THE NATIVE GRAPES
You cannot be serious…33 PIGNOLO ?
Yes, dear people.
Infact we are ‘quite’ serious….serious in a thick-skinned, small spherical black-berried, kinda way.
Who knew there were even 33 ?
Okay…3, 6, 9, 12, maybe 15….but never 33 !
Surely not !
Yet, that’s exactly what we uncovered.
Surfing the sun-blessed terraced hills of eastern Friuli Venezia Giulia, we found ’em. One by one. And now we’re bringing them all together for what the wine bible will remember as the single largest PIGNOLO Flight in the history of Planet Earth….Ever….[ehem, so far] :)
#EPIC PROPORTIONS…. #33 different PIGNOLO created by #33 different winemakers, to be tasted ‘BLIND’ on #3 consecutive nights. Spanning 8 different vintages from 2012 – 2004, all will take place under the roof of one of Italy’s, indeed the worlds, great design houses, MOROSO. A creative nest in which structure and style flourish, where better for the growing brood of PIGNOLO to fledge.
Such a GATHERING is a rather unique achievement if we consider it was only in 1978/79 that the last 2 remaining Pignolo vines were discovered and saved from the garden of Rosazzo Abbey by esteemed Italian winemaker & author, Walter Filiputti. And from these 2 plants, 38 years later, the region is now looking ‘at least’ 33 different winery’s with PIGNOLO in active (even if limited) production.
Indeed as we go to print we believe another 3 could well be added. That’s some achievement. Curiously quite a significant number of these 33 were themselves totally unaware of many of the other 32. But in a way, this shouldn’t be so surprising. Many of the vineyards assume garden-sized proportions. Invisible to the unknowing passer-by. Yet, each carefully tended ‘mezzo ettaro’ is regarded as an honoured and proud protector of this rare treasure.
We’ve spoken about it before.
Some of you will already be aware of our thoughts on the evolutionary potential of PIGNOLO wines. If not, you can check it out here.
Naturally we accept talk is ‘relatively’ cheap…. Unless that is you’re willing to turn an easily voiced ‘MAYBE’ into an enscribed ‘MUST’ :)
No more “MAYBE” baby, now we “MUST”.
In a ‘first’ for THENATIVEGRAPES.COM, we’re checking in for this long-haul adventure with no baggage, except our enthusiastic hunch that this native bunch really has something special to offer.
They say ‘3 is a MAGIC number’. We reckon that must make ’33 a tripley MAGIC number’.
‘PIGNOLO 3D’ @MOROSO….Doors closed and cross-checked. Niù crew, seats for take-off please…12 | 13 | 14 September 2016
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