Schiopetto

Mario Schiopetto founded the estate in 1965, renting vineyards from the Archbishop's Curia in Capriva del Friuli, in the province of Gorizia. That same year he produced the first pure single-variety Tocai, now known as Friulano, in Friuli, a watershed moment that launched the modern white wine era in northeast Italy. At a time when virtually all local producers sold their wine in bulk to cooperatives, Schiopetto bottled and sold his wines directly, setting a new standard for the region. Mario died in 2003, and the estate was acquired by the Rotolo family in 2014, who continue his winemaking philosophy.

• Founded 1965 on vineyards leased from the Archbishop's Curia in Capriva del Friuli
• Mario Schiopetto was the first significant Friulian producer to bottle his own wines
• Estate transitioned to Rotolo family ownership in 2014
• Underground cellar designed by Mario Schiopetto was completed in 1992

Mario Schiopetto introduced a suite of techniques that transformed white winemaking across Friuli and ultimately across Italy. He was among the first in the region to use stainless steel fermentation tanks for white wines, preserving freshness and aromatic precision. He introduced French oak barrels for red wine aging, imported French vine clones, adopted high-density planting, and practiced separate vinification of individual parcels. Each vineyard block is still fermented with yeasts specific to that block, a practice that amplifies site expression in the finished wines.

• Introduced stainless steel fermentation tanks for white wines to Friuli
• Brought French oak barrel aging and French vine clones to the region
• Pioneered high-density planting and parcel-by-parcel vinification
• Individual block fermentation uses yeasts native to each specific vineyard parcel

The estate covers 30 hectares divided across four designated crus: Capriva, Zegla, Pradis, and Oleis, all situated within the Collio Goriziano appellation in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Soils are predominantly clay and limestone, locally called Ponca or marna, a layered marl-and-sandstone formation characteristic of Collio that drains well and imparts a saline mineral quality to the wines. The climate is temperate continental with moderate influences, providing sufficient warmth to ripen grapes fully while cooler nights preserve acidity and aromatic complexity.

• Four crus: Capriva, Zegla, Pradis, and Oleis in Collio Goriziano
• Ponca (marna) soils of clay and limestone typify the Collio appellation
• Temperate continental climate with moderate diurnal variation
• Located in Capriva del Friuli, province of Gorizia

Approximately 90% of Schiopetto's production is white wine, reflecting the estate's identity as a champion of Friulian white varieties. The portfolio covers Friulano, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco, Malvasia, Sauvignon Blanc, Ribolla Gialla, and Chardonnay. Red wines are produced from Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso. The house style emphasizes elegance, precision, and clean varietal expression rather than weight or extraction, with single-variety wines forming the core of the range.

• Friulano is the flagship variety, historically the first produced as a single-varietal wine here
• White varieties include Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco, Malvasia, Sauvignon Blanc, Ribolla Gialla, and Chardonnay
• Red production uses Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso
• Clean, elegant varietal expression is the defining stylistic principle across the range