Not shying away from a difficult grape variety proved to be the right choice for Va La Vineyards in Avondale, writes Paul Vigna for the Harrisburg Patriot-News.

The owner, Anthony Vietri, recently released the 12th vintage of Cedar, his signature red made from nine clones of the Nebbiolo grape, as well as the Corvina Veronese grape. The vines are predominantly in their 22nd year of age and were harvested in October 2016.

The grapes were aged 27 months in barrels, followed by seven more months of further aging in bottles.

The unique red wine has Old World character, with savory flavors and aromas of wild mushrooms and eucalyptus. It sells for $52.

Interestingly, Vietri did not actually expect to make anything when he and his wife planted the first block of Nebbiolo more than two decades ago.

“Nebbiolo is a notoriously difficult variety, both in the field and in the winery,” he said. “Back then, there was almost none being grown in the U.S., so we had no expectation that it would survive or that we’d have anything to offer to the public.”

Read more about Va La Vineyards in the Harrisburg Patriot-News here.

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