Had this at Pizzeria DiAvalo the other Saturday:
- Vignai da Duline Schioppettino IGT: VeneziaGiulia (13.0%; LSC11) A.I.Selections 2011: Very dark color; strong cherry/plummy/black cherry cola light earthy quite attractive/fragrant nose; lightly tart/tangy strong black cherry/plummy/black cherry cola/spicy light mineral/earthy/pungent flavor w/ light/wirey tannins; med.long lightly tart/tangy strong spicy/black cherry/cola/cherry/plummy/bit blackberry slight stony/earthy finish w/ modest/tight/angular tannins; needs several yrs; lovely example of Friuli Schioppettino. $78.00 (Diavola)
And a wee BloodyPulpit:
- Schioppettino: Sometimes known as RibollaNera. An indigeneous variety from the Prepotto/Slovene border area of Friuli. The name comes from “pop” or “gunshot”, which refers to the prickly sensation on the tip of the tongue from it’s high acidity.
Both Refosco (dal PeduncolaRosso) and Schioppettino are two of my favorite Friulian reds. I find Refosco has deeper/bass notes and Schioppettino has more high-toned/bright notes almost like Zinfandel. Both grapes should be planted all up & down the coast in Calif. JohnHoldredge has the only Schioppettino in Calif and it’s a good one.
- Pizzeria Diavola: One of my all time favorites restaurants in Calif. Pizza as good as it ever gets. They do an amazing job w/ pig parts. Always crowded & bustling. Their salamis are to die for. Their wine lady, Sarah, really knows her stuff and as assembled an amazing wine list, mostly Italian & Calif. Worth the trip up to Geyserville to eat.
- A.I.Selections: A new importer to me. Started in 2007 by David Weitzenhoffer and LauraSupper. WebSite:www.aiselections.com
They have a very/very interesting selection of producers, mostly from Italy but strong representations in Spain/France/NewZealand and Calif, including my favorite, DanPetroski’s Massican.
Tom