For any wine region to be great, it needs a simple name. Just look at Bordeaux. Given its 65 appellations, having this one name is quite convenient as trying to remember all of them, save for a few of the most famous, is a tedious proposition.

The same can be said for Burgundy, the Rhône, Napa or a multitude of famous regions the world over. This is what makes the proposition of the ‘North Adriatic’ so appealing.

It’s a convenient shorthand for not just a very wide group of appellations, but also parts of three different countries, including northeast Italy and the western parts of Slovenia and Croatia.

When Paul Balke, author of the book North Adriatic, contacted me about a trip he was planning that grouped all of these regions into one much more digestible whole, I thought it a splendid idea.

I’ve been tasting them individually for nearly two decades and hadn’t really considered the fact that they are, to any wine drinker, far more comprehensible via this collective nomenclature.

While at first glance it may appear that this spaghetti of borders, rivers and small mountains has no cohesion, there are several aspects that bind it all together.

And, given that Croatia entered into the Schengen and Eurozone at the start of 2023, imagining that there is any kind of separation at all seems more artificial than the separation that was.

First and most important is the Italianate nature to everything. In ancient history this was all Roman, and in later history it was all Venetian.

It’s only during the last century that things have become a great deal more complicated, especially after World War II.

Despite this, almost everyone who isn’t Italian (namely Slovenes and Croats) does also speak Italian.

While this shared language and history is what we see on the surface, below there’s a vast stretch of flysch (charmingly known locally as ponca/opoka in Italian/Slovenian), a sedimentary mix of sandstone and marl that links the geology of the region.

Linked by separation

This novel new way to look at the region essentially has Trieste in Italy’s far northeast as its focus point and city, with Venice serving as the western flank and Rijeka, Croatia, as the eastern.

It would be easy to get bogged down in finite details across these various lands, of which there are 15 zones.

However, there are two core regions to the north and south that are the most important, as they both produce some of the most exciting wines: Colli Orientali/Collio/Goriška Brda straddling Italy and Slovenia; and Istria, which is mostly in Croatia, with a smaller northern segment in Slovenia and the smallest scrap just to the south of Trieste.

These two North Adriatic sub-regions perfectly embody a spirit of being ‘apart yet together’.

Prior to the imposition of the new border in 1947, Collio and Brda formed a single, coherent wine region, with the same flysch soils extending west into Colli Orientali.

Anyone wandering through these hills today could potentially cross the remnants of old, now-obsolete borders several times in a single day without noticing any real difference – aside from the reversed order of the bilingual village signs and the shared tourism branding of Collio Brda, marked by small shelters dotted across the region, ready for a selfie.

Split identities

Along these hills, one will find undulating waves of vines and, while both red and white varieties are planted, what’s most notable are the vines of Ribolla Gialla/Rebula.

While not planted as much as in the past, there has been a renewal in the last 20 years, with the wines ranging from a fresher style to full-on skin-contact orange, to sparkling wines that are really pleasing these days, such as the Kristalvin, Rebula Extra Brut.

The still wine producers – such as Movia or newcomers such as Ferdinand, both in Brda – are also excellent locales to visit.

Movia especially seems to have a steady stream of visitors, which should come as no surprise given the view from the terrace of the cellar.

While there is plenty of Ribolla Gialla in Collio, the Italian part of this common area, it’s with Friulano where producers seem to be excelling, especially from the likes of Renato Keber or Castello di Spessa.

There’s something of a branding issue with this white grape, however, given that it can be found labelled as Tocai (a name that had to be changed under EU regulations, due to its confusion with Hungary’s Tokaji – the luxurious sweet wine made mostly from the Furmint grape), as well as Friulano, Sauvignonasse and the particularly confusing Zeleni Sauvignon.

To the point of Istria

It’s difficult to leave the hills of Collio/Goriška Brda (a feeling I know well from many trips), but there’s much more to see in the North Adriatic region.

One can go west to regions that are much more plaindriven, especially in Friuli – the zones of Grave, Isonzo or Colli Orientali. In Friuli Grave, Udine is a lovely Italian city to visit, too; and, 10km to its east, the very historic town of Cividale del Friuli is a necessary stop.

Or you can head east, deep into Slovenia, winding along the 70km of the Vipava valley, with grapevines on the valley floor, castles high above on the hills and, higher still, the rocky Karst plateau, which is shared by Italy and Slovenia.

But once you pass through Vipava and follow the rear side of Trieste – a wooded world away from the busy Italian city and port – you arrive at the Istrian peninsula, which, like Collio and Brda, was a single contiguous region prior to World War II.

Wherever you are in Istria – from its Italian sliver at the northern end to Slovenia’s 43km of coastline and the vast bulk of land in modern Croatia – you’re far better off pulling back from the coast by some 10km or so.

The historic presence of Venice is clear in the lovely towns of Piran in Slovenia and Rovinj in Croatia, while the unmistakable imprint of the Romans is apparent in Pula at the tip of the peninsula.

Large-scale tourism, too, has left its mark along the entire coastline. This, however, is nothing new and, as such, the interior was long developed as a destination for boutique hotels, fine food and, of course, very, very good wines.

Both the flysch soils from the north and the Italian language continue into Istria.

In fact, schools in Croatia are bilingual, as are the street signs, and the local Croatian language is markedly different – more sing-song and melodic when compared with that spoken in the country’s capital Zagreb.

Heart of the peninsula

While roughly half of Istria is planted with vines, the most serious production and winery focus lies in the northwestern areas of Croatian Istria and, at slightly lower altitudes, in neighbouring parts of Slovenia.

Conveniently, this overlaps perfectly with the most scenic, postcard-ready parts of Istria, including the villages of Brtonigla, Buje, Grožnjan, Oprtalj and, perhaps most famously of all, Motovun.

Running around the bases of the hilltops these villages call home is an endless parade of vines. Istria is also refreshingly easy to understand from a grape variety point of view.

There are, broadly speaking, two principal grapes: the white Malvazija Istarska, and the red Teran (Terrano in Italy, Refošk in Slovenia – though the latter may be a close relative, rather than exactly the same variety).

Despite this shared varietal base, the resulting wines can show significant stylistic differences. This is worth noting, as in recent years, producers in Slovenian Istria have leaned more towards natural and low-intervention approaches, as seen at Korenika & Moškon.

This isn’t to say such practices don’t exist further south, but Croatian Istria retains a strong, studied Italian core of winemaking that has a tendency to keep things more tightly controlled.

Teran-based wines from producers such as Coronica and Cattunar rank among the stars of the region’s reds. On the white side, Coronica’s Gran Malvazija, Kozlović’s Santa Lucia and Clai’s Baracija Malvazija are all genuinely world class.

Of course, it would be remiss to focus solely on the wines. Truffles should also be high on the agenda – ideally grated generously over a steak at a fine konoba (a traditional tavern or small restaurant serving regional cuisine) enjoyed with an unparalleled view from the top of Motovun village.

A delicious slice of the Adriatic

Paul Balke proposes that the North Adriatic concept stretches as far as Rijeka and the nearby island of Krk.

There is indeed a shared history across these areas, but they lack the rolling, vineyard-covered hills that seem to define much of the rest of the region.

That said, it remains a sound concept. The core elements of wine, history and, for lack of a better word, an ‘Italian’ style feel broadly contiguous throughout.

Given how difficult it can be for neighbouring wine regions – let alone different countries – to work together in pursuit of a common goal, it may be some time before there’s greater alignment.

Still, for wine lovers who enjoy one part of this region, there is a great deal more to explore and enjoy across the North Adriatic as a whole.

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Friulano (once referred to as Tocai Friulano) is not the most planted grape in Collio.

In terms of surface area, it has long since been overtaken by Pinot Grigio, which according to the latest figures represents a 25% share of the grapes grown in the DOC.

Friulano, on the other hand, accounts for only 15% of the total, and with its 185 hectares ranks only third in the DOC hierarchy.

However, while it might not stack up the numbers in terms of total surface area, it is the most widely diffused variety – it is the one that every producer has, and the one with which Collio has always identified most closely.

While the Pinot Grigio from Collio travels the world, Friulano is a classic example of what used to be known as a ‘vino tipico’, a wine from a native variety with a long tradition and a distinctive character, but often with the commercial handicap of a predominantly local consumption.

You will find it chalked up on the board of every osteria in the province of Gorizia, but you are less likely to see it on wine lists outside the region.

Market research commissioned by the Collio consorzio in 2025 revealed that 40% of the Italians interviewed had never heard of Friulano, and a further 25% said they recognised the name but were not aware that the wine was produced in the Collio.

Friulano deserves better, because it has all the positives of a ‘vino tipico’: great personality, great sense of place, and producers who make it with passion and commitment.

Friulano's origins

The Italian origins of Friulano are shrouded in mystery, but they are relatively recent.

Little was written about this variety, commonly referred to as ‘Tokaj’ or ‘Tokay’, until the early- to mid-20th century, when it was found growing in the eastern plains of the Veneto and later in the hills of Friuli.

It was only in 1933 that the ampelographer Giovanni Dalmasso proposed the name, ‘Tocai Friulano’, to distinguish it from the Tokaj/Tokay (Friulano) grown in the near-by Veneto (where it is also still grown).

All the texts of the period refer to it as a foreign variety, but none hazard a guess at its origins.

That part of the mystery was resolved in the 1980s by the researchers Antonio Calò and Angelo Costacurta, who discovered that Friulano was none other than the Sauvignonasse or Sauvignon Vert once grown in Bordeaux, but long since abandoned in France.

How it got to Italy, perhaps nobody will ever know.

Style and character

Friulano is a vigorous variety, fairly resistant to most vine diseases, but due to its thin skins is terribly susceptible to harvest-time botrytis in rainy vintages.

It is potentially generous in its yields, and needs to be contained by short pruning and planting on lean hillside sites.

Picked at full ripeness and vinified conventionally, it makes a wine with delicate fruit, floral aromas which recall acacia and lime blossom, and a fingerprint note of bitter almonds.

It tends to have relatively low total acidity and high pH, with medium to high alcohol, all of which combine to give a glossy texture which is balanced by the minerally finish typical of the wines of the Collio.

The variety is very sensitive to location and harvest timing: higher, cooler slopes and earlier picking bring out the fresher, more Sauvignon-like side of its character, while warmer sites favour wines with more richness on the palate.

For the former style, look to producers from villages such as Ruttars and Dolegna; and for the riper, fuller-bodied wines, Capriva and Cormons.

And the perfect balance of the two? Perhaps the hilltop village of San Floriano.

Evolution

Collio is evolving, and Friulano with it. A young generation of producers is coming to the fore, (the newly-elected president of the producers’ consortium, Luca Raccaro, is the youngest ever in the role at 34) bringing with it new ideas.

Some of this change is seen in the new approach to vinification. The use of maceration for shorter or longer periods is increasing and this has prompted the recent decision to introduce the wording ‘Vino da Uve Macerate’ on the label.

The naturally gentle tannins of Friulano make it an ideal candidate for the style.

In another direction, there are producers who are moving to align with contemporary trends, aiming for a more reductive less aromatic style that’s drier, tighter, more mineral, and lower in alcohol.

These examples make a break from the rich and fleshy Friulano of local traditions.

Friulano and friends

But what if Friulano’s true vocation was not as a monovarietal at all, but as a component in a blend of local grapes? In the original DOC of 1968, headline billing was given to Collio Bianco – or simply Collio – a blend of Friulano with fellow native varieties Ribolla Gialla and Malvasia Istriana.

