Refosco or Refoshk is a very old family of dark-skinned grape varieties that has been preserved since ancient times. Refosco grows in the Venetian zone and the neighboring areas of Friuli, Gavi, Trentino, Istria and on the Karst plateau. In these regions, it is a specially protected ancient autochthonous variety. It is believed that one of the reasons why the Habsburgs built the Parenzana railway from Trieste to Poreč was because they liked the wines of this region (Refosco, Malvasia and Teran). That is why the railroad was often called wine or grape.
Current DNA research has identified six varieties of Refosco: Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso (Refosco with red stems) is the most common, followed by Terrano (in Slovenia: Refosco d'Istria, in Croatia: Teran), with other variants only found in Italy: Refosco Nostrano, Refosco Gentile — almost extinct, Refosco del Botton, also known as Tazzelenghe (translated as "tongue cutter") and Refosco di Guarnieri (known in the Veneto region as Trevisana Nera).
Refosco varieties have dark skinned grapes and produce wines with dark intense color, strong acidity and intense fruity aromas. Wine from Revosko varieties can withstand long exposure and after four to ten years it can reach high organoleptic qualities, acquiring rich floral, berry and chocolate shades of aroma and taste.
