roduced in the communal territory of the community from which it takes its name and in that of Gallicano, Zagarolo is a typical white wine of the Castelli Romani around which a particular tradition developed that is still observed.The custom is known as the "frasche" or "fraschette", for owners of taverns where new wine is available display as an advertisement to passers-by the branch of a tree or a shrub (a frasca) near the doorway of their premises. Years ago, only wine could be acquired in such establishments and anyone who wanted to eat as well as drink wine had to bring his own food from home. Such customers were known as "fagottari" (bundle-carriers), because they carried their food in a bundle (fagotto).
The classic Castelli Romani mixture of grapes is also used in making Zagarolo: Malvasia Bianca di Candia and Puntinata, Trebbiano Toscano, Verde and Giallo, Bellone and Bonvino. Although there is great potential, the production of Zagarolo is quite limited--less than 1,000 hectoliters on the average. That is primarily because there is an unusually large number of growers tending extremely small plots of vines. That fragmentation impedes the establishment of wine estates that are large enough to bear the costs of boosting quality and effectively promoting products on the market. The problem is worsened by the wine's weak image, for it is not well known to consumers, who are much more attracted to other wines of the Castelli Romani because of their long histories and commercial success.
