Friulian red wines: which are the best?

Among the indigenous wines of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, in addition to the whites, among which we can name Ribolla Gialla, Friulano, and Malvasia, special mention should be made of the excellent Friulian red wines that are often not given due recognition, but which have nothing to envy to their fellow Friulians.

Among these deserve special attention:

• Schioppettino: whose name is owed both to the slight explosion the berries make when bitten and to a production defect that in the past made opening the bottle slightly "schioppettante." This wine, also known as "Ribolla Nera," has experienced ups and downs in history and was in danger of disappearing because of Oidium - also known as albugine - and because of phylloxera - an insect that causes fatal damage to the plant. It is a wine pleasantly balanced by sapidity and soft tannins, whose irresistible bouquet recalls blueberries and raspberries on the nose, followed by warm notes of spices that recall black pepper, clove and juniper berries.

• Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso: its origin is shrouded in mystery, it is known for certain, however, that, like all other grapes, Refosco derives from a wild plant that was already widely grown in the 1st century A.D., as Pliny the Elder praised its characteristics.
  It can be recognized by its ruby red color, which tends to garnet. On the nose it is intense, characteristic, delicate and on the palate it is voluminous and at the same time balanced. It presents a good permanence with continuous hints of fruit.

• Pignolo: This wine was already well known in the 12th and 13th centuries. In the Corno di Rosazzo area, its turbulent history is also due to its brash character, which requires several years in the barrel to be tamed. This was likely one of the reasons for the sharp decline in its cultivation during the 19th century. It wasn’t until the 1970s, thanks to a group of Friulian winemakers, that production was successfully revived to the point of making it one of the most prized and beloved red wines from Friuli-Venezia Giulia. If you’d like to learn more about the characteristics and history of this grape variety, take a look here, or read about it alongside the Picolit.

In addition to Friulian red wines of birth, there are also some red wines that despite not being indigenous can be considered wines of rural Friulian tradition. A first example is certainly that of the Merlot. This wine of French origin arrived in Italy during the second half of the 19th century and is easily loved for its round taste reminiscent of ripe berries and goes well with both white and red meats. Maybe it is because of its versatility, maybe it is because its harmonious taste gets everyone on the same page, Merlot is the most popular red variety in the region, and if you order a red at the bar counter rest assured that 99 percent of the time you will get a glass of Merlot in your hand.

Another wine of French origin welcomed to our lands also in the19th century is the Cabernet Sauvignon. This grape variety, scattered a bit all over the world, once rooted in Ponca, the characteristic Friulian soil, manages to draw suchelegance that it can soften its herbaceous hint and, thanks also to barrel aging, opens its bouquet to hints of violets, spices and bitter cocoa that cut through the characteristic fresh tone.

From the marriage of the two Friulian red wines just mentioned with Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso comes the only bledn in our winery, namely the Rȋul. This wine is in fact the child of a double selection involving the marriage of 60% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and for the other 20% Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso. This full-bodied and robust wine will leave all red wine-loving palates speechless thanks to its soft tannic charge and thanks to its broad structure that harmoniously combines notes of cocoa, baked apple and sweet tobacco.

Can't wait to try them all? We'll be waiting for you at the winery to taste them together!

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