Refosco

Infobox grape variety
name = Refosco
color = Noir


caption =
species = "Vitis vinifera"
also_called =
origin = Italy
hazards =
regions =
notable_wines =

Refosco is an Italian family of dark-skinned grape varieties native to the northern Italian areas of Friuli, Gavi, and Trentino. [cite encyclopedia |editor=Jancis Robinson | encyclopedia=Oxford Companion to Wine |edition= Third Edition |title=Refosco |year=2006 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |isbn=0-19-860990-6 |pages=564 ] Refosco is also grown in Slovenian, and Croatian parts of Istria, under the name of Refošk, or Teran, respectively. The grape is also known as Terlan or Terlano.

The wines this grape yields can be quite powerful and tannic, with a deep violet color and a slight bitterness. On the palate, there is strong currant, wild berry, and plum. The wine can stand some aging, and after a period of four-to-ten years, it achieves a floral quality as well.

In Friuli, there is a sub-variety of Refosco known as Refosco dal Pedunculo Rosso, the Refosco with the red stalk (peduncle), referring to the red stem that holds the grapes to the vine. In the attempt of making the wine more approachable to an international palate, recent versions have taken well to new oak and cold fermentation.

The most well known examples of Refosco come from the Colli Orientali region of Friuli.

Origin

The Refosco family have a very long history, but details of the early history are not clear. DNA analysis of Refosco dal Pedunculo Rosso has revealed Marzemino, another ancient variety of northern Italy, as one of its parents. [cite encyclopedia |editor=Jancis Robinson | encyclopedia=Oxford Companion to Wine |edition= Third Edition |title=Refosco dal Pedunculo Rosso |year=2006 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |isbn=0-19-860990-6 |pages=564-565 ]

Some authorities have previously suggested that Mondeuse Noire, which is primarily found in the Savoy region in eastern France, is identical to Refosco dal Pedunculo Rosso due to the similarity of the wines. DNA analysis has shown that this is not the case, and that the two varieties are unrelated. [cite encyclopedia |editor=Jancis Robinson | encyclopedia=Oxford Companion to Wine |edition= Third Edition |title=Mondeuse |year=2006 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |isbn=0-19-860990-6 |pages=448 ]

References

ee also

* List of grape varieties