This time-honoured combination saw Friulano contribute the body, Ribolla the acidity, and Malvasia the structure and aroma.

The production norms were liberalised in the 1990s to allow producers to use any blend of non-aromatic grapes in a personalised estate wine, which had a logic in the international super-wine context of the period, but sacrificed any sense of place.

Those same norms remain in place today, but there are moves to find a path back to the original formula.

The impetus has come largely from a group of young producers who have agreed a protocol for a traditional blend consisting of a minimum 50% Friulano, complemented by Ribolla and Malvasia, aged for at least 18 months, and labelled with the phrase ‘Da Uve Autoctone’ (From Local Grapes).

The project currently has a dozen adherents, who between them produce between 110,000 and 120,00 bottles, a number which is beginning to give visibility to the group’s instantly recognisable labels.

Whether as a monovarietal or in a blend that highlights the terroir of the Collio, recent tastings confirm that Friulano has the quality and the character to play a leading role in the future of the DOC, not only at local level, but in much wider contexts.

Get a taste for Friulano with these 20 wines

Collio, a strip of land in the far northeastern corner of Italy, a border area, a crossroads of peoples, cultures, history and languages.

Sometimes referred to as Collio Goriziano after its main city, Gorizia, but usually simply called, Collio (and not to be confused with Colli Orientali del Friuli), the region is a key DOC within the broader area of Friuli-Venezia Giuli, and one of Italy’s easternmost wine regions.

Termed the ‘Gorizia garden’ because the producers treat the vineyards as they would their own gardens, Collio is a crescent-shaped hilly area located between the Adriatic Sea to the south and the Julian Alps to the north; bounded by the river Judrio to the west and the Isonzo to the east, with its northern edge comprising the border with Slovenia.

It enjoys an ideal microclimate in terms of ventilation and temperature range, with warm weather influences arising from the Adriatic and the Alps protect from colder weather intruding from the north.

Summers are not too scorchingly hot, nor are winters too bitterly cold.

The area also has a particular soil type: a marly-arenaceous flysch, known locally as ponca. This alternation of sandstone and marl gives the wines their unmistakable characteristics: notable sapidity, structure, freshness and longevity.

A land of white wines

The site of ferocious and bloody battles between the Italians and Austro-Hungarians during the First World War, today the peace and beauty of this unspoilt and authentic landscape is striking. There is no single-crop agriculture among these hills and the view stretches across rivers, mountains, pastures and woods.

The annual ‘Collio Evolution’ event – organised by the Collio producers’ consortium – is a tasting focused on the grape variety Friulano, the denomination’s native grape par excellence.

Collio is a land of white wines (and increasingly skin contact/orange wines as well), 89% of the production area is given over to white varieties.

Friulano is one of the standard bearers, but Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Ribolla Gialla and Malvasia Bianca are also widely planted. What few reds there are tend to be based around Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

While the region was pivotal in the popular rebirth of Italian white wines more than half a century ago, a subsequent downturn saw the denomination being overtaken by others.

However, Collio has everything it takes to regain its rightful place at the top of Italian white wines. Below are five examples made from Friulano that show what the region has to offer.

Collio: Five to try

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It started with a small handful of friends, who set out to rediscover the art of skin-contact white wine in the heart of Friuli. But the popularity of these characterful wines has seen this grow to a real movement, comprising dozens of strong-minded producers.

Thanks to pioneers such as Joško Gravner and the late Stanko Radikon, there is now a core of educated winemakers spread all around Italy, each making macerated whites with a distinct history and regional typicity.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for Magnani’s six Friuli skin-contact wines to try

The Friuli Venezia Giulia region in Italy’s far northeast is the homeland of the country’s skin-contact white wines, and their proud producers are strongly attached to the local history and traditions. In these historically war-torn corners along the Italian-Slovenia border, in wine areas such as Collio, Carso and Colli Orientali, the technique of macerating white wines has been practised since at least the 19th century. But a century later, this traditional method of making whites, for private consumption or for selling to local restaurants, was no longer popular.

Between the 1960s and ’70s, certain Friulian estates such as Mario Schiopetto began using new technology to produce fresh, clean, aromatic wines, very different from the ‘old’ skin-contact style. Then, a decade later, Gravner and Radikon – two ambitious winemakers from Oslavia in the Collio – initiated a new era for the region’s traditional skin-contact wines.

Skin-contact wine: how is it made?

In the past, families macerated white grapes on their skins in order to help preserve the wine for longer periods, as tannins and other useful compounds leach into the juice. But today, the concept of making skin-contact whites has evolved. There’s a common consciousness that there are multiple aspects to producing macerated white wines which are effectively the same as if they were red: periods of harvest, grape varieties, duration of maceration, viticultural practices and winemaking.

Depending on the producer, the juice is left to ferment in contact with the skins for an extended time, with the ‘cap’ [mass of grape solids floating on top of the fermenting wine] being regularly punched down. During this period of maceration, the skins release tannins, flavours and pigments that deliver different tinges of colour, from golden yellow to deep amber. At the end of the process, the wines are aged for months or even years before bottling, according to the philosophy of the winery.

Old and new

Gravner, after a period following modern winemaking techniques to produce young, lively white wines fermented in steel tanks, decided that he wanted to achieve a more complex result. He began ageing his wine in French oak barriques – as in Burgundy, for instance – but then suddenly he switched back to his roots. His aim was to return to the authentic manner in which his father and grandfather had made wine.

In 1997, he vinified wines in large oak vats with 12 days’ maceration on the skins. A few years later he visited Georgia, where wine has been made with long skin maceration in conical-shaped clay amphorae (qvevri) for 5,000 years. Gravner in turn gradually introduced qvevri into his cellar.

In 2005, he released Italy’s first macerated white wines vinified in amphora: Ribolla Gialla 2001 and Breg 2001, a blend of Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay and Riesling Italico (last vintage 2012). Both wines spent about six months on the skins in amphorae buried underground, then aged in large oak barrels for several years before bottling without filtration.

Radikon also managed to increase sales in the late 1980s and early 1990s through wines made using a modern approach, before converting to a low-intervention methodology, opting to leave his thick, neutral Ribolla Gialla in contact with the skins for some days, just as his ancestors did.

In 1997, Radikon’s first Ribolla, macerated for one week on its skins, was bottled and sold. This wine was the precursor of the current long skin-contact Blu range, which undergoes up to three months of maceration. In 2011, Stanko’s son Saša Radikon decided to introduce a younger generation to the world of skin-contact wines, launching the new S line. Easier to approach and fresh – such as Slatnik, a blend of Chardonnay and Friulano – the wines in this range have shorter maceration combined with wood ageing.

It was by chance that Joško Gravner and Stanko Radikon rediscovered their tradition at around the same time, and with a measure of stubborn determination they put their wines on sale. After a period when they were considered as merely a disruption, the wines began to gain acceptance. Surprisingly, they first made waves in Japan, where the wines were perfectly suited to the delicate cuisine which is based on natural, healthy and pure ingredients such as rice, fish and vegetables. Then, gradually, also in the USA and UK, where sommeliers began including them on the wine lists of fine dining restaurants. Eventually, Gravner and Radikon helped the region’s skin-contact history become a globally recognised force.

Oslavia

In Oslavia, following Gravner and Radikon, other family estates with strong-minded visions of low intervention have focused on the old native Ribolla Gialla. The 10ha La Castellada estate, run by the Bensa family, still today makes 5,000 bottles of Ribolla. The wine macerates in oak fermenters for two months, then ages for 24 months in big wooden vats and refines in a stainless steel tank for a year without filtration. At Primosic winery, a significant production is based on macerated Ribolla Gialla, fermented in contact with the skins in open-top wooden vats for one month, followed by 24 months of ageing in big vats. Other local varieties such as Friulano and Malvasia Istriana, together with Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio, are spread over the hills of Collio, where the soil is mainly a marl-clay called ponca. Around the villages of San Floriano and Cormons, passionate estates such as Podversic, Miklus, Terpin, Paraschos and Renato Keber have become devoted to macerated wines, based on a mix of the above varieties and often using organic or biodynamic viticulture with low-to-zero added sulphites.

Carso

Towards the south, on the limestone plateau of the Italian Carso near Trieste, Benjamin Zidarich and Paolo Vodopivec, following their families’ traditions, accomplished long skin maceration in their own way with Vitovska and other blended varieties. Today, Zidarich practises organic farming on his 9ha of vineyards. He makes the classical skin-contact Vitovska, and 1,000 bottles of Kamen Vitovska – Kamen means ‘stone’ – which ferments and ages in limestone vats for two years and shows a lovely spicy, mineral character.

Friuli winemaker Peter RadovičOther young estates have also begun to build a following, including the two wineries: Sandi Skerk and Matej Skerlj. The latter owns 3ha of organically farmed vines, including 1ha of high pergola-trained vines from which Skerlj made his first macerated Vitovska. Since 2018, Skerlj also macerates his Riserva 67, which spends one year in stone vats and one year in wooden casks. The latest arrival is Peter Radovič, who farms 1ha of mixed indigenous varieties. His wine Marmor is a 1,000-bottle production of Vitovska, and Malavizija is a similar quantity of Malvasia Istriana. Both are vinified with shorter macerations of approximately two weeks.

Colli Orientali

The varied world of skin-contact whites in Friuli is well represented in the hills of Colli Orientali. In this tiny enclave, noteworthy wine gems are Ronco Severo and Le Due Terre – both united in terms of organic farming but with different approaches in the cellar.

The fresh and complex Sacrisassi Bianco (70% Friulano, 30% Ribolla Gialla) from Le Due Terre shows a golden-yellow hue due to its two weeks of maceration in stainless steel tanks followed by ageing in barriques for 24 months.

The spicy and robust amber-hued Pinot Grigio from Ronco Severo ferments on its skins for one month, then stays on the skins in big vats for an additional 24 months.

In recent years, the skin-contact movement has seen a resurgence, not just in Friuli and surrounding areas such as Slovenia, but in other Italian regions, as well as in Georgia – the cradle of skin-contact white wines. Further afield, other countries are also absorbing such fascinating whites into their existing wine cultures.

Friuli skin-contact new wave: Magnani’s six to try

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Different parts of Italy – as well as other areas of Europe – have faced severe storms, heatwaves, wildfires and floods so far in 2023, leading to devastation of infrastructure and loss of life in some cases.

In vineyards, extreme weather phenomena have added to winemakers’ concerns around the impact of climate change. Italy’s wine harvest may shrink in 2023, said agriculture group Coldiretti, citing recent storms and intense heat linked to climate change.

Extreme weather in Italy: A new normal?

Two anticyclones originating in North Africa – the first dubbed ‘Cerberus’ and the second even more ominously, ‘Charon’ – caused temperatures to soar across southern Europe in June and July, trapped under an oppressive and persistent heat dome.

According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, parts of Greece, eastern Spain, Sardinia, Sicily and southern Italy reached temperatures in excess of 45°C.

On 24 July, a weather station in Sardinia recorded 48.2°C, close to the record-breaking 48.8°C recorded in Syracuse in Sicily in 2021.

The heat came as UN secretary general António Guterres declared, ‘The era of global warming has ended. The era of global boiling has arrived.’

In recent years, droughts and floods have also become more common in Italy. The 2017 vintage was notoriously hot and dry throughout large swathes of the country, while last summer, the government declared a state of emergency following the worst drought in the country’s history to date.

In the spring of 2023, flooding devastated parts of the country, particularly Emilia-Romagna, where half of the region’s average annual rainfall was reported to have fallen in just 36 hours.

