Schiopetto

Friuli, Italy

Mario Schiopetto, son of Angela and Giorgio, was born in 1930 and grew up in a 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 his father to select wines for the Hostelry, eventually running it himself after the passing of his parents. Guided only by his personal taste and his love for wine, in 1963 Mario started to dedicate his time to production, and in 1965 brought out his first “Toacai” (Friulano). Thus giving birth to the era of modern white wine in Friuli and transforming the misconceptions of Italian white wine. 

In 1970 Mario leased plot of land from the church around the Archbishop’s Palace at Capriva, Northeast of Venice on the Slovenian border. From here he completely renovated the vineyards, transforming old unkempt terrain in to impeccable grape growing land, and eventually taking ownership of the plot in 1989. Early on he appreciated the great potential of the terroir of “Ponca”, a typical Friuli terrain composed mainly of clay and limestone, a soil type now known worldwide for producing bold, expressive, mineral-rich white wines. He also pioneered “mixed” vineyards, planting different varietals together in order to give birth to a blend right from the start.

Mario was an innovator, desiring to experiment and to improve himself, his wine and his business. The credit goes to him for the creation of the first “Tocai” (Friulano) and of the modern white wine from Friuli, but also for the introduction of new technology and vineyard management processes now peremptory for the production of high quality wines. Convinced of the uniqueness of his wines, Mario decided that they should be put in a bottle unlike no other; thus, the Renana Schiopetto was born!

Mario’s pursuit of excellence and forward-thinking spirit are still the fulcrum of the business today. Dedicated to a project of total sustainability, Schiopetto plants and maintains forests to positively balance the inevitable production (emission) of CO2, carefully uses products with a low impact on the environment and finishes with highly technical boilers which autonomously provide the necessary central heating by using wood and clippings from the vineyards.

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“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 tank-­fermented 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