Refosco…….. a suggestive wine
I’d like to talk about a fascinating grape variety with an evocative name: Refosco dal peduncolo rosso, a native grape and a true winemaking treasure waiting to be shared. I discovered this wine 30-35 years ago, when a friend who worked in Milan told me about an old trattoria where the house wine was Refosco. He let me taste it, and from there I began to love this wonderful wine. The owner of this trattoria, called “Albero Fiorito” (which has now closed its doors for decades), sold this wine in demijohns, and from that moment I began to purchase this wonderful nectar.
A more popular theory is that Refosco dal peduncolo rosso is a native red grape variety of Friuli, the ancestor of other important varietals such as Marzemino, but also of Refosk Istarski, or Terrano. Scholars consider it a native grape variety of Friuli Venezia Giulia and connect it to the wine “Picinum,” cited and praised as early as the 1st century AD by Pliny the Elder, emphasizing its Friulian origins.
According to some scholars, Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso is the greatest representative, certainly the most prestigious, of the great family of “Refoschi”, Refosco from the dialect expression “ràp fosc”, meaning “dark bunch”, a group of black grape varieties widespread in Friuli Venezia Giulia.
It’s called Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso (Red-Peduncle Refosco) because the peduncle is the terminal part of the stem that connects the bunch to the rest of the vine. In the case of Refosco, the peduncle is a reddish-purple color, and so, to distinguish the grape variety from its cousins like local Refosco (or Cagnina) and Refosk, “Refosco d’Istria,” and “Refosco Gentile,” it was decided to call it Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso (Red-Peduncle Refosco).
Refosco is a challenging grape; the key is ageing in wood, whether for a longer or shorter period. What is originally a rough-edged wine reveals, with age and after a period in wood, aromas of berries, black fruit jam, and tertiary notes (derived from the wood in the barrel) of black pepper and tobacco. On the palate, it is a structured wine, with a medium-high alcohol content and good persistence; the tannins, though softened by aging, are still noticeable.
In short, with the passage of time, Refosco transforms from an (overly) acidic and rebellious wine to a fine red wine.
Terroir is a very important parameter for wine, so depending on the production area we will have a Refosco with different nuances, the most important ones remaining in Friuli are:
1. Refosco di Cormons: The Cormons area is famous for producing quality Refosco. The calcareous and clayey soil gives the wines good acidity and a beautiful richness of aromas.
2. Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso di Ronchi di Cialla: The Cialla area, located in the municipality of Prepotto (an area renowned for Schioppettino), produces excellent Refosco wines. The marly and clayey soil gives the wines great aromatic complexity, with notes of black fruit, spices, and a good tannin content.
3. Refosco del Carso: The Carso, an area between Italy and Slovenia, is characterized by calcareous and clayey soils and a breezy climate. Wines produced in this area can offer an earthier aromatic profile, with good acidity and a distinctive minerality. This terroir in particular has earned the “Refosco dal Peduncolo rosso DOC” Appelation.
An important note in Slovenia is that you can find the “Refosco dal peduncolo verde”.