Storms hit northern Italy

More recently, in July, severe storms swept through northern Italy.

Trees were uprooted in Trentino-Alto Adige and electric storms lit up Lake Garda on 24 July, the thunder still rumbling overhead well into the following day with outbreaks of hail reported in Friuli, Langhe and Roero.

The impact on vineyard areas remains uncertain. In its harvest forecast, Coldiretti said potential yields looked stable overall across Piedmont, Lombardy and Veneto, despite the recent storms.

‘Northern Italy has been hit with a frequency of which there is no memory.’

Elisabetta Currado, wine & marketing consultant at Castello di Gabiano and Villa Cambiaso, both in Piedmont, told Decanter, ‘In a matter of minutes, hail can destroy a crop, sometimes even compromising production for the following years. From early July to the present, northern Italy has been hit with a frequency of which there is no memory.

‘You see these black clouds coming in carrying ice that falls, hitting random areas in spots depending on the currents that are created. It’s just a matter of luck. So far we have seen hail pass us by, but it didn’t hit us; we just held our breath until it passed.’

She added, ‘This summer, hailstorms struck at a stage called pre-closing bunch, and in other cases with the berries almost fully ripe (invaiatura). In half an hour of hail, water and wind, some [producers] were more unlucky – as happened in some areas of the Langhe and Roero, where they completely lost production.’

Eduard Bernhart, director of the Südtirol Wein / Vini Alto Adige consortium, told Decanter, ‘We had some hail… everywhere a little bit, but not huge damage at the moment.’

Mildew pressure

For some vineyards in Sicily, mildew has been a significant issue following heavy rain in May and June. The island claims the largest surface area of organically farmed vines in Italy, which makes disease pressure, such as downy mildew, harder to control, and although the subsequent period of extreme heat saved bunches, for others it was too late.

Benjamin Franchetti, of Passopisciaro on Etna, and also Tenuta di Trinoro in Val d’Orcia in Tuscany, said, ‘Especially in Sicily we have had severe issues of peronospora [downy mildew], unseen in the past 20+ years. We expect production to be almost halved for 2023. After months of rain we are now experiencing extremely high temperatures. Let’s see.’

‘The 2023 harvest will be one of the most difficult of the last years,’ commented Arianna Occhipinti. ‘Beside the recent big wave of heat, we had heavy rains in May and June, important for the flowering of our grapes. The start of downy mildew may impact our upcoming production for about 30-35%; the sulphur and copper treatments (the only treatments we carry out in the vineyard) in higher concentrations, were not enough to contain the problem. The 2023 harvest will be lower in quantity but higher in quality.’

‘It is still difficult and premature to make accurate estimates about the quantity and quality [of the 2023 harvest]. Sicilian wine growers know how to manage the effect of climate change, focusing on quality and not quantity,’ underlined Assovini Sicilia president, Mariangela Cambria, who also co-owns Etna winery, Cottanera.

Franchetti added, ‘In Tuscany it has not been as bad. The unusually high levels of rain alternating with very high temperatures have not caused any serious issues. For now we have been spared from the hail and winds which are causing havoc in the north of Italy… for now.’

Some producers in Tuscany anticipate a smaller harvest in 2023, although it is early days and estimates vary considerably, according to a report this week by winenews.it.

It said the Consorzio Chianti Classico currently anticipated losses of around 10-15%, the Consorzio Brunello di Montalcino expected 5% losses and the Consorzio Bolgheri e Bolgheri Sassicaia estimated hypothetical losses of perhaps as much as 20%.

Making adjustments

Rising temperatures and increasing occurrences of drought in recent years have caused winemakers to rethink how to manage their vines and how to treat the grapes in the winery.

Many producers, from Piedmont to Bolgheri to Sicily, have stated that harvest today is around one month earlier than 20 to 30 years ago, highlighting the increase in temperatures and consequent advanced ripening of the grapes compared to the 1990s.

Marilisa Allegrini, of the eponymous Valpolicella family, told Decanter recently during a visit to the family’s Villa della Torre property in Fumani that the viticultural team would usually carry out a green harvest at this time of year.

However, the sporadic storms interrupting periods of extreme heat have forced them to wait and see what happens. Allegrini pointed out grapes that had succumbed to sunburn and, although she explained that they currently have an overproduction, they can’t yet risk dropping too much fruit in case of further losses from either sunburn or mildew.

Even if storms do not directly damage fruit, they can still create extra work for producers. ‘The pruning of the hailstormed branches has to be done,’ Currado said. ‘Even when damage seems limited, the vine still suffers from a slowdown in vegetative activity and must be treated with disinfectant products to heal scars and prevent mould and funghi from entering the vine.

‘Effective natural products are now available that can be used even on farms like us that work organically. Avoiding the ineffective anti-hail cannons, the only useful prevention is coverage with anti-hail nets, along with insurance. However, they represent a cost justifiable only with highly profitable productions.’

Canopy management is a technique that has become fundamental to ensuring healthy grapes. Whilst in the past the leaves could be cut back to expose the bunches to the sun for even ripening, in today’s warmer climates the leaves surrounding the bunches can instead be utilised to cast shade and prevent sunburn.

Strategically selected leaves can also be removed to slow down the process of photosynthesis, helping to curtail the swift advance of sugar ripeness in relation to physiological ripeness.

Additionally, cover crops between rows of vines can help to shade the ground and prevent the reflection of sunlight, which can occur on lighter soils, in addition to the benefits such crops can bring to a vineyard’s biodiversity and increasing nitrogen levels in the soil.

In his Barolo 2017 vintage report for Decanter Premium, Aldo Fiordelli noted that producers in that infamous drought year reduced the maceration time to avoid over-extraction. Some producers also opted for commercial yeasts over indigenous strains, he noted, to better cope with the higher potential alcohol of the wines.

During a masterclass hosted by Gaia Gaja on the family’s Bolgheri estate, Ca’ Marcanda, in 2022 in London, Gaja explained that the estate was transitioning from cordon to Guyot training in order to produce grapes with less concentration and more freshness.

Gaja noted that while Guyot training was associated with higher volume production, climate change has enabled the estate to produce quality grapes using the system.

Italy’s hillsides and mountains are also key if temperatures continue to rise, and some denominations, such as Brunello di Montalcino, have already amended or deleted pre-existing restrictions on maximum altitude for viticulture. Elsewhere, producers are seeking high altitude vineyard sites even if they are not accepted within the DOC/DOCG; it’s possible that we will see an increase of IGT bottlings from producers in the future.

Finally, east-facing vineyards are gaining a voice as traditional south-facing exposures risk producing over-ripe fruit. Capturing the morning sun while avoiding the worst of the afternoon rays helps producers to retain elegance and complexity in their wines despite rising temperatures.

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An ocean of Pinot Grigio is produced at the ‘price-fighting’ end of the market, but this Italian staple grape, which is a mutation of Pinot Noir, reveals its true worth higher up the scale. Premium Pinot Grigio sets absolute quality as its main objective.

This means using the best fruit, harvested at low yields, and giving it maximum attention in the cellar – features that are reflected in the wines’ prices. For the purposes of this tasting, the bar was set at a minimum of £12 per bottle.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for 18 excellent premium Pinot Grigio wines

Premium Italian Pinot Grigio is a far cry from the easy-drinking wines that make a virtue of their neutrality.

Pinot Grigio is typically a low-acid variety that, at its best, produces voluptuous wines of medium to high alcohol: they are aromatic, rich and full, with a sumptuous, almost oily texture.

Though usually at their peak within three to five years of bottling, some of the finest examples can benefit from further cellaring – up to 20 years in some instances. They are fantastic food wines, versatile enough to cope with both fish and white meats.

To maximise that distinctive luscious mouthfeel, beware of over-chilling them.

Regional Diversity

No less than 47% of the world’s Pinot Grigio vineyards are in Italy – and 86% of these (27,145ha out of 31,360ha) are planted in the Triveneto – the combined regions of Trentino-Alto Adige, Friuli Venezia Giulia and the Veneto itself, which form Italy’s northeastern tip. No other Italian region reaches even double-figure proportions.

Style varies across and within regions. In the Veneto, easily the largest production area, most Pinot Grigio is made from early-harvested fruit and malolactic fermentation is blocked in order to maintain a fresher, crisper, more commercially oriented style.

In the Trentino-Alto Adige, the higher-altitude wines, such as those from the Isarco valley, offer greater vibrancy and more mineral notes; the lower-lying sites, meanwhile, enjoy warmer temperatures that bring out a rounder, more mouthfilling character.

In Friuli, growing conditions are rather more homogenous, and winemakers make Pinot Grigio of impressive substance and richness. Many of the best examples come from near the border with Slovenia: Collio and Colli Orientali in particular, where lavish fruit characters are balanced by the salty and stony notes from the local ‘ponca’ (marl and sandstone) soils.

A little further south, the lower-lying Isonzo DOC produces wines that are typically weighty in style.

Mention must also be made of Friuli’s traditional Pinot Grigio Ramato. Made in a similar way to red wine, fermentation on the variety’s pinkish-grey skins for up to two weeks brings out copper-coloured tones (rame is the Italian word for ‘copper’) and increases both substance and structure.

This singularly dry and savoury style is coming back into fashion and is well worth seeking out.

Michael Garner is co-owner of Italian specialist Tria Wines and a DWWA Regional Chair for northern Italy. His second book Amarone and the Fine Wines of Verona (£35 Infinite Ideas) was published in 2017.

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Trentino-Alto Adige and Friuli-Venezia Giulia make up Italy’s very northeastern tip, and their most renowned vineyards lie near the national frontiers with Austria and Slovenia.

In Alto Adige, the main growing areas form a ‘Y’ shape with the city of Bolzano at its intersection and the conjoining valleys of the Adige and Isarco stretching outwards and upwards to the north, towards Austria.

In Friuli (as it’s commonly called) the key denominations of Colli Orientali, Rosazzo, Collio, Isonzo and Carso run right up to the border with Slovenia.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for 10 top white blends from Friuli and Alto Adige

The influence of the shared heritage as part of the old Austro-Hungarian empire is still evident today: Alto Adige (an autonomous region since 1972) embraces its links with Austrian culture and German is still the first language for many; but while surnames over to the east often reveal Slavic origins, most of Friuli feels distinctly Italian.

The two areas spearhead Italy’s burgeoning fine white wine scene: according to the regional consorzi, 68% of wine production in Alto Adige is white and in Friuli almost 75%.

Both regions are probably best known for their single-varietal wines produced from many of the same grape varieties: Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon [Blanc or Vert]. The growing tendency, however, is to place greater emphasis on distinctive and often unique ‘top-end’ blends that are designed to show off the character of their local terroir.

The idea has been gathering momentum since the 1970s in both areas. The release of Jermann’s Vintage Tunina – a blend of Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Malvasia Istriana and Ribolla Gialla (2017, £45.55-£47.76 Field & Fawcett, The Drink Shop) – in 1975 was a milestone for white wine production in Friuli. In the same year, Terlano was recognised as a separate sub-zone of Alto Adige and granted its own denomination, specifying for the ‘cuvée’, or white blended wine, a minimum of 50% Pinot Bianco along with smaller proportions of other grapes, in practice usually Chardonnay and Sauvignon.

The ‘international’ white varieties were introduced in the latter half of the 19th century into both areas through their Dual Monarchy ancestry and the necessary replanting of vineyards following phylloxera. Nowadays, many wineries are following in the footsteps of Jermann and Cantina Terlano, and clear patterns of production are beginning to emerge.

