The Schioppettino grape variety is an ancient indigenous variety from Friuli-Venezia Giulia, with origins dating back to the Middle Ages. It was first mentioned in 1282. The name Schioppettino comes from its old Friulian name, “Scopp”, which refers either to the crunchiness of its berries or to the fact that its high acidity used to trigger malolactic fermentation in the bottle, causing the cork to pop. Schioppettino, also known as Ribolla Nera, is today the most famous black-skinned indigenous grape variety from Friuli alongside Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso. Despite its long history, by the early 1970s, the grape variety was nearly extinct due to diseases such as powdery mildew and phylloxera. Many growers replaced indigenous varieties with international ones, and Schioppettino was not even included in the list of permitted varieties for cultivation.

The historical cultivation area for Schioppettino is Prepotto, in the province of Udine, although the grape can be found more sporadically throughout the Friulian hills and even in a part of what was once Italian territory but is now Slovenia. In 2008, Schioppettino received recognition for its own cru, the Sottozona Schioppettino di Prepotto within the Friuli Colli Orientali DOC.

Schioppettino grapes have large, cylindrical, elongated clusters, which can be simple or winged, moderately compact, with medium-sized, fleshy berries. The skins are highly pruinose and dark violet in color. Wines made from Schioppettino have a very interesting and varied aromatic profile, with finely spiced notes. The younger versions are fresh wines with fragrant aromas of wild berries. They are dark-colored, moderately alcoholic, and feature good body, moderate acidity, and a light tannin structure. These wines pair well with moderately spiced meat dishes, vegetables, soups, and cheese-based dishes, such as the traditional frico.