The name of the winery itself is closely tied to the region: “ronco” is the word in Friulian dialect to describe a “hillside, terraced vineyard,” while “tassi” refers to the badgers who often pay visit to the vineyards during to enjoy the harvest’s juiciest grapes.
Sons Matteo and Enrico have joined the family business and the estate has grown to over 30 hectares (75 acres), 18 (45 acres) of which are planted to vines. The remainder of the land has been left as woodland, considered essential to maintaining the delicate balance between cultivation and forest, allowing sustainable agricultural practices to be implemented most effectively. The estate is ideally positioned at the boundary of the Plessiva Natural Park, an oasis protected by the Friuli region, and as such provides a safe haven and ideal habitat for local flora and fauna in which to flourish. The family firmly believes in the value of protecting this little corner of paradise, acting as a guarantee to ensure the future of this splendid territory and its wines.
The estate vines are planted on hillsides at altitudes ranging from 400-600 feet a.s.l., using the laborious terracing method (ronchi) to expose plants and grapes to the maximum amount of sunlight and ensure optimal drainage. A notable difference in day and nighttime temperatures generates complexity and depth of aromas in the wines while the soil, composed of layers of marl and sandstone (locally known as ponca), imparts salinity and a mineral edge.
Ronco dei Tassi’s vineyard philosophy is simple and straightforward: pay the utmost attention to how the land is cultivated and how the vineyards are managed. This entails carrying out rigorous and frequent inspections, qualitative (visual) as well as quantitative (analytical). Such attention and rigor ensures that only the best and healthiest fruit is used to produce the simplest and most authentic wines possible, wines that fully express the character of the different varieties, indigenous and international, and the Friuli territory.