In Alto Adige, producers have adopted the classic Terlano mix of Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay and Sauvignon, while Friuli has seen a major shift towards varieties considered as autochthonous: Friulano [Sauvignon Vert], Malvasia Istriana and Ribolla Gialla. They often form the backbone of Collio Bianco and Colli Orientali Bianco wines, and, alongside Chardonnay, Sauvignon and Pinot Bianco, are permitted constituent parts of Rosazzo, a former sub-zone of Colli Orientali that was granted its own DOCG in 2011.

Alto Adige

The vineyards of Alto Adige share a bewildering mixture of soil types, elevations, altitudes and microclimates, and understanding them is key to knowing which variety works best in each locale.

Pinot Bianco-Chardonnay-Sauvignon blends are mainly produced from vines planted on the limestone-based soils of the hillsides along the right bank of the Adige as it flows southwest (between Bolzano and the southern boundary with Trentino), much the largest expanse of vineyard in the province. They are often ‘personalised’ with the addition of smaller proportions of other grapes – for example, in the village of Tramin, local hero Gewürztraminer gives a real sense of place to Stoan, Cantina Tramin’s proprietary blend (2019, £23.95 Fintry Wines). A few kilometres up the road, Hans Terzer, oenologist at Cantina St Michael-Eppan, adds Pinot Grigio to his premium white blend Appius.

Pinot Bianco, the region’s iconic white grape, remains the heart and soul of Terlano, the village sitting on the left bank and higher up the Adige river, just to the northwest of Bolzano, in an area where the soils are of volcanic origin (mainly porphyry). Cantina Terlano’s superpremium Rarity leans heavily on the variety; the current vintage (2008) is a cuvée of 85% Pinot Bianco, 10% Chardonnay and just 5% Sauvignon Blanc. ‘Sauvignon can dominate if you’re not careful,’ maintains Terlano’s sales and marketing director Klaus Gasser. ‘In any case, Pinot Bianco is the variety we always come back to.’

Towards the more extreme limits of the vineyards, producers look to other varieties for their inspiration. Conrad Pixner’s Bergkellerei Passeier sits high up in the Passeier valley, north of Merano, at St Martin in Passeier. His Giovo blend is made from equal parts Chardonnay grown at Tirolo just above Merano, and Solaris from vineyards close to the winery, the highest of which sits at 1,100m. Solaris, a disease-resistant variety originally bred at the Freiburg Institute in Germany in the 1970s, is finding favour in this area as its short growing season enables it to flourish at high altitudes. ‘When it ripens fully up here,’ says Pixner, ‘Solaris can accumulate enough sugars to achieve about 14% alcohol and still maintain 10g/L of acidity.’

At the southern tip of the area, the Franz Haas winery sits on the left bank of the Adige, across from Tramin. Back in the mid1990s, Haas put together an eclectic blend of Riesling, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer and Sauvignon called Manna, from vineyards at up to 800m in nearby Aldino, Egna and Montagna. His idea was to create a wine versatile enough to match a wide range of foods. In recent vintages he has cut back on the proportions of Riesling and Gewürztraminer in favour of Kerner, sourced from the Valle Isarco where this Trollinger/ Riesling cross seems to perform at its best.

Andreas Huber, winemaker at Pacherhof, blends Kerner with Sylvaner and Riesling high up above Bressanone, northeast of Bolzano, where these more aromatic varieties come into their own. His Private Cuvée epitomises the fresh, fragrant, mineral-toned wines with racy acidity that the Valle Isarco excels at.

Friuli-Venezia Giulia

Almost 10% of Friuli’s registered vineyards are planted to Friulano, the main grape behind most of the region’s premium blends. Blending with Malvasia Istriana and Ribolla Gialla is the favoured option in the Collio and Colli Orientali DOC and Rosazzo DOCG areas, though Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco and Sauvignon Blanc are also frequently used. Ribolla is not, however, authorised for DOC wines in Isonzo and Carso.

Collio and the premium areas of Colli Orientali (including Rosazzo) are made up of low-lying hillside sites of marl and sandstone soils known locally as ponca, and growing conditions are much more homogenous than in Alto Adige. The varying proportions of grape varieties used and individual choices made by the winemaker thus have a more obvious bearing on style – for example, fermentation with extended skin contact is a popular way of maximising aroma, flavour and texture.

On his small family estate at Pradis between Cormons and Capriva, Roberto Picéch uses a relatively high proportion of Ribolla (40%), ferments Friulano on the skins and then ages his Collio Bianco Jelka in barrel, cement and bottle before release some five years after the harvest.

A little to the east, towards San Floriano del Collio, Robert Princic’s Gradis’ciutta blend is composed of 50% Friulano, 30% Malvasia and 20% Ribolla. He ferments in wood and the wine spends one year in barrel followed by 18 months in stainless steel before bottling; the extra ageing allows him to market Gradis’ciutta as an example of the rarely seen Collio Riserva.

Using that same mix and proportions of grapes, Ivan Muzic ferments his Collio Stare Brajde, a Decanter World Wine Awards Best in Show winner in 2021, in tonneaux followed by a year in bottle, for a style built on purity and freshness of fruit.

The legendary Picolit, the grape behind one of Italy’s rarest but very finest dessert wines thanks to its exceptional sugar/acid balance, also has a part to play here. A healthy percentage can transform a dry white blend into something really quite distinctive according to Marco Sara, one of a small group of producers at Savorgnano del Torre in the northern Colli Orientali, north of Udine, who have come up with the idea of creating a unique blend of Friulano and Picolit to best define their territory. ‘Using 30% of Picolit really sweetens up the slightly herbaceous fruit that can characterise Friulano in slightly cooler areas like ours,’ he notes. Usually playing more of a bit-part in blends (mostly at about 20%), Ribolla Gialla, as in Jermann’s Vinnae, can also perform extremely well as the dominant variety.

Best of the best

Though overshadowed by the rise in popularity of varietal wines over the past few decades, the blend is now back with a bang. Historically, vineyards throughout Italy were planted to an uvaggio, or a mix of grapes, and these ‘field blends’ are behind many of today’s premium blends.

However, another interpretation of the idea is designed to scale new heights. ‘With Nama, we wanted to create a wine that is the very essence of Nals Margreid,’ insists Gottfried Pollinger, CEO of Cantina Nals Margreid in Alto Adige. Homing in on vineyards from two of their top growers – a plot of Chardonnay at Magré, northeast of Trento, and small blocks of Pinot Bianco and Sauvignon at Nalles further north – oenologist Harald Schraffl came up with the Nama blend to express the character of their terroir in such a way as to appeal to international taste. The concept of ‘the best of the best’ allows the premium blend to take its place alongside the top varieties in a winery’s range. Nama captures that combination of ripe, succulent fruit, racy acidity and silky texture that represents the quintessential characteristics of the best Alto Adige wines.

Similarly, in Friuli, the premium blend typifies the white wine of real substance, majestically rich in aroma, flavour and texture that has earned the region its stripes. In both areas, these wines are built to last: a lifespan of 10 years or more in the best vintages is certainly realistic.

Garner’s selection: 10 white blends from Friuli and Alto Adige that demonstrate the best of the northeast

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Back in the 1970s, Friuli-Venezia Giulia was hailed as ‘the promised land’ for Italy’s burgeoning fine white wine scene.

Winemakers such as Silvio Jermann and Mario Schiopetto, having embraced modern winemaking philosophy and new technology, became legends.

Such privileged status continues today, at least at national level; for now, the area’s wines remain less well known further afield.

Scroll down to see Michael Garner’s top 18 native white wines from Friuli-Venezia Giulia

About 75% of production here is white, and while Friuli might be best known for its excellent and distinctive Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon, the region’s talented winemakers are now gaining a reputation for varieties regarded as native.

Four in particular stand out: Friulano, Malvasia Istriana, Ribolla Gialla and Vitovska.

Across the region’s four DOCG and 12 DOC areas, these account for about 14% of vineyard plantings.

Friulano

Friulano (Sauvignonasse in Chile, Sauvignon Vert in Bordeaux) is clearly the ‘favourite child’, with almost 9.5% of plantings.

A versatile grape, Friulano works well as a fresh, young varietal; the red apple and yellow peach fruit characters have mineral and saline notes, supported by a juicy freshness and silky palate.

Extra time on the lees and/or judicious ageing in wood (preferably the traditional oak or chestnut botti) develops extra intensity, bringing candied and preserved fruit tones as well as rich, savoury leesy qualities. Friulano is capable of ageing well – up to 10 years in some cases.

Malvasia Istriana

Malvasia Istriana, with about 1.5% of vineyard plantings, remains an enigma.

The most distinctive of the various Malvasia varieties, it is characterised by pronounced mineral aromas and flavours.

Good Malvasia Istriana will be firm-bodied, with a f loral-toned, white peach character and a sharp, Seville orange-like acidity. Developing well in bottle over three or four years, it can take on almost Riesling-like notes.

Ribolla Gialla

Ribolla Gialla (about 3% of plantings in Collio and Colli Orientali, where it has DOC status) swims against the tide. Whereas most of the region’s white wines are rich and ripe, strong on texture, aroma and flavour, Ribolla Gialla is much lighter-bodied, with higher than average acidity.

Best drunk young, a typical version shows notes of white pepper, turmeric root and spring f lowers with hints of Asian pear and fragrant lemon. Such delicacy requires careful wood treatment, if any.

Vitovska

Lean, lithe and full of vigour, Vitovska is made in tiny quantities only in the Carso area but is nonetheless worth seeking out.

A classic Vitovska has remarkable freshness, with smoky and limey mineral notes, lively acidity, and a saline finish.

It’s worth noting that blends such as Collio Bianco and Colli Orientali Bianco (both DOC), containing a combination of Friulano, Ribolla and Malvasia, can also be stunning.

Michael Garner’s top 18 native whites from Friuli-Venezia Giulia

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This boutique vineyard estate in Friuli could be an interesting white wine hobby project, provided you can tear yourself away from the panoramic views – and the outdoor pool.

You’ll also find olive groves and a fruit orchard alongside terraced vines on three hectares of land nestled into the hillside in Collio in Friuli Venezia-Giulia, in the far north-east of Italy close to the Slovenian border.

With an asking price of €1.995m, it’s one of the recent wine and vineyards properties that has been listed by Christie’s International Real Estate, in partnership with its Italian affiliate, Romolini Immobiliare.

Vineyards are planted to a mix of Ribolla Gialla, Sauvignon Blanc, Malvasia and Sauvignon Vert, which also goes by the name of Friulano.

There are enough vines to make around 5,000 bottles of wine per year, according to the listing.

There’s a cellar beneath the two-floor main house, whether for storing your own wines or those of other top producers in the region.

The celebrated Jermann winery, recently acquired by Antinori, is a short drive away, for instance.

Christie’s and Romolini highlighted several potential uses for their listed Friuli vineyard estate.

There are two separate, two-storey buildings alongside the main residence, and these could be used for guests or one could be converted to make wine and olive oil.

Producing wine is no mean feat, however. The listing says it’s also possible to outsource the vineyard work.

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Marchesi Antinori recently confirmed that it has bought a majority stake in the Jermann winery, founded in 1881 and today particularly well-regarded for its white wines from northern Italy’s Friuli-Venezia Giulia region.

Jermann’s Vintage Tunina 1997 is a Decanter Wine Legend.

Financial details were not disclosed, but winemaker Silvio Jermann has kept a minority stake in his namesake winery.

