Lambrusco a Foglia Frastagliata, I Dolomitici 'Ciso'

This wine comes from a very interesting group of producers in the Trentino region who call themselves “i Dolomitici” [loosely translated to 'people of the Dolomites']. There are 11 producers in this group, all with their own vineyards and wineries. The Ciso wine is the only project they farm and vinify together, but it say the most about who they are and the work they do.

The Dolimitici favor a more natural approach to winemaking, focusing on authenticity and a sense of place in the wines and respectful, conscious, healthy methods of farming. Ciso is a wine born of this vision. Its name comes from the name of the farmer who granted them these vines, Narisco, who went by the nickname 'Ciso'. His wise, age-old farming practices ensured a healthy vineyard, co-planted with biodiversity and soil-health in mind.  The vineyard is ungrafted, and over 100 years old- a testament to his mastery of farming the land.

The Ciso vineyard is in the southern-most part of Trentino inside the town of Avio. It contains 727 vines of Lambrusco a Foglia Frastagliata [Ciso 'chee-soh'  Lambrusco 'lam-broo-skoh' a Foglia 'ah foh-lyah' Frastagliata 'frah-stahl-yah-tah'], which is a very old local grape that they use to produce an expressive, deep purple, dry still red wine. This variety is probably related to Lambrusco, perhaps most closely to the Lancellota clone, but it is a completely separate, unique variety.