Vino da Rimessa – Our First Roscioli Exclusive Collaboration

Dedicated to my son...

'"Ogni scarrafone è bello a mamma soia" - A mother of a beetle finds her son beautiful' - Neapolitan proverb, meaning that it does not matter how bad or nasty you are, your mom will love you anyway.

If I've never made wine, it's because I've always thought it would be much easier to drink it, and desperately judge it. Perhaps I've been waiting for an opportunity where I could put my desires to the test without actually risking anything. In short, the ideal situation.

An opportunity like this presented itself a few years ago, walking among the vineyards of Pierpaolo Messina from Marabino in Noto, Sicily. I asked, walking on his hill, "what are those slightly different plants?" He tells me that they are perhaps two hybrid vines of northern Italy, Giacche and Parigina, but he is not 100% sure. "What are you going to do with them?" I asked him. Pierpaolo replied, "I don't know, there are too few plants to do anything, maximum 300-400 bottles per year".

The winemaker collaboration lightbulb turned on

A light turned on and the idea was born - an exclusive wine just for Rimessa Roscioli and Roscioli Wine Club members, that doesn't have to follow the DOC regulations which make these grapes illegal to use. I remove the whim of playing the vigneron and he does all the rest. My idea, I tell him, is simple: let's make a wine together. I'll buy all the production in advance, and whatever happens, happens. The idea of recovering two unknown vines moved me, especially since they would otherwise go extinct, and this is such a well-known territory for special wines. The Giacche, but above all, Parigina hybrids are related to the American vines - a lot of fruit and body, and with little personality, but this land is magical and the end result could be beyond any expectations. If it has ennobled the Nero d'Avola and the Moscato (which he calls Muscatedda), who knows what's possible.

Fast forward three years, I go back to the cellar with Lindsay, and holy moly, I think the wine is a bomb. This was possibly the best Sicilian wine I had ever tasted! Fruit, strawberry, cherries and a Nordic freshness on the finish. A bipartisan wine, able to satisfy the most simple palate and also bribe the most sophisticated palates.

Vino da Rimessa arrives

Two months ago, the first bottles arrived in Rome and, upon opening the cases, I saw my label - Vino da Rimessa and was filled with deep emotion. I finally feel part of a world from which I've always felt detached. There was always a filter, a membrane - one of judgment. But now, I'm part of the game. I opened the wine and immediately felt enveloped by the warmth of the sun, the softness of the fruit. The first taste has the same sweet and lactic taste of the skin of my newborn son. Initially a solar and Mediterranean embrace which gives way to an unprecedented, Nordic, austere freshness. The licorice notes here dance with the gentle softness of a strawberry jam and then raspberries, oranges, pomegranates and all the red and orange fruits you can find. It's a dip in a pool of flavors of the south, in a rustic villa overlooking the sea, on a holiday playing with the great love of my life, my son.

It should also be noted that just because we call this "Vino da Rimessa" or 'Wine of Rimessa", it is far from what one person has asked us which is "is this your house wine?".  In the American sense - absolutely not.  But yes, this wine embodies everything about the truly unique and special nature of Rimessa Roscioli.

Combine it with your best memories - the moments that are only experienced and not described. But above all, allow yourself the pleasure of simple things and leave all those grim and pretentious thoughts out of the glass, that desire to see the result of your aspirations in others, in short, your children for who they are, not for what you would like them to be.

And ps... only you can decide if the proverb holds true, but it's been one of our top 3 selling wines, and we're pretty sure you'll be pretty amazed by it too.

Meet the winemaker, Pierpaolo Messina of Marabino in Noto, Sicily:

Some details on Vino da Rimessa:

Grape: Technically illegal to say (but Giacche and Parigina) 
Region: Noto (SICILIA)
Pairings: All the wild flavors of Sicily, tuna steaks, Caponata Siciliana, spicy meats 
Drink by: Now through 2022 
Notes: Biodynamically farmed, made with unregistered grapes, no added sulphites, minimal intervention.  Also, this is a non-vintage wine, as it comes from 2-3 different years.  Only 900 bottles made per 3 year for us.

Check the availability and place your order here!