Antinori’s chief winemaker and CEO, Renzo Cotarella, described the deal as a collaboration. ‘The [Jermann] company is in good shape and completely autonomous,’ he said.

Yet the move also marks a new departure for the Antinori family, which has been producing wine for more than 600 years across 26 generations.

Antinori is today mostly known for its work on Tuscan red wines, from the Tignanello and Solaia labels to Chianti Classico and Brunello di Montalcino.

Castello della Sala in neighbouring Umbria is the major exception, and home to highly rated white wine Cervaro della Sala.

The Jermann deal represents new territory. ‘As a logical move, we started looking for opportunities in one of Italy’s best white wines regions,’ said Cotarella. ‘It took us some time to find the right fit.’

He added, ‘When the right occasion with the iconic Jermann winery came along, the long-time friendship, mutual respect and trust between Piero Antinori, myself and Silvio Jermann definitely helped the negotiation.’

He said the two Italian wine powerhouses share ‘strong values’, citing a quest for ‘utmost quality’ alongside respect for the land and the desire to innovate.

Silvio Jermann will play an active role in the new era, Cotarella said.

‘He will continue to be the ‘soul’ of Jermann in order to guarantee the continuity of the style and quality of the wines.’

Jermann’s range also includes ‘W…Dreams…’, a white wine made mostly from Chardonnay and first created in 1987, as well as Vinnae, an IGT Venezia Giulia wine made predominantly from Ribolla Gialla.

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We’ve all heard of Barolo, Barbaresco, Prosecco and Amarone, and you may have heard of Lambrusco and Franciacorta too. But northern Italy produces so much more besides. Piedmont alone boasts 49 DOCs and DOCGs, so it’s clear that the variety is there – it’s just a matter of finding it.

Below, we have put together a list of some northern Italian wines worth seeking out if you’re feeling adventurous. Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg but if you’re looking to fill up your wine fridge or cellar, these are some great places to start…

Roero Arneis, Piedmont

Roero, on the opposite side of the Tanaro river from the key viticultural zones of Barolo and Barbaresco, is perhaps best known for its Nebbiolos. The Arneis variety, however, should be explored for its beautifully floral, crisp white wines with nuances of one of the region’s specialities – hazelnuts.

Alto Piemonte, Piedmont

Decanter’s regional chair for Piedmont, Stephen Brook, has highlighted these elevated foothill-Nebbiolos of northern Piedmont as wines to watch. A collection of small appellations and communes, the Nebbiolos produced in Bramaterra, Boca, Ghemme, Gattinara and Lessona are generally a touch lighter and softer than those of Barolo and Barbaresco, with higher acidity.

Pelaverga, Piedmont

The Pelaverga Verduno DOC is a stronghold of this rare grape, found in only one other DOC in Italy. Its characteristic red fruits and herb signature has the benefit of being made by some of Barolo’s finest producers.

Sangiovese di Romagna, Emilia-Romagna

Sangiovese in Emilia-Romagna is experiencing a resurgence in quality. Until relatively recently, Sangiovese grown here sold for some of the lowest grape prices in all Italy – a vastly different situation to that of neighbouring Tuscany. How things have changed! There are now 12 recognised MGAs under the Romagna DOC, highlighting the best terroirs of the region. The finest wines showcase the beautiful cherry fruit and vitalic acidity of the variety as well as a unique expression of place.

Carso/Kras, Friuli-Venezia Giulia

This DOC is tucked away in the southeast corner of Friuli-Venezia Giulia in northeast Italy, running between the Port of Trieste and Gorizia. Carso – also known as Kras – has a number of DOCs producing both red and white wines. Dry-stone walling and ‘pastini’ terraces characterise some of the steeper vineyards. Reds are made from Terrano, as well as international grape varieties. Due largely to the recent rise in popularity of orange wines, the indigenous white Vitovska variety has been getting plenty of attention. Its citrus fruits, florality and salinity make it a delicious wine to pair with seafood and cheeses.

Isarco/Eisack Valley, Trentino-Alto Adige

Italy’s most northerly vineyard area, the steep slopes of the Isarco Valley climb to around 1,000m. The wines of this DOC are almost exclusively white with a strong Teutonic influence – this Italian region borders Austria and features a majority of native German speakers. Varieties here include Müller-Thurgau, Sylvaner, Kerner and Grüner Veltliner, quite different to the rest of Italy, and the wines are supremely fresh thanks to a combination of grape and altitude.

Northern Italian Wines to try:

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Friuli-Venezia Giulia: Regional profile and wines to try

Up until the early 20th century, Friuli-Venezia Giulia was not considered part of north-eastern Italy but instead a southern part of the Austrian Hapsburg empire. This rich region provided the Austro-Hungarian population with fruit, food and wine.

After World War I, the entire region became Italian but its eastern border was still far from peaceful. Gorizia was considered the Berlin of southern Europe and identity here was always crucial.

Things are now far more open and producers can easily manage a winery in Slovenia but own vineyards in Italy, or vice-versa – travelling with tractors and grapes across the border. Indeed, famed Italian producer Mateja Gravner is currently inquiring with the European Commission to clarify if grapes harvested in Italy could be labelled under the Slovenian Brda appellation.

In 2018, according to Assovini and Istat sources, there were 23,880 hectares of vines in the region, and since 2012 the production of wine (excluding must) has increased 24%: a more or less ‘natural’ growth when considering, for example, the 50% increase in Veneto and 56% increase in Puglia.

Pinot Grigio

Pinot Grigio delle Venezie is one of north-east Italy’s most important wines, accounting for 85% of the country’s production of Pinot Grigio, and the first in the world by volume. The Consorzio delle Venezie DOC maintains 26,400ha of Pinot Grigio vines across Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto and Trento, from which 1.7 million hectolitres and 200 million bottles are produced annually, resulting in 45% of the global production.

Of these, Friuli-Venezia Giulia produces quite possibly the best examples. Here, the varietal is often vinified to render its unique copper colour, a result of lower yields. It is regularly supplemented with international varieties such as Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, although Friuli-Venezia Giulia also boasts a wide range of indigenous grape varieties such as Pignolo, Tazzelenghe, Terrano, Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, Ribolla Gialla, Picolit, Verduzzo Friulano and Friulano. The latter is the old so-called ‘Tocai’ which, since the famous legal dispute with Hungary in 2007, is now referred to as Friulano.

There is another grape, however, that is to be considered indigenous, at least on the border of the region: Vitovska originated in Slovenia but has been planted equally on both sides of the border, across Collio and Carso – since before the region was divided between the two countries. Edi Kante, based in Prepotto near Trieste, is famed for his Vitovska, a wine that has been vinified for long ageing since the 1990s.

Climate and geology

The climate in this north-eastern corner of Italy is mostly continental, with cool winters and dry, warm summers, but influenced by the Adriatic Sea to the south and sheltered from the north winds by the Prealpi Giulie mountains.

Yet more so than the climate, it is the soil that characterises the region. The eastern part, with the exception of the iron-rich and chalky soils of Carso, is mostly based on the so called ponca. Ponca is Friuli’s signature soil for top wines, found mostly throughout the eastern part of the region where Colli Orientali, part of Isonzo and Collio Goriziano can be found. Composed of marl which contains varying amounts of clay and silt in addition to sandstone, it is a kind of schist that can resemble Tuscan galestro, with friable flakes that resemble stones but crumble upon touch.

On these terrains, international varieties such as Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are overwhelmed by the profound character of the soil. Ribolla Gialla, however, is in its element here, making very different wines to those from the high yielding plains. This extremely late ripening variety is known to produce white wines that drink like red wines. The stony minerality on the nose, coupled with a vibrancy on the palate and a savoury finish enhance the experience of these wines.

Producers to watch

Friuli-Venezia Giulia is the indisputable motherland of orange wines in Italy, and arguably the world. The best site is Oslavia, a village on the border with Slovenia which has recently solicited for its own identity within the Collio. It would be the first appellation dedicated to and recognised for orange wines.

Sasa Radikon, son of the famed Stanko, is one of the producers leading the petition. His wines are sharp and concentrated, with an ever-present umami note, released only four to five years following the harvest and perfectly suited to accompany a pot roast or meats braised with wine. Primosic produce a more orthodox style of Ribolla that bathes in elegant grapefruit aromas, while Dario Princic’s is an example that straddles the two in terms of style, a perfect synthesis in my opinion of the more or less macerated styles.

On the other side of the border in Brda, Slovenia, the Kristančič family (Movia winery) and Marjan Simčič are worth tracking down for outstanding wines full of minerality.

Moving to the west, towards Pradis and Cormons, Ribolla is replaced by Friulano and Malvasia Istriana. This area is home to Edi Keber of Terre del Faet.

Recent vintages

The 2018 vintage was warm and optimistic in terms of quantity and quality, much more balanced than the dry 2017. However, the last great vintage was undeniably 2016, which was mild and dry with no extremes.

Going further back, the hot 2015 was considered great throughout the region – even in warmer vintages the top plots do not deny Friuli’s wines their striking minerality and vibrant identity.

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Wine Legend: Jermann Vintage Tunina 1997, Collio, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

Bottles produced 50,000

Composition 25% Chardonnay, 25% Sauvignon Blanc, 22% Ribolla Gialla, 23% Malvasia, 5% Picolit Yield 30hl/ha

Alcohol 13%

Release price 27,800 lire

Price today £85.40

A legend because…

Silvio Jermann has always been inventive. Although he has produced varietal wines typical of the Collio region in Friuli, he created blends from the outset.

Easily the most famous of his wines is the blend Vintage Tunina, which was first made in 1975. All the varieties used for Tunina are picked together. Yields are kept well below the generous Friuli average, and grapes are picked about two weeks later than other white varieties, to give additional richness.

The wine takes its name from both a previous owner of the property called Antonia, known by the local diminutive Tunina, and a Venetian governess of the same name who was one of Casanova’s lovers.

Looking back

The property was founded in 1881, by Jermann’s ancestors from Austria and Slovenia. Jermann is always thought of as a trendy moderniser; after completing his studies in oenology, he took a job in Canada when his father opposed changes he proposed making at the winery. Tunina, however, is a reinterpretation of a traditional blend.

Austrian growers had long produced field blends, but they were often heavy and lacked freshness. Jermann’s challenge was to retain the richness and complexity without producing a wine that would turn flabby or be prone to oxidation. He was influenced by the celebrated Friuli winemaker, Mario Schiopetto, whose wines signalled a return to purer, cleaner styles of winemaking.

The vintage

This was an excellent vintage throughout Friuli. Frost in April reduced the crop, but the summer was very dry, leading to a late harvest of very healthy grapes.

The terroir

Vintage Tunina is produced from a field blend in a vineyard that occupies 16ha on Ronco del Fortino, planted on a soil that is mostly marl and sandstone. The density is high at between 6,000 and 7,000 vines per hectare.

The wine

Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay are the major components, as well as varying doses of Ribolla Gialla, Malvasia and Picolit. The grapes are all picked together, late in the season, pressed in whole clusters, and fermented together as an authentic field blend. Temperature control is aimed at prolonging the fermentation and extracting maximum flavour.

Although there has been some discreet oak-ageing in recent years, in the 1990s Vintage Tunina was unwooded; it received a longer than usual ageing on fine lees and was bottled without cold stabilisation some months after Jermann’s other whites.

