Italian Wine Tasting Featuring Schiopetto Wines with Special Guest Owner Dr Alessandro Rotolo

"The cheapness of wine seems to be a cause, not of drunkenness, but of sobriety.  ...People are seldom guilty of excess in what is their daily fare...On the contrary, in the countries which, either from excessive heat or cold, produce no grapes, and where wine consequently is dear and a rarity, drunkenness is a common vice."

--Adam Smith, "The Wealth of Nations"

That means if you drink 2 bottles of wine a day your not a drunk but rather a connoisseur of wine.  Hey, I don’t drink two bottles of the same wine we are doing scientific work with wine here at Wine Watch and we usually put 8-10 different wines on the table here for one of our wine events.  There are so many wines and every year is a new vintage, there is no way to become a “winentist” unless you stay up on your drinking studies.

We probably do not focus on white wines enough here at Wine Watch as ¾ of the selections in the store are red so when I heard that one of the top producers from Fruili was in town I jumped at the chance to break bread with the owner of the legendary Schipoetto winery. 

Mario Schiopetto, son of Angela and Giorgio, was born in 1930 and grew up in the Fireman’s Hostelry which belonged to the family, experiencing in first person the life of a fireman and then that of a lorry driver. For years he accompanied and helped his father to select the wines for the Hostelry, eventually running it himself after the demise of his parents.

Guided only by his personal taste and his love for wine, in 1963 Mario started to dedicate his time to the production and in 1965 brought out his first “Tocai”. Thus giving birth to the era of modern white wine in Friuli and transforming the conception of Italian white wine.

Since April 2014 the company has been owned by the Rotolo family and Emilio with his son Alessandro, in a mere perspective of continuity, carry on intact the mission and production philosophy created by Mario.

Join us as we welcome the owner of Schiopetto Winery Dr. Alessandro Rotolo to South Florida for a special tasting of wines from this historic winery from Fruili.  The fee for this tasting which includes dinner is $150 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.

ITALIAN WINE TASTING FEATURING SCHIOPETTO WINES
WITH SPECIAL GUEST OWNER DR ALESSANDRO ROTOLO
Thursday, November 2, 2023
7:30 PM

2020 SCHIOPETTO RIBOLLA GIALLA Fruili
Price: $26.00     Your Price: $22.88         
Traditional wine gives its best on poor soils based on marl, which has always been cultivated in our territories.
In the sub-zone of Capriva it originally took the name of Ribolla di Capriva.
Last white grape to be harvested, towards the end of September, it is harvested and vinified at low temperatures to preserve its delicate aromas.

2021 Schiopetto Classic Friulano DOC Collio
Price: $33.00                   Your Price: $29.04         
Traditional wine with a strong typicality and personality, obtained exclusively from Friulano grapes, the historic vine of the Collio Goriziano planted in a ventilated hilly area and in mainly marl soils of Eocene origin. The harvest of these grapes is followed by soft pressing which is accompanied by a short period of settling in the total absence of sulfur dioxide. The start of fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks with addition of pied de cuve at a controlled temperature. The refinement takes place on the lees for 8 months.


2021 Schiopetto Classic Sauvignon Fruili
Price: $33.00               Your Price: $29.04
The wine is obtained exclusively from Sauvignon grapes, a varietal of great importance, cultivated in the areas of Sauternes and Bordeaux, from where the grapes have been imported to Friuli where they have found ideal conditions in both soil and climate. Cultivated in the hill areas, this varietal prefers fresh clay soil, it produces small bunches with grapes of medium size. The grapes are hand picked, pressed in a soft press after which there follows a brief period of decantation in total absence of sulphur dioxide. The fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks under a controlled temperature. The ageing takes place on the lees for 8 months.

2021 Schiopetto Classic Pinot Grigio Fruili
Price: $33.00               Your Price: $29.04
This wine obtained from Pinot Grigio grapes, a vine of French origin grown on hills, in medium marly soils. It produces small bunches with round red-grey berries and, like Pinot Blanc, derives from the bud mutation of Pinot Noir. The harvest is accompanied by soft pressing followed by a short period of decantation in the total absence of sulfur dioxide. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks with addition of pied de cuve at a controlled temperature, while aging takes place on the lees for 8 months.

2021 Schiopetto Classic Pinot Bianco Fruili
Price: $33.00                   Your Price: $29.04
Wine obtained from Pinot Bianco grapes, a highly prized vine particularly suited to the hilly area, it has perfectly adapted to Friuli, and in particular to the Collio area. The Pinot Bianco was planted in a ventilated area and in mainly marly soil, it produces small and compact bunches, the berries are round and golden yellow in colour. The harvest of these grapes is accompanied by soft pressing followed by a short period of settling in the total absence of sulfur dioxide. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks with addition of pied de cuve at a controlled temperature, while the subsequent refinement takes place on the lees for 8 months.

2021 Schiopetto Mario “M” Bianco DOC Collio
Price: $97.50                   Your Price: $85.80
Aroma: notes of kiwi and apple, almond paste and citrus aromas. It is mineral-driven and focused, highlighting the beauty of the Collio region. The first note of Ponca leads into ripe apples and white flowers.  The palate has a creaminess that is balanced with bright acidity. 

