Grape Glossary

Gives a deeply-colored, medium- to full-bodied wine with plum, dark fruit and spicy characters, and firm tannins.

Named for its red stem, Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso is one of several red grapes that makes robust wine in northeast Italy’s region of Friuli. Grown in the hillside valley floor vineyards of Friuli, the grape is known as a very late ripener. With relatively high acidity that can be difficult to attenuate, Refosco has the advantage of good resistance to autumn rains and rot.

Has a long history in Friuli and was praised by Pliny the Elder, producing the favorite wine of Livia, the second wife of Augustus Caesar, as cited in the Annals of Friuli of Francesco di Manzano in 1390. DNA profiling at San Michele All’adige recently revealed a genetic connection to Marzemino, another ancient variety from northern Italy.