The reaction

Tunina was acclaimed by Italian wine guide Gambero Rosso as the best wine of the year, which cemented Jermann’s reputation. The 1999 edition said: ‘The 1997 confirms the greatness of this outstanding wine: a splendid nose, complex with hints of tomato leaf and mixed fruits… A comparable palate and an inexhaustible symphony of fruit flavours on a plump but elegant textural base.’

In 1999 Wine Enthusiast commented: ‘Musky, melon-like nose. Full in the mouth, lightly spicy and long on the finish. Tight now, needs time to open up and reveal its charms.’

After a vertical tasting of 30 vintages of Tunina in 2017, Jermann noted during a YouTube interview that 1979 and 1997 had particularly impressed him. Richard Baudains, also present at the tasting, was enthusiastic: ‘Nose with acacia honey, touch of sultana, tropical fruit, pressed flowers, hint of Riesling-like petrol… Big impact on the palate, ripe fleshy fruit, great progression, long complex finish.’

See more Wine Legends here.

Stretching from the Alps to the Adriatic, Friuli is home to rolling hills, picturesque villages and a wealth of boutique wine producers. Simon Woolf shares tips on how best to plan a trip...

I suspect it can be a bit slow if you’re a news reporter in Friuli. One of last year’s bigger stories was a scandal alleging the presence of illegal additives in Sauvignon Blanc. Friuli-Venezia Giulia, to use the full and rather confusing name (Venice is not part of the region), is a peaceful, genteel corner of Italy, lacking big-ticket tourist attractions and generally more concerned with agriculture and viticulture.

• Decanter travel guide to Venice & Prosecco

It wasn’t ever thus. Modern-day Italy’s most northeasterly quarter has been disputed and fought over since antiquity – by Romans, Byzantines, Venetians and Habsburgs. Although most visible scars have healed, the region remains noticeably cross-cultural: Slavic influences permeate the easterly areas, while the northerly Alpine part bordering Austria is decidedly Germanic.

For visitors seeking outstanding food and wine, and beautiful countryside, the region is a paradise. Friuli doesn’t get overrun with indiscriminate tourists, which has helped preserve a sense of authenticity and character that is harder to find in Tuscany or Piedmont. It also offers an unbeatable combination of dramatic mountain scenery, rolling vineyard vistas and idyllic Adriatic coastline.

• Spend 24 hours in Friuli

The best wine areas are concentrated around the southeastern part of the region, especially in the hilly sub-regions of Collio and Colli Orientali (collio means hill in Italian). Neighbouring Isonzo valley and Friuli Carso are also important. Udine, Cormons and Gorizia are attractive bases for a wine-themed trip. All have a certain mitteleuropa elegance, and plenty of diversions beyond wine.

• Friuli: Restaurants, hotels and shops

Planning a hypothetical north-to-south tour, you’d start in the northerly DOCG area of Ramandolo, a set of dramatic hills which starts to feel increasingly Alpine as it approaches neighbouring Austria. Centred around the Roman town of Nimis, the DOCG is solely for sweet wines, made from indigenous variety, Verduzzo Friulano.

A perfect food match

Just as the Bordelais prefer to drink Sauternes as an aperitif, so Friulians know that the honeyed, mildly tannic, high-acid Ramandolo goes best with the local Prosciutto di San Daniele (similar to Prosciutto di Parma) or with Montasio cheese. I Comelli is one of the 30 producers in the Consorzio Tutela Vini Ramandolo with excellent wines and a peaceful agriturismo near the winery (info@icomelli.com).

• The 10 rules of food and wine matching

Ramandolo DOCG is contained within the dog-leg-shaped Colli Orientali DOC, which stretches down to the plains around Cormons. Colli Orientali’s green, sweeping valleys are home to myriad small, quality-focused wineries and several different wine styles. Around the village of Prepotto, the rediscovered red variety Schioppettino is king. Ronchi di Cialla (info@ronchidicialla.com) produces elegant, refined wines from this fascinating peppery variety, not to mention a standout white blend. Antico Broilo (info@anticobroilo.com) and La Viarte (laviarte@laviarte.it) also produce excellent Schioppettino. The latter has an attractively located tasting room overlooking vineyards.

Two cult producers not to be forgotten are Le Due Terre (fortesilvana@libero.it), just outside Prepotto, and I Clivi (iclivi@gmail.com). Le Due Terre’s Schioppettino/Refosco blend Sacrisassi would surely be a first growth if it were in Bordeaux. I Clivi has vineyards in both Colli Orientali and Collio, and specialises in stunning, long-aged white wines, made mainly from Friulano.

Many of these wineries are family estates where you’ll be tasting at the winemaker’s kitchen table. Most are happy to receive a small number of guests, provided that you make arrangements in advance – so do be sure to email or phone ahead.

Local pride

The bucolic rolling hills of Collio are not only some of the region’s most beautiful – they also harbour some of its most iconic winemakers. Fierce independence is characteristic here, as cultural identity must transcend the nonsensical border drawn after World War II. This has left families and vineyards artificially parcellated between Friuli Collio on one side and Slovenian Goriška Brda on the other.

The hillsides surrounding San Floriano and Oslavia provide the perfect terroir for Ribolla Gialla, a thick-skinned white variety that can be very neutral when vinified as a fresh, young wine, but becomes complex, regal and thrilling when made as a vino bianco macerato – an orange wine, to use the now-popular term for white wines made with long skin contact. The Oslavia area is a hotbed for this style, and you’ll find seminal producers such as Radikon (info@radikon.it), Gravner (info@gravner.it) and Dario Prinˇciˇc dotted around its twisting lanes. These are all Slovenian families, fluent in Italian and Slovene but not necessarily English.

For a reminder of why Friuli rose to fame as the go-to region for pure, varietal white wines, head to Borgo del Tiglio (info@borgodeltiglio.it), where Nicola Manferrari produces refined, delicate expressions of the important local varieties Friulano and Malvasia Istriana, in addition to Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

While the Collio is primarily famous for its whites, the Isonzo valley provides alluvial plains and clay soils that are perfect for the region’s red grapes. Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are popular, and with good reason as they can be very successful. Easy-going, herbaceous Refosco, and the fierce, rather wild Pignol are indigenous varieties to seek out. Fulvio Bressan’s (info@bressanwines.com) Pignol is one of the most characterful and ageworthy around.

Heading south from the Collio down the tiny strip of Adriatic coastline towards Trieste brings you to another different landscape, and the region’s only formal wine route. The limestone hills that form the Carso plateau are heavily wooded, and everything feels a little bit wilder here.

Enclave of individuals

Friuli’s second Prepotto – the one in Carso rather than the one in Colli Orientali – is home to a clutch of highly individual and accomplished winemakers. Sandi Skerk (info@skerk.com) and Benjamin Zidarich (info@zidarich.it) are masters of low-intervention winemaking. Both produce highly accomplished white blends made with long skin macerations, and individual expressions of the local Terrano – a nervy red variety with tannins and acid that need a skilled winemaker to tame them. Skerk, Zidarich and their illustrious neighbour Edi Kante (kante@kante.it) all have extraordinary cellars cut into the limestone rock.

The mild climate, moderated both by the Alps and the Adriatic, isn’t just beneficial for grapes, but also for visitors. Friuli is particularly beautiful in October – and visitors at this time can pencil in Ein Prosit, a major wine and gastronomy festival set in the jaw-droppingly beautiful alpine village of Malborghetto.

If you prefer the summer sun, and you’re not a vegetarian, consider visiting San Daniele for Aria di Festa at the end of June, an entire festival dedicated to the town’s lip-smacking, eponymous ham.

• Wine festivals guide: Where to go in 2016

There couldn’t be a better demonstration of the priorities in Friuli – if Slow Food celebrates all that is traditional and regional, slow tourism would appear to sum up the visiting experience perfectly.

Writer, columnist and natural wine specialist, Simon Woolf won the 2015 Born Digital Award for work on his blog, www.themorningclaret.com.

Simon Woolf plans a perfect day of food and wine for your 24 hours in Friuli...

Morning

After breakfast at the peaceful Colli di Poianis agriturismo, drive 15 minutes into Cividale del Friuli. Perched on a ravine created by the river Natisone, Cividale is crammed full of medieval history, plus some excellent shopping opportunities.

• Decanter travel guide: Friuli, Italy

Energised by a mid-morning café in Cividale’s main square, drive to Ronchi di Cialla, set in one of the Colli Orientali’s prettiest valleys. You’ll meet the Rapuzzi family, the saviours of Schioppettino from obscurity and producers of some of the best wines in the region.

Lunch

From here it’s a short hop to the village of Prepotto, to refuel at Trattoria da Mario. Your only challenge is to exercise enough restraint to justify dinner later on.

• Friuli: Restaurants, hotels and shops

Afternoon

After lunch, drive 30 minutes to San Floriano, high in the Collio hills. Il Carpino is one of a clutch of small producers around the village who make ‘orange wines’. Franco’s tasting room is the perfect place for a masterclass on long skin maceration.

A few minutes away is the town of Oslavia. Try to catch dusk as you ascend the war memorial tower just outside the town. The incredible vista of rolling hills and vineyards before you is a patchwork of Italy and Slovenia.

Evening and overnight

After a scenic 30-minute drive, finish with dinner at Terra & Vini, an osteria in Brazzano which also acts as front of house for world-famous winery, Livio Felluga. Although wines by the glass are limited to Felluga, the full list offers a varied selection from Friuli Collio, as does the ensuite enoteca. The food is traditional, uncomplicated and quite exquisite.

If you’re feeling very lazy, Terra & Vini has well-appointed rooms above the restaurant, but only a five-minute stroll away is the charming agriturismo Zorzon. The rooms and apartments back onto jawdroppingly beautiful Collio vineyards and a small church.

Plan your trip to Friuli with Simon Woolf's pick of the best Friuli restaurants, hotels and shops...

Friuli accommodation

Agriturismo Colli di Poianis, Prepotto

Maura and Gabriele offer generously sized apartments in a peaceful location just a few kilometres away from Prepotto. You’ll sample Maura’s baking and passion for local, artisanal foods at breakfast. A wine tasting and tour of the estate is also highly recommended. www.collidipoianis.it

• Decanter travel guide: Friuli, Italy

Agriturismo Paraschos, San Floriano del Collio

Set in a wonderful location overlooking the vineyards of San Floriano del Collio, these modern, stylish and spacious rooms are directly above the estate’s cellars. Don’t miss the Paraschos family’s excellent wines, including some made in amphorae along the same lines as Josko Gravner’s. www.paraschos.it

Relais Lis Neris, San Lorenzo Isontino

Situated in the middle of Friuli Isonzo, in the small village of San Lorenzo Isontino, an old farm courtyard has been lovingly restored by the Pecorari family to provide four sizeable, comfortable apartments. Everything at this estate is done with style and panache, including the wines. If you thought Pinot Gris was boring, everyday stuff, let Alvaro Pecorai change that impression forever. www.lisneris.it/en/relais

Palazzo Lantieri, Gorizia

Set in a stately 14th-century courtyard right in the centre of Gorizia, these grand but characterful rooms and apartments have gorgeous parquet floors and vintage furniture. Breakfast is also rather special. www.palazzo-lantieri.com

• Spend 24 hours in Friuli

Friuli restaurants

Orsone, Cividale del Friuli

Joe and Lidia Bastianich opened this smart, cosmopolitan restaurant and bar in 2013. Situated right by their winery, close to Cividale del Friuli, the modern European cooking is top notch, as is the service. The sommelier is truly outstanding – let her suggest creative wine matches. www.orsone.com

Osteria d’Alchemista, Gorizia

Despite the name, this is a wine bar buried in the back streets. Owner Stefano specialises in natural wines and has some real treasures. Graze on local meats and cheeses, and catch some live music. www.facebook.com/Osteria-Lalchimista-1467327083558687

Osteria di Ramandolo

Clinging to one of Ramandolo’s higher peaks, this osteria allows a wonderful view of the Monte Bernadia hills, plus some very good eating. Decidedly upper-class cooking, with clever twists on traditional Friulian dishes. The wine list is varied and similarly original. www.osteriadiramandolo.it

Trattoria da Mario, Enoteca dello Schioppettino, Prepotto

There’s no better place for a good lunch than this unpretentious eatery. Cosy, warm and inviting, the food and the interior are as traditional as it gets. Even better, it has a superb selection of the local Schioppettino di Prepotto to sample by the glass or bottle. www.enotecaschioppettino.it

Friuli shops

Al Ponte, La Botteguccia dei Sapori, Cividale del Friuli

Although this delicatessen is tiny, it’s absolutely stuffed full of local, artisanal products – think fine olive oils, cured meats, pastries and outstanding honey. bottegucciadeisapori.oneminutesite.it

Covered market, Gorizia

Housed in an elegant market building on the Corso Verdi, the stalls here offer seasonal, local vegetables, cheese, meats, seafood and more. This is very much a living, breathing part of the city, not a chi-chi tourist attraction. Open Monday to Friday mornings and Saturday all day.

