Schioppettino (also called Ribolla Nera) originates in the Friuli region of Italy and Slovenia. We have one of the only plantings in California. An ancient grape, Schioppettino, which means “gunshot,” was first mentioned in print for wedding ceremonies in 1282. It is distantly related to Syrah and Pinot Noir. The grapes were destemmed and crushed, then fermented in tiny stainless-steel tanks. We did a mixture of manual punch-downs and pump-overs. The meager amount of wine fit into only two puncheons. We used the larger format puncheons instead of standard barrels to slow the aging and preserve the aromatics.
