Fantinel Appassimento Style

The feature presented Appassimento as an ancient northeastern Italian grape-drying practice reinterpreted with a contemporary Friulian identity. Harvested grapes were traditionally placed on racks and dried by air, sun and wind; over time, the method became associated in Friuli Venezia Giulia particularly with Picolit and Verduzzo Dolce.

La Roncaia had used Appassimento in the Colli Orientali del Friuli since the late 1990s. The area’s pronounced temperature variations and high humidity were identified as important influences on grape maturation and on the region’s drying tradition.

Enological knowledge, technical experience and experimentation—supported by Hungarian winemaker Tibor Gal until his death in 2005—enabled the team to apply Appassimento successfully to La Roncaia’s red wines, especially its flagship Refosco. The added structure and personality obtained through the method became the basis for a wider Fantinel strategy extending Appassimento to other estates and viticultural zones.