Ronchi di Cialla, Rosato RosediCialla 2025

100% Refosco Peduncolo Rosso

Venezia Giulia, Friuli, Italy

Sourced from the Cernetig vineyard in the Cialla Valley. The vineyard is a .70 parcel with south - southeast exposure at 200-230 meters in elevation. Their soil is a mix of marl (clay & lime) with marly limestone. It is a particular type of marl with a high pH. They feel that this especially high pH in the soil adds to the potential for aging in the wine. Maceration on the skins for 18 hours followed by very soft pressing. Fermentation of the free-run must in steel tank at controlled temperature.

Ronchi di Cialla is a historic producer in the Collio Orientali del Friuli, just under three miles as the crow flies from the Slovenian border. Branching off from the rest of the Collio Orientali del Friuli, running into the mountains from southwest to northeast is the small Cialla Valley.  The valley is isolated from the rest of the Collio Orientali del Friuli. Nestled in the mountains the valley is windy and cool with a higher percentage of rainfall than in the rest of Collio Orientali. 
 
When Dina and Paolo founded the estate in 1970, they aimed to focus on native varieties. This was when most producers focused on international varieties such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc, and others. Granted, many of these had been in the area since the time of Napoleon, but the choice to focus on and revive the local varieties was far ahead of its time. The Schioppettino variety had been declared extinct and, because of this, it was no longer able to be legally grown. Dina and Paola, therefore, had to fight to have it reinstated in the record books. In 1976 they were successful and received an award for reintroducing Schioppettino (also called Ribolla Nera) and bringing it back from extinction. 
 
Dina and Paolo’s children Ivan and Pierpaolo grew up at the winery – both in the cellar and the vineyards; throughout their childhood learning from their parents. They each studied entomology in university and continue to do research locally and abroad in the field. Their interest in entomology strengthens and adds extra priority to their quest for as much biodiversity as possible in their vineyards. Their parents had always worked organically though they never sought to obtain certification. Ivan and Pierpaolo have obtained a "Biodiversity Friend" certification, which is an organization that surveys and protects biodiversity.