Ronchi di Cialla, Colli Orientali del Friuli Schioppettino 2012

Any schioppettino you come across - from Italy to California - can be traced back to Dina and Paolo Rapuzzi. In a windy part of Friuli, a few miles from the Slovenian border, they brought the grape back from extinction in the 1970s. The peppery, savory red variety became the backbone of their winery. Their children, Ivan and Pierpaolo, continue to produce it in a firm, high-acid style that requires significant age to soften and unwind in the bottle.