On a sunny morning this past June, after winding our way through hillsides of golden wheat and thick hazelnut orchards, my colleagues and I arrived at Cantine Valpane in the Monferrato region of Piedmont. We were greeted by the boisterous and bubbly Pietro Arditi, third-generation winemaker at this family-run azienda that feels straight out of a postcard: a magnificent white villa with eggshell blue shutters and red flowers cascading from balconies, cats dozing and chickens scratching under olive trees. Pietro emanated an infectious, giddy energy as we toured the spectacular vineyard amphitheater facing the estate. He then led us inside his cozy 500-year-old cantina, its thick stone walls covered with framed photos, paintings, and shelves laden with antique knick-knacks. 
     Pietro described winemaking as a lifelong learning process, gesturing to the cement tanks that Lydia, his aunt who ran the domaine for decades before him, purchased during her tenure—few were working with cement back then, but she embraced the medium eagerly. Upon taking over the domaine, Pietro planned to replace the tanks in favor of oak barrels. “But I realized she was right: aging in cement imparts the truest expression of the fruit,” he said, seemingly beguiled to still be gleaning wisdom from Lydia after all these years. 
     Pietro’s joyous and approachable wines perfectly capture his exuberant personality. His “Perlydia” Barbera—lovingly named after his aunt—sees a long élevage in her cement tanks before bottling; with 8 years under its belt, the 2015 is in a beautiful place today, imbued with luscious complexity that can only come with time and patience. Its rich, dark-berried fruit, plush texture, and cocoa-powder tannins make it simply irresistible. It will sing alongside a regional specialty like pork agnolotti in a butter sage sauce, though it’s also sublime with classics like osso buco, gnocchi al pomodoro, or chicken parmesan. Whether you get saucy in your cucina or order takeout from the neighborhood joint, this comforting, utterly delicious rosso will leave you fully satisfied.