely hot in summer compared to the rest of the valley. In particularly favourable years, there is also the rare passito referred to locally as Sfurzat (Sforzato, or ‘forced').