RONCHI DI CIALLA

Ronchi di Cialla winery was founded in 1970 by Paolo and Dina Rapuzzi with the desire to recover and safeguard the native Friulian vines. Cialla is a small valley among chestnut, oak and wild cherry woods located in the DOC Colli Orientali del Friuli area, between the Adriatic and the Julian Alps and officially recognized by Ministerial decree as CRU CIALLA for the cultivation of native Friulian vines only: Verduzzo , Picolit, Ribolla Gialla, Refosco dal Peduncolo rosso, Schioppettino. This valley enjoys a very particular microclimate so as to favor the growth of the olive tree; here the terraces are steep and the exposure is optimal for viticulture too, since cool nights follow hot and breezy days. Pruning is carried out scrupulously, with fungicide treatments reduced to a minimum and with non-polluting products; the yields are limited as imposed by the disciplinary of the Cialla cru and the harvest takes place only at the optimal times and with extreme care, in order to obtain bunches of the highest quality; the vinification is carried out in the most natural way possible, avoiding "forcing" in the various phases of the process and favoring the uniqueness of the cru. All these attentions and the love of the Rapuzzi family for this territory meant that the Schioppettino was recovered, since in the mid-19th century a parasite named filossera almost destroyed it; the winemakers were unable to preserve some specimens and it came to hypothesize its replacement with French vines. The Schioppettino was therefore declared extinct but in 1970 the Rapuzzi family managed to recover 60 surviving vines of this vine and within 2 years managed to create a first plant. Today the Ronchi di Cialla winery is run by the sons Pierpaolo and Ivan, a sign of the family management of this Friulian company.