Refosco - A thick plank in Friuli’s red wine platform

The Friuli Venezia Giulia region in Italy’s extreme northeast is often crowned with the laurel of “Italy’s finest white wine region” and it PROBABLY is (though Campania might put up a REAL good fight in the final game), but Friuli possesses just as many unique and noble red varieties, and though it seems perpetually ready to be acknowledged for that fact, thus far, the fanfare has not come. So to push Friuli’s status, let’s have a look at what is probably Friuli’s most important red grape variety, REFOSCO!

The name Refosco, in most cases, is an incomplete one. The name of the grape that is most often used to make the finest “Refosco” wines in Friuli is most completely named “Refosco dal Penduncolo Rosso” which means “Refosco with the red stem”, though it seems quite clear why most winemakers, drinkers, critics, etc. use the shortened version - the name Refosco is trouble enough for some folks…As with so many ancient varieties, there has been a considerable amount of both natural mutation as well as human-induced cross-breeding that has left the contemporary Refosco family with several “siblings”. As implied above, Refosco dal Penduncolo Rosso is considerd to be the most “noble” member of the family, but there are Refosco varieties that have normal, old green stems, as well as a Croatian/Slovenian branch of the family that goes by the name of “Teran” in the former country, and as “Refosk” in the latter. Unfortuantely, in many cases, in both places, red- and non-red-stemmed Refosco vines are planted side by side in the same vineyards. Further, Refosco is cultivated a bit in neighboring Veneto under the name “Terrano”, as well as a step further south in the Romagna region under the name “Cagnina”. And perhaps not unexpectedly the noble red stem variety and the lesser clones and cousins are found cheek by jowl in both of these locations as well. And just in case you’re not yet completely confused, the even rarer “Mondeuse” variety from the Jura region in France has been proven to be none other than Refosco, though precisely how and when it got to the Jura is lost to history.

Refosco dal Penduncolo Rosso seems to have, judging by references made to what is almost surely the same variety, a very long history in Friuli. The earliest references to the variety were made by the Roman historian Pliny the Elder in which he refers to a black-skinned grape with a red stem that produces good wine and which was the favorite wine grape of Livia, Augustus Caesar’s second wife. Later, in an early renaissance work entitled The Annals of Friuli published in 1390 by one Francesco di Manzano, the author also makes reference to a variety that is almost surely RdPR.

The latest genetic data on Refosco has shown that it is the parent of another northeastern vine variety called Marzemino. And while it is said that the apple never falls far from the tree (or the grape from the vine), the two varieties are not exactly identical, or even fraternal twins. RdPR ripens very late making it quite prone to early-onset cold weather in the autumn. On the upside however, the vine is highly resistant to rot and molds that rainy autumns can bring. Refosco is also quite adaptable in terms of preferred terrain, it being equally comfortable in both hilly and flat vineyard sites.

RdPR produces wines that are decidedly more acidic than tannic, and because of its natural paucity of tannins, many producers have experimented with aging Refosco in small, new oak barrels though unlike another northern Italian acidic variety Barbera, Refosco seems not to be able to carry the oaking as well as Barbera does, so many winemakers have abandoned its use. RdPR’s color leans toward an almost purple-black garnet. It is a medium to full-bodied wine that most often shows aromas and flavors of dark fruits like blackberry, black cherry, plum, and spices.

Due to Refosco’s high acidity levels, it is very much a “food wine” (hell, almost every Italian wine is a “food wine”) and pairs very well with all types of rich foods, but it makes an especially felicitous match with grilled pork sausages, dishes that prominently feature mushrooms, especially the more “exotic” varieties, polenta al ragu`, and poultry stewed in dark, rich sauces.

As always, if ayone picks up any of the wines on offer below, please post your tasting notes here as comments.

TOM CIOCCO

REFOSCO - GO! GO! GO!

MONDEUSE - Mon Dieu!