In the Eastern Hills of Friuli, lies a place where the heart meets the land, and where a family’s values are most sincerely expressed in the production of excellent wines. Il Roncal Winery is a twenty-hectare estate located on the Montebello Hill, just a few steps away from the Longobard town of Cividale Del Friuli, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It is in this piece of heaven that Martina Moreale brings forward the project of her husband Roberto, founder of the winery in 1986. The production of high-quality wines all starts by respecting the land and the environment, preserving traditions and using modern, non-invasive agricultural practices.
The winery’s name IL RONCAL, derives from the word ‘ronco’, meaning a hill characterized by terraced vineyards that dominate the alluring landscape and refers to the special local territorial conformation. The ronchi around the Montebello Hill benefit from an optimal sun exposure and from a soil, known as ponca, that is rich in microelements, making it an excellent terrain in which to cultivate vines. The Eastern Hills of Friuli provide the tranquility of a lovely and calm environment encircled by magnificent vineyards. This is a tiny parcel of land that allows for the growth of a diverse range of grapes, resulting in wines that are now famous across the world.
The estate, which is found among the gentle Eastern Hills of Friuli, comprises the wine shop, the refinement cellar, the Resort and a remarkable swimming pool whose sight is set among the terraced vineyards of the Colli Orientali del Friuli, winemaking area of Friuli.
Il Roncal DOC Quality Wines and Winemaking
The winery places its main focus on the production of autochthonous wines, as Ribolla Gialla and Friulano for the dry whites and Refosco, Schioppettino or Pignolo for the reds. Pignolo, specifically, is a flagship regional wine, which also goes for the name of the “Barolo of Friuli”.
The product offering ranges from sparkling wines, dry white wines, strong, full-bodied red wines and sweet wines as well as other products as the balsamic dressing, deriving from the grapes’ must, the grappa friulana, the amaro made of wine and fresh herbs.
The winery has additionally two characteristic blends, one white and one red. The first, Ploe di Stelis, meaning ‘rain of stars’ in the local Friulian language is made of Chardonnay, Riesling and Friulano grapes in equal part. The peculiarity of this wine lays in its structure that is attributed to the Chardonnay’s seven-month-long refinement in wooden oak barrels. The second, Civon, is made of autochthonous grapes Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, Schioppettino and Pignolo: the wine’s distinctive character comes from the three years of refinement in wood. It is in the underground cellar of the estate that the refinement in wooden oak barrels takes place. This space is dedicated to the silent aging of the wines that happens under controlled temperatures.
Il Roncal’s winemaking processes are carried out with great care, respecting nature’s rhythms from the very manual works in the vineyards further to the attentive and careful processes engaged in the cellar. Additionally, the harvest takes place by hand and relatively late to collect the grapes at their fullest maturity.
Il Roncal Winery hosts, within its main hall of the wine shop, a Superior Wine Tasting Experience that consists in visiting the underground cellar, entering the vineyard and touching with hand the plants and tasting the winery’s DOC quality wines, each paired with typical local delicacies.
Furthermore, the passion for cultivating the land, the affection for the daily work, the efforts and the reverence for heritage mix with a persistent quest for innovation. Il Roncal’s philosophy is included in this delightful contrast – experimenting with innovations to improve what currently exists while providing the greatest product quality to customers.
