Ronchi di Cialla 'Schioppettino' 2017

Close your eyes for a moment. Imagine a hilltop with rows and rows of vines in every direction, and a gently flowing stream below. Then another hill with endless forests of chestnut, oak and wild cherry trees. On that hilltop stands a lonely little house, owner of all the vineyards that the eye can see. Vineyards that have never been touched by herbicides, pesticides or insecticides because of their unique biodiversity and simply the lack of neighbours! Inside we see la mamma cooking in an old-fashioned kitchen that is over 200 years old, while her two sons sit at a long wooden table piled high with bottles and full glasses. These brothers, Ivan & Pierpaolo, are graduates in food science & agriculture. The mother, Dina, joins them and begins to tell her story. Together with her husband, Paolo, she saved the Schioppettino grape from total oblivion in 1970. Schioppettino had been growing here for centuries but the government considered its cultivation illegal as it was legally 'extinct'. They fought this issue, with the help of the Nonino grappa family, and after blood, sweat and tears they finally got what they wanted; recognition for Schioppettino! And that only motivated the Rapuzzi's even more to keep the focus exclusively on the local indigenous grape varieties of Friuli, such as Ribolla Gialla, Picolit, Verduzzo, Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso & Pignolo. And with success. There is no guide, reviewer or website that does not rave about literally every wine in their portfolio, and that is objectivity at its best, to be clear. Welcome to Ronchi di Cialla!