Crackle, crunch, boom— are the sounds invoked by the name given to a rare, nearly lost red grape from the Friulian hills in far northeastern Italy. Meet Schioppettino [ski’OH–pet–TEE–noh], the elegant, perfumed, floral yet pepper-savory red wine with character, brought back from the brink of extinction just forty years ago. The name comes from ‘Scoppiettare’, a verb in local dialect meaning to crackle or burst. When a wine grape takes on an onomatopoeic name with such “explosive” significance, we expect big things.
Our new-found love of this re-discovered grape is surrounded by excitement and a bit in intrigue. The story of Schioppettino is one of tradition, guts, and a bit of drama that follows the heights, then decline of this “outlaw” grape in a small Italian village. Its lively re-emergence on curated wine lists and in-the-know wine shops today, even in the US, is thanks to the passion of its loyal locals.
In this article I wrote for VeroVino, in addition to sharing the story of the grape, the region and this flavorful wine, I introduce you to one of the most principle of the ‘loyal locals’ responsible for its re-emergence. You’ll meet Hilde Petrussa of Vigna Petrussa winery in Prepotto, Italy. Thanks to her efforts, Prepotto is a premiere ‘cru’ region for Schioppettino within Friuli Colli Orientalli DOC.
To meet Hilde, Schioppettino, the land of Prepotto in Friuli, and her beautiful wines, click the below link.
My friends at VeroVino – Always foraging natural wines and foods from undiscovered small producers around the world
Have you tried a Schioppettino? Let us know how you liked it in Comments below. Which are your favorites? We’d love to hear!
~ Mary Beth
Crushing on.....
silky pasta -- strong coffee and bright wines -- a world map -- and a good dance beat 
0 Comments