Variety: Schioppettino
Location: Napa Valley, CA
Alcohol: 11%

This ancient and very rare variety is originally from Friuli. This wine has a fascinating flavors of white and black pepper, cedar, flowers, and raspberry. It is incredibly fresh tasting, with a stony minerality underlying the cooling flavors. It has naturally low alcohol and a very refreshing and clean finish. Tons and tons of flavor, yet feather light on the palate.

The grapes were destemmed and crushed, then fermented in very small stainless-steel tanks. The winery did a mixture of manual punch downs and pump-overs. Aged in neutral burgundy barrels for 10 months.

Schioppettino (also called Ribolla Nera) originates in the Friuli region of Italy and Slovenia. Matthiasson has one of the few plantings in California. The Schioppettino represents two rows of Matthiasson’s home vineyard in the Western Oak Knoll area of Napa Valley. The vines were planted in 1996. The mature vines were grafted over to Schioppettino in 2010. CCOF certified organic, with fruit trees at the end of the rows and flowering bushes throughout.