Caves Cooperatives de Donnas

Just northwest of Piemonte, you begin your ascent into the Alpine, bilingual, French-Italian region of Valle d'Aosta. Donnas is the first subregion along the Dora Baltea river and the name of a small, high-quality cooperative made up of 23ha and 20 members. It's Alpine wine (1300-1700ft) in the largest game of Shoots and Ladders, cum-Vines-and-Trellising, you've even seen. The terraced vineyards are hewn from the granite and quartz mountain sides. It's Nebbiolo (a.k.a. Picotendro) as a harpsichord (instead of the Barolo as cello). Earthy, spicy wines that make you want to put on your hiking boots and scale a frozen waterfall.