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Underdog Grape · Italy

Schioppettino

Pronounced skyoh-peh-TEE-noh

If you love the black-pepper snap of Syrah, Schioppettino gives you the same compound with more lift and a fraction of the fame. It came back from about 70 surviving vines.

Tasting profile
Cracked black pepper over raspberry and violet, held up by bright acidity and fine, unshowy tannin.
Where it grows
Friuli, Italy
Explore the Northern Italy field guide
The catch
Production is tiny and US allocations are thin, so you may strike out at a normal wine shop entirely. This is a wine you find on an importer’s recommendation, not a shelf-talker.
Where to buy
For specific bottles and where to buy them, read the deep dive.

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The region

Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

If you like

Syrah

Wines like Schioppettino

Fer ServadouKallmet, Shesh & VloshMencíaPrieto Picudo

Schioppettino: common questions

What wine is Schioppettino similar to?
If you usually drink Syrah, Schioppettino is the underdog swap to try. Other lesser-known grapes in the same style: Fer Servadou, Kallmet, Shesh & Vlosh, Mencía.
Read the deep diveSchioppettino: The Friulian Red That Peppers Like Syrah and Almost Died Trying

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