Driving North from Milan, one could easily be captivated enough to stop in one of the picturesque towns along Lago di Como and not venture any farther. Those who decide to continue on would come to understand, however, that the beauty of the region only increases and becomes more remarkable the closer one gets to the Swiss border where the Alps rise to staggering heights. Tiny mountain villages dot the landscape, a veritable land of fairy-tale settings. It’s easy to feel like you’ve passed into Switzerland without knowing it when, in fact, you’ve ended up in Valtellina, the northernmost part of Lombardy that forms part of the border between Italy and Switzerland.

Valtellina is Italy’s only valley to run east to west and was carved by the glaciers that moved down the granite mountain slopes during the last ice age to the valley floor where the Adda river now runs east into Lago di Como and eventually into the Po river. It is unarguably one of the most dramatic landscapes in Italy and home to some of the most extreme vineyards in the world. In 2018 UNESCO declared this region of tiny vineyards perched upon impossibly steep slopes and built into ancient terraces called muretti a World Heritage Site. Some of the terraces date back to the middle ages and, if placed end to end, would stretch a distance of 1,500 miles long.

Rosso di Valtellina DOC is a good introduction to the wines of the Valtellina, the northernmost sub-zone in the Lombardy region. The vineyards are set against the backdrop of the Rhaetian Alps, at altitudes of up to 700 m.a.s.l. Tenuta Scerscé "Nettare" Rosso di Valtellina is 100% Nebbiolo, locally known as Chiavennasca. A little lighter and less tannic than its counterpart in Piemonte, "Nettare" is fermented and aged in stainless steel and cement tanks. As the first wine produced after the vintage, it is a "nectar" dedicated to everyone and all occasions