Drink again. As Stephen Brook found on a recent trip to Friuli, there is a nucleus of winemakers crafting Pinot Grigios on the slopes of Friuli with more poise and persistence than its bland alter-ego ever had.

Friuli Venezia Giulia is a vast region, taking in the flat alluvial lands around Pordenone and Udine in the west, and the maritime flatlands of Aquiliea and Latisana near the huge Marano Lagoon. Here the wines tend to be well made but, with a few exceptions, they rarely rise to great heights. The problem is one of yields: at least 75 hectolitres/ hectare and thus not ludicrously high, but high enough to limit ripening and flavour. (An IGT Pinot Grigio can be cropped at up to 190hl/ha. Water indeed.) The wines tend to be characterised by blandness. Even Marco Rabino of Ca’ Bolani, one of the largest producers, admits that its Pinot Grigio is made to be drunk within two years.

The best zones for the variety in Friuli are Colli Orientali, Collio and the northern part of Isonzo. They have excellent soils and microclimates, but also a large number of producers who take Pinot Grigio seriously, even though they may differ in the styles they aim for. The main difference between these three zones and those further south and west such as Grave and Aquileia is that they are mostly hilly: the soils tend to be marl and limestone, and growers can choose the right slopes and expositions to ensure full ripeness at moderate yields.

See Stephen Brook’s 13 top Friuli Pinot Grigio wines:

With Decanter's tasting of fine wines from Fruili Venezia Giulia coming up on October 22, Italian expert Peter McCombie MW offers an insight into this fantastic winemaking region and helps identify the range of both local and imported grape varieties said to produce the country's best dry whites. For more information about the tasting and to book tickets, click here.

For someone who may not have heard of Friuli wines or the region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, can you explain a little bit about where it is in Italy and in relation to the countries bordering it?

It’s right up in the top right hand corner, bordering Austria, Slovenia and Croatia

Can you explain a bit of the history and tradition of Friuli winemaking? They’re said to have been making wine there in the Roman times…

There’s a long history, like most of Italy but its geographical position plus the influence of its neighbours means they have a lot of French grapes (brought by Napoleon’s troops) and share grapes with the Slovenes and Croats and winemaking has some Germanic and Slavic influences. It’s a merry mash-up. In the sixties they embraced hi-tech stainless steel winemaking, then had a bit of a love affair with barrels, today things have settled down a bit and they are working on gaining weight an richness – and longevity – without excessive oak.

What is the region like in terms of DOCs and DOCGs? How is it split up?

There are 10 DOCs, 4 DOCGs and 3 IGTs, but there are three that are especially important for dry whites and reds: Collio, Colli Orientali del Friuli and Isonzo. Usefully they often – but not always, use varietal labelling along with the DOC.

How do the region’s weather patterns and terroir affect the wines?

It can be quite warm, but the Mediterranean breezes have a cooling effect and the cold, dry Bora is important in ventilating the grapes especially in Isonzo. Soils on the plains are gravelly but calcareous marl is significant in the hilly Collio and Colli Orientali.

Friuli wines may not be the most well-known outside of Italy, or perhaps outside of Europe, but they’re said to be the best whites in Italy? Is this true? Why are they not more famous?

They are certainly among the best dry whites in Italy. I suspect they are not more famous because the area is not that well known in the wider world, although it should be. Because they have a lot of French grapes I suspect sometimes people dismiss them as wannabes, but the native grapes can make delicious wines.

For me, blends of several grapes are some of Friuli’s most successful wines, but they have ‘fantasy names’ that have low consumer recognition. Finally the wines really are food wines, they really shine when paired with food, so they are harder to taste and enjoy on their own

Because of the small vineyard yield, (said to be the lowest in Italy) there is a massive emphasis on the quest for high quality over quantity, is this true? Is this also why Friuli whites tend to be more costly than other Italian whites?

They are expensive, because hillside vineyard work is expensive and yields are relatively low

How would you describe a Friuli white to someone who has never tried one? What should they taste like?

It’s hard to generalise too much but they should be fresh, lightly aromatic, with good weight and a dry, textural palate.

There are also, or at least have been at one time over 150 different grape varieties in the region – can you explain the main varieties that are used today? Both native and introduced…

The local Friulano manages the third most-planted status, in a top six that otherwise consists of French Pinot Gris (AKA Grigio), Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc. Friulano is mildly aromatic, with a dry (almondy) fruit character and salty minerality. Alongside Friulano there are a number of intriguing and distinctive native varieties.

Ribolla Gialla has an 800-year history in Friuli, where it performs best in the Oslavia and Rosazzo subzones of Collio and Colli Orientali respectively. With its delicate floral aromas, high natural acidity and relatively light body it makes an attractive aperitif or partner for lighter fish and seafood. More ambitious versions are capable of aging.

Verduzzo Friulano comes in dry and sweet versions. Dry can have a challenging edge of astringency and it can make a valuable blending component. It is mostly grown in Colli Orientali.

Ramandolo at the northern end of those hills produces the best sweet examples, attractively honeyed, if not hugely complex.

Picolit appears as a varietal wine in the Colli Orientali del Friuli DOC, along with Ribolla Gialla and Verduzzo, but it is prized locally for the quality of the dessert wine it produces and has two DOCGs dedicated to its production in Udine province. A shy yielder it has stone fruit aromas and moderate sweetness.

Carso, bordering Croatia is home to Vitovska whose enthusiasts find floral aromas, pears and sage and flavours of stone fruit and minerality.

Refosco Dal Peduncolo Rosso makes juicy reds, with blue-black fruit favours, an herbal undertone and fresh acidity.

Schioppettino (literally “little crack” or “gunshot”) is a deliciously aromatic grape, producing wines sometimes reminiscent of the northern Rhone. Tannic in youth with spice, pepper and violet notes interlaced with ripe fruit flavors, the wines need cellaring.

Pignolo (literally ‘fussy’) is a rare, low-yielding grape. With deep colour and considerable richness it has tremendous potential, both as a varietal and as a blending grape.

Tazzelenghe (literally ‘cuts the tongue’) produces a fruity yet tannic wine that will mellow with age, while retaining its fruitiness.

Like Vitovska, Terrano is only found on the limestone plateau of Carso, where it likes terra rossa soils. A sub-variety of Refosco it is normally made for early drinking.

Are most Friuli wines single varietal or blends? Is one more popular than the other?

Mostly single varietals, but some very good blends

As well as Friuli whites they region also produces red varieties? Are these also stand-out wines?

Until recently I think the Bordeaux varieties often struggled to achieve full ripeness in Friuli. Now they do achieve ripeness while retaining an attractive herb-tinged freshness. In addition the key native red grapes, mentioned above, are beginning to look very exciting.

Why should someone taste Friuli wines?

Because they taste great!

For more information about the Fruili Venezia Giulia tasting and to book tickets, click here.

See Decanter’s travel guide to Friuli

See Andrea Briccarello’s top Friuli whites

Written by Decanter

With sea and mountain vistas and diverse local foods, this north- eastern corner of Italy makes an ideal spot for relaxed, uncrowded wine touring, says Carla Capalbo. Read her Friuli travel guide here, first published in the Decanter April 2012 issue.

Friuli fact file:

DOC vineyard areas: Collio: 1,319ha; Isonzo: 1,164ha; Carso: 58ha

Main grapes:

Collio:  Pinot Grigio (330ha); Sauvignon (251ha); Friulano (206ha); Chardonnay (122ha); Merlot (103ha); Ribolla Gialla (81ha).

Isonzo:  Pinot Grigio (210ha); Friulano (178ha); Sauvignon (154ha); Merlot (153ha); Chardonnay (121ha); Cabernet Franc (100ha).

Carso:  Malvasia Istriana (16ha); Cabernet Sauvignon (9ha); Vitovska (8ha).

Quick links:

– Six of the best wineries to visit

– Where to stay, shop, eat and relax

Walking down Gorzia’s tree-lined avenues, flanked by period villas and attractive gardens, you could be forgiven for thinking you’re in Vienna or Paris rather than a provincial city in north-east Italy. Considered the ‘Austrian Nice’ of the Habsburg empire, Gorizia’s mild climate and multicultural atmosphere have always made it an eclectic, lively trading centre. Ever a frontier town, Gorizia was divided in the 20th century between Yugoslavia, Italy and Slovenia. After Slovenia joined the EU in 2004, the border guards finally left a few years later. The area’s wines were well known to the Austrians, who had them shipped, along with cherries and other fruits, to Vienna in the 19th century. Several great winemaking areas fan out from the town. Gorizia sits nestled under the Julian Alps in the Collio hills, which have long been recognised for their fine wines on both sides of the border. The Isonzo river plain and plateau, a special terroir for wines, stretches from Gorizia towards the Adriatic Sea, while the Carso hills, extending south from Gorizia to Trieste, provide another distinct area for their uniquely rocky, limestone soils.

• See more Decanter travel guides to Italy

Gorizia and Collio

Gorizia makes a great starting point for a wine holiday in eastern Friuli-Venezia Giulia. This area is full of interest yet still quite untouristy, and you can get there easily by car from Venice airport in less than 90 minutes, and from Trieste airport in 45 minutes. Gorizia is readily walkable, with a colourful market at its heart and many European style cafés and restaurants. Then it’s just a short drive out of town to the heart of wine country, where it’s easy to visit small, family-run wineries and their vineyards. Many offer agriturismo, with B&B or meals; most welcome visits if pre-arranged.

The wines in this area don’t conform to any house style. Friuli is known particularly for its fine whites, yet they vary from pale, steely, dry styles through more structured barrel-aged wines, to the ‘orange’ wines made through long macerations that are now popular. This freedom of interpretation has created a dynamic range that rewards tasters and travellers alike. Red wine enthusiasts will find plenty, too, whether from well-known French varieties that have been cultivated here for more than a century, or from local varieties such as Pignolo, Refosco or Carso’s intense Terrano.

