Schiopetto
Mario Schiopetto
BACKGROUND
Mario Schiopetto is the visionary who is not only responsible for the creation of the Schiopetto winery but also for bringing many modern white winemaking techniques to Fruili.
Mario, born in 1930, grew up in the Firemen’s Hostelry which belonged to his parents. He would select wines for the Hostelry with his father and eventually on his own. He was first a fireman and then a lorry driver which resulted in his travels across Europe. He began to make his own wine in 1963 and produced his first Tocai in 1965. He transformed the old, unkempt vineyards around the Archbishop’s Palace at Capriva which he rented from the church. In 1989, after fully renovating the vineyards, he was able to purchase the land.
In Search of French elegance and German technology
Mario was a pioneer who collaborated with experts in Germany and France to improve his winemaking techniques through machinery for vinification, experimental wine cellars, poles for for the vineyard, and technology for the vinification process. He used these learnings and technology to produce elegant wines that became known as the “Schiopetto Style”. 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 became part of a group of producers who travelled across Europe and the USA seeking to explore methods for improving and modernizing winemaking. Later in life, he became a teacher and advisor for young winemakers, sharing his learnings and innovations.
Since 2014, the winery has been owned by the Rotolo family who intend to maintain intact Mario’s mission and philosophy. The goal of the business is to remain in harmony with nature demonstrated in the dedication to total sustainability. Starting from planting and maintaining forests positively balancing the inevitable production of CO2, to the careful use of products with low environmental impact and finishing with highly technical boilers which autonomously provide the necessary central heating by using wood and clippings from the vineyard.
Alessandro Rotolo
The WIne
Schiopetto produces two lines of wines: Mario Schiopetto Line and Pompiere Line
The winery consists of three vineyards in the Collio Goriziano region focused on white grapes: Capriva, Zegla, and Pradis. The Oleis vineyard lies in Fruili Colli Orientali del Friuli region and produces mostly grapes for red wine.