What the heck is Refosco?
By Alex Mitchell
What the heck is Refosco?
It’s a little-known family of grape varietals you’ve never heard of. Plantings are rare in Australia. It is currently grown in the Southern Highlands of NSW, and Heathcote, Merbein and the Alpine Valleys in Victoria. Billy Button fruit is sourced from the Dalbosco vineyard, Porepunkah and Greenacres in Merriang South.
Where does Refosco originally come from?
It is the most widely cultivated native variety from Friuli-Venezia Giulia in north eastern Italy and also nearby Veneto. It’s found across that border in Slovenia also. A region with a turbulent past, the two countries fought in WWII, Italy’s fascist regime occupying the province of Ljubljana. The terroir is rugged and mountainous in parts and edged by the Adriatic Sea in others. Thus, the climate has both alpine and maritime influences, displaying the warm days and cool nights that are ideal for grape cultivation. In the vineyard it is vigorous, preferring medium or wide training systems.
What do Refosco wines taste like?
Refosco is a actually a family of varieties and ‘Refosco dal Penduncolo Rosso’ is the one used by Billy Button to make a dark, brooding wine that is naturally high in acid and also in the compound rotundone, which provides the peppery note on the nose and the palate. The fruit shows characters of dark plum, cherry, herb and also, floral notes. Tannins are medium bodied and elegant in structure.
Billy Button’s take on Refosco
Jo Marsh describes the grape as not especially difficult in the vineyards of the Alpine Valleys, just in cooler years it can be challenging as it’s late ripening, requiring prolonged time on the vine to develop fully. As with all Billy Button wines the winemakers Jo Marsh and Glenn James allow the character and personality of the grape to shine through. No new wood is used, occasionally an old puncheon if the volume suits. Following ferment, the wine stays on lees for up to eight months in Flexcubes, which provide the micro-oxidation that is vital for maturation, known to be reductive immediately post fermentation.
Food-pairings for Refosco
The medium body, firm tannins and bright acidity, make Refosco a perfect match for game meats, mushroom risotto and gutsy cheeses. The perfumed quality and structural elegance of the wine can withstand a light chilling for service in the warmer months. Generally a little lower in alcohol than other reds, a long lunch with good conversation beckons.
Ratings and medals for Billy Button Refosco
2024 Billy Button Refosco
- Gold medal, 2025 North East Victorian Wine Challenge
- 93 points, Halliday Wine companion
2023 Billy Button Refosco
- 93 points, Halliday Wine companion
- Silver, 2024 Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show
2022 Billy Button Refosco
- 93 points, Halliday Wine Companion
- Silver, 2025 Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show
- Silver, 2023 Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show
- Silver, 2024 North East Victorian Wine Challenge
2021 Billy Button Refosco
- Gold, 2022 Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show
- 93 points, Halliday Wine Companion
2019 Billy Button Refosco
- 93 points, Halliday Wine Companion
2018 Billy Button Refosco
- Gold, 2019 North East Victorian Wine Challenge
- 95 points, Halliday Wine Companion
2017 Billy Button Refosco
- Gold, 2018 Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show
- Gold, 2018 North East Victorian Wine Challenge
- 89 points, Halliday Wine Companion
2016 Billy Button Refosco
- 90 points, Halliday Wine Companion
- Silver, 2017 North East Victorian Wine Challenge
2015 Billy Button Refosco
- Trophy for Best Red Wine and Gold, 2016 North East Victorian Wine Challenge
- 91 points, Halliday Wine Companion
- Silver, Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show
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