The Collio, on the Italian side of the border, is easy to explore (the corresponding wine area in Slovenia is called Brda). It’s a crescent of soft hills whose slopes lend themselves to viticulture. Small estates are interspersed with woods, villages, castles and occasional olive groves. The northerly climate is mitigated by the sea. Close to Gorizia, the village of Oslavia was at the heart of both 20th century world wars, as its monumental ossuary attests. Oslavia has become a centre for strong- stanced winemakers: Josko Gravner pioneered wines in amphorae using native grapes Ribolla Gialla and Pignolo; Stanko Radikon is committed to sulphite-free winemaking. Other producers in this vein include La Castellada, Damijan Podversic, Dario Princic and Paraschos.

Heading south

Halfway along the Collio crescent sits the handsome town of Cormòns, surrounded by the wine crus of Zegla, Pradis, Plessiva and Brazzano. Here terrific wines are made from Pinot Grigio, Malvasia Istriana and Sauvignon Blanc, as well as Friulano (formerly known as Tocai). It’s worth meandering along the wine roads here, with the mountains of Slovenia and the higher Alps as an impressive backdrop.

The valley of the Isonzo river, which flows past Gorizia on its way from Slovenia to the sea, appears flat to the eye. Yet a slight rise is enough to differentiate its terroirs: the best is on a low plateau with soils as pebble studded as the Médoc’s. The minerality they confer can be read in the wines of its top producers, from Lis Neris to Borgo San Daniele, Vie di Romans, Bressan, Ronco del Gelso and Drius. Don’t miss a trip to Gradisca d’Isonzo, a lovely small town built by the Venetians as a bastion against the Ottomans. Its ancient castle is just a block from the area’s largest wine store.

Take a local map when you go up into the narrow strip of Carso hills that follows the coast down to Trieste. This is a wilder, thickly wooded area studded with boulders of white and rust-veined limestone. Here vineyards are enclosed by sturdy stone walls to keep animals out. Restaurant food features game and Slovenian mountain dishes as well as distinctive Carso cheeses. The local grape, Vitovska, is gaining notoriety thanks to a handful of producers, notably Vodopivec, Skerk, Kante and Zidarich. In their hands, this wonderful grape produces mineral, amber-tinged whites with perfumes of figs, honey and dates.

From here it’s just a hop to Trieste, the capital of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, the grand city at the gateway between Italy and the east. It’s still easy to imagine Trieste’s lively cultural milieu that attracted the great minds of the 19th century.

How to get there:

Fly to Trieste: (Ronchi dei Legionari Airport), then it’s a 45-minute drive to the vineyards.

By plane to Venice: (Marco Polo Airport), then it’s a 90-minute drive to the vineyards.

Written by Decanter

Next page

With sea and mountain vistas and diverse local foods, this north- eastern corner of Italy makes an ideal spot for relaxed, uncrowded wine touring, says Carla Capalbo. Read her Friuli travel guide here, first published in the Decanter April 2012 issue.

Friuli: Six of the best wineries to visit

Take a look at Decanter’s pick of the best six wineries to visit in Friuli.

☆ Paolo Caccese

Paolo and Veronica Caccese run a model, rose-covered winery at Pradis, surrounded by sloping vineyards of the Collio’s best white varieties. The Caccese style is pure and mineral – make sure you try the terrific Malvasia Istriana. paolocaccese.it

☆ Radikon

A pioneer of natural, sulphite-free winemaking, Stanko Radikon is one of Oslavia’s great characters and has a great following among connoisseurs. His small cellar is always full of unusual wines. Try his long-macerated whites and fantastic Merlot. radikon.it

☆ Ronco del Gelso

Fifth-generation farmers, the Badìn family produces some of Isonzo’s most interesting Pinot Grigio and Malvasia from its welcoming winery, on the road from Cormòns to Gorizia. roncodelgelso.com

☆ Lis Neris

Alvaro Pecorari has been a pioneer of Isonzo wines, as his lovely estate at San Lorenzo Isontino attests. His pure wines cover a range of varieties from the plateau – Gris, his oaked Pinot Grigio, was a four-star recommendation in Decanter (March 2011). lisneris.it

☆ Benjamin Zidarich

Zidarich is one of the leading lights on the Carso winemaking scene, and uses a spectacular cellar hewed from the limestone mountain for ageing his fine wines. Try his Vitovska, Malvasia and local red Terrano. zidarich.it

☆ Vodopivec

The Vodopivec brothers can be thanked for putting Vitovska (especially as an orange wine) securely on Italy’s map of wonderful varieties. Their walled vineyards are testament to the difficulty of working the rugged Carso terrain. vodopivec.it

Next page Previous page

With sea and mountain vistas and diverse local foods, this north- eastern corner of Italy makes an ideal spot for relaxed, uncrowded wine touring, says Carla Capalbo. Read her Friuli travel guide here, first published in the Decanter April 2012 issue.

Friuli: Where to stay, shop, eat and relax

Winery hotels, local and traditional foods – and a fairytale castle, see Decanter’s recommendations for the best places to sleep, dine, drink and shop in Friuli.

Hotels

Borgo San Daniele

Centrally located in Cormòns, this lovely winery has beautifully appointed rooms. Its attractive indoor and outdoor spaces will make you want to stay home as much as go travelling. borgosandaniele.it

Grand Hotel Entourage

In central Gorizia, this elegant hotel is in a noble 16th-century palazzo whose former guests included the Bourbon royal family. The wine bar, Il Vinattiere, is excellent. entouragegorizia.com

Urban Hotel Design

To explore Trieste on foot, spend a few nights at this central hotel. The modern décor is cleverly fitted into a handsome 18th century palazzo. urbanhotel.it

Russiz Superiore

Roberto Felluga has recently opened a luxurious six-room relais at his classic winery in the heart of the Collio. It’s surrounded by vineyards with views of the Julian Alps. marcofelluga.it

Bars and Restaurants

Devetak Trattoria

Sample authentic Slovenian and Carso dishes at this characterful, family-run restaurant in the woods of the Carso hills. There are also eight rooms for those wanting to stay over. devetak.com

Enoteca la Serenissima

In Gradisca d’Isonzo’s elegant central piazza, this wine bar and shop features the region’s top wines in a palazzo built in 1485. Go for a drink or to buy wine and artisan foods from the area. enotecalaserenissima.it

Majda

Gorizia’s favourite restaurant. Have a drink before or after dinner at the lounge-style wine bar, then cross the courtyard to the cosy trattoria where Majda Cicigoj and daughter Katiusa excel at mittel-European, Italian and Slovenian food. Via Duca d’Aosta, 71; Tel: +39 0481 30871

Scabar

Perched high on a Trieste hill in a quiet street, Scabar is the place for pairing the freshest local seafood with the area’s most distinctive wines. Just a short cab ride from the town centre. scabar.it

Trattoria al Cacciatore de la Subida

Josko Sirk’s great restaurant near Cormòns is a must for top-quality traditional and local food. The homey atmosphere, family service, excellent ingredients and attention to detail will make this a highpoint. A fabulous wine list complete this very pretty picture. You can also stay here, in the well-appointed agriturismo. lasubida.it

Shops

Dario Zidarich cheese

The Carso’s limestone mountains are riddled with grottos that make perfect ageing cellars for cheese. Zidarich uses mountain-climbing gear to get to his, made from the milk of cows fed on local grasses. Prepotto 36; Tel: +39 0402 01178

Gelateria Udevalla

This Trieste ice cream shop is a must for gelatophiles. It’s a little hard to find (take a map with you and check the opening hours before going), but it’s well worth the trip for up to 60 flavours of handmade, seasonal, artisanal gelati. udevalla.com

Activities

Duino castle

This magnificent castle, on the sea near Trieste, was the private abode of Princess Marie von Thurn und Taxis. The poet Rainer Maria Rilke began his famous elegies there in 1912. The castle interior and park can be visited, and there is even an apartment for rent on the property. www.castellodiduino.it

Market

Gorizia’s elegant covered market in the centre of town is worth a visit to either wander or pick up supplies. Open Monday to Friday mornings and Saturday all day. Corso Verdi

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Video highlights from Decanter's Friuli Venezia Giulia trade tasting at the Institute of Directors in London

Written by John Abbott

Playlist 20 Videos

Video: Decanter's Friuli Venezia Giulia tasting 02:04

SWA: Essential guide to Spanish Garnacha - Jane Parkinson 06:09

SWA: Altitude in Spanish wines - Helena Nicklin 03:56

SWA: Journey through the Spanish Landscape - Susy Atkins 06:55

SWA: Ageworthy whites from Spain - Sarah Jane Evans MW 11:36

The rich diversity of Spanish wines 09:12

Decanter Fine Wine Encounter 2017 01:25

DWWA 2017 Judging Week video 01:58

How to taste en primeur wines 00:00

Decanter Fine Wine Encounter 2016: Discovery Theatres 01:00

Decanter Fine Wine Encounter 2016 02:24

Video: How to make mulled wine for Christmas 04:12

2016 Decanter Shanghai Fine Wine Encounter consumer video 02:22

California Wines Green Tour - Promotion 01:06

California road trip video - Promotion 01:26

California Wines Food Tour - Promotion 01:01

Discover California wines - Promotion 03:03

Mouton Rothschild gives label artist Lee Ufan a cellar tour 01:37

Decanter Shanghai Fine Wine Encounter 2015 video highlights 03:55

Vintage Video: How to handle a wine - episode 3 03:14

In just over a week, 30 of the finest producers in one of Italy's most remarkable wine regions will be pouring their wines in London exclusively for Decanter.

Friuli Venezia Guilia, bordered by both Austria and Slovenia, has long been one of Italy’s most fascinating and diverse wine regions.

Its white wines are famed both for their crisp elegance and – in the case of many producers – their extraordinary oxidative qualities.

Now Decanter Events presents a superb opportunity to taste the wines and meet the people who make them, at an evening tasting at the Institute of Directors in London’s Pall Mall.

Such renowned producers as Castello di Buttrio, Fondazione Villa Russiz, Ronco del Gelso, Colutta Giorgiok, Tercic Matijaz and Petrussa will be present.

Many of these are celebrated for their local varietals. Tercic Matijaz, for example, is on the Slovenian border in the easternmost part of northern Italy, and works with Ribolla Gialla and Friulano, while Petrussa will be offering Ribolla Nera, Verduzzo Friulano and Tocai Friulano.

In all 30 producers will be present at the tasting, which takes place at the Institute of Directors, London SW1, on Monday 24 October 2011. It is open to members of the wine trade during the day and held open exclusively for Decanter readers from 6.30 to 8.30 in the evening.

See the full list of exhibitors and book your tickets here.

Written by Decanter.com staff

The area of Friuli is no longer synonomous only with white wines – its reds are getting better and better, and the dessert wines are a well-kept secret. Discover the region through the wines of these top names, urges RICHARD BAUDAINS.

Friuli is a region of grower-producers, hands-on winemaking and a diversity of grape varieties and wine styles. The area of Friuli is famous for its dry whites, but is also getting serious about reds. Its best-kept secrets are the micro-productions of unique, traditional dessert wines. The wealth of talent in the area means that there are at least two candidates for every place in a list of top wineries. This selection of upcoming and established names is representative, but far from exhaustive.

Rising Stars

Bressan NEREO, Farra d’Isonzo

This independent-minded producer is a real discovery for anyone whose taste buds are crying out for a break from global-village winemaking. Do not expect early-drinking styles. Fulvio Bressan’s whites mature for two years in oak, and his reds for up to six, before he considers them ready for bottling.

Bressan uses the now generally abandoned blend of Tocai, Malvasia and Ribolla for the intriguing Carat, and is one of the few producers in the area of Friuli to make a dry, white Verduzzo. The reds include