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Schioppettino, also known locally as "Ribolla Nera," is one of the greatest winemaking secrets of Northern Italy (the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region). This medium-bodied red wine astounds with an aromatic bouquet intertwining violets, wild blackberries, and intense notes of freshly ground black pepper. It is a remarkably elegant, high-acidity wine for seekers of discovery.
Read moreSince the variety grows in a very restricted area (mostly around the village of Prepotto), the wine supply is small, but the quality standard maintained here is exceptionally high.
The best Schioppettino wines are usually aged in large old oak barrels (botti). This allows the wine to micro-oxygenate and soften its naturally high acidity and distinct tannins without masking its delicate pepperiness with vanilla notes. Variants aged in steel tanks will be lighter and even more focused on crisp red fruits.
The pronounced peppery character makes this wine a perfect partner for meat-focused gastronomy. It pairs incredibly well with game (wild boar, venison) stews, oven-roasted lamb with herbs, peppered beef steak, and strong-flavored aged cheeses (e.g., Montasio).
Schioppettino grapes contain a very high concentration of a chemical compound called rotundone. This exact same organic compound is found naturally in black peppercorns and rosemary. It is for this reason that the peppery smell in the wine is a completely natural result of the grape's genetics, not winemaker intervention or oak barrels.
In the late 19th century, the phylloxera epidemic destroyed most of the vineyards in Friuli. After the epidemic, local farmers decided to massively replant vineyards with more popular, profitable international varieties (Merlot, Cabernet Franc). Schioppettino was considered extinct until the 1970s when enthusiastic local winemakers in the Prepotto commune discovered a few surviving old vines and launched a successful revival program.
