Ronco, north-east Italian term derived from the verb roncare (to clear land, particularly land which is either wooded or overgrown with underbrush), which has been used for over a century in a wide swathe of northern Italy to indicate a hillside vineyard. The first appearance on a wine label dates from the early 1970s, when it was used by Mario Pasolini in the province of Brescia in lombardy for his Ronco di Mompiano, a legendary vino da tavola from marzemino and merlot grapes grown within the city walls of Brescia. More or less contemporary examples can also be found from the oltrepò pavese, frequently with the diminutive form Ronchetto. The widest current use is in friuli, often in plural as Ronchi, and where the dialect form is ronc. Examples can also be found in alto adige and in romagna.