2020 Schiopetto Amrita Bianco DOC Friuli
Price: $97.50                   Your Price: $85.80
The wine is the flagship of the winery and is a blend of Chardonnay and Friulano grapes, with an alcohol content of 13%.   The grapes are carefully selected by hand and aged for 9 months in steel and wood, ending with 6 months of rest in bottle.
A perfect synthesis between the expressiveness of Chardonnay and the aromatic complexity of Friulian.  “It’s a densely layered white with sliced apple, pear and crushed stone that follow through to a full body, yet it’s linear and fresh at the end. Very flinty and steely. Wonderful finish. “

2018 Schiopetto Rivarossa Rosso, Venezia Giulia
Price: $33.00                   Your Price: $29.04
Historical company assembly made up of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, Rivarossa is inspired by the name of a cadastral particle of the company property. The characteristics of the loamy-clayey soil are suitable for the cultivation of the two red grape varieties. The harvest of the grapes is particular: they are de-stemmed and fermented separately. The maceration period and the vinification technique are decided according to the different phenolic conditions of the grapes themselves. Malolactic fermentation follows and aging in oak barrels for 14 months.

2018 Schiopetto Blumeri Rosso, Venezia Giulia
Price: $45.00                   Your Price: $39.60
The Blumeri Rosso is a blend of Merlot 50% and Refosco 50%.  On the nose: Intense and quite complex, opens with a nice elegant and fruity bouquet, the first impact currant and morello cherry, then emerge balsamic and tobacco.
Tasting: A fresh and intense wine with fine and elegant tannins, intriguing minerality and velvety on the palate with flavors of chocolate, light coffee, currants and berries. Iodine too

Menu
Selection of Cheese and Charcuterie
Jota
Foie Gras Torchon with Grape Jelly and Brioche Toast
Capesante gratinate
Presnitz

The fee for this tasting which includes dinner is $150 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.  Please let us know when you make your reservations if you have any allergies of aversions and chefs Toni and Dani will be happy to accommodate you.

A bit about Schiopetto Winery:

Mario soon became part of a group of producers who worked from the end of the 1960s and through the 1970s to improve and modernize the methods of Italian wine production.
Mario travelled across Europe and USA with Luigi Veronelli to discover other wines and wine makers; with Luigi Soini he had many adventures and engaged in important discussions, he maintained a long collaboration with Professor Spath in Germany seeking new methods of production and vinification.
In the 1980s Mario is one of the elite of Italian wine makers and he becomes teacher and adviser for many young wine makers, opening the doors of his cellars to them.

From the left

Bruno Ceretto (Ceretto Vini)
Piero Antinori (Antinori)
Giacomo Bologna (Braida)
Maurizio Zanella (Ca’ del Bosco)
Mario Schiopetto
Biondi Santi Franco (Biondi Santi)
Marcello Ceretto (Ceretto Vini)
Biondi Santi Jacopo (Biondi Santi)
Niccolò Incisa della Rocchetta (Sassicaia)
Angelo Gaja (Gaja)

Mario was a great winemaker, dedicated to the work in the vineyard and the cellar, motivated by his passion for the plants and the wine.
The vineyards were where Mario could use his skill and expertise for things made with great care, aiming always for quality; from the first vineyard planted with high density, to the creation of “mixed” vineyards, planting different varietals together in order to give birth to the blend right from the start in the vineyard.
Even in the moment that he realized that the bunches of grapes needed to be picked at perfect maturation, he didn’t hesitate to anticipate the grape harvest, defying tradition.

Mario always travelled, even before he started to work in wine, as a lorry driver. Just like his father he travelled across Europe looking for new ideas in order to improve both his work and himself. He collaborated for a long period with Muller Spath, at the time director of a large industry specializing in machinery for vinification and also manager of an experimental wine cellar in Bad Kreuznach.
In Germany Mario bought pine poles for the vineyard and he discovered the use of technology during the vinification process. In France he bought young new plants and he gathered ideas and suggestions as how to make his wines even more elegant.
Thus the “Schiopetto Style” was born.

Mario was an innovator, desiring to experiment and to improve himself,
his wine and his business.
The merit goes to Mario for the creation of the first Tocai and of the modern white wine from Friuli, but also for the introduction of new technology and revolutionary innovations fundamental to the work in the fields and the cellars, and nowadays peremptory for the production of high quality wines. Furthermore, Mario demonstrated that he was also an innovator in the field of promotion, distribution and commercialization of his wines working from the beginning of the 1960s on demand and personally contacting potential buyers.

“A brilliant producer, Schiopetto is the reference point for just how flavorful, perfumed, and compelling dry whites from Friuli can be. Mario Schiopetto continues to satiate the olfactory senses and palate with his extraordinary offerings. While not cheap, they are the most compelling tank­fermented and aged dry whites made in north­eastern Italy. Possessing abundant flavors that build incrementally in the mouth, they are dazzling wines that I can’t recommend highly enough.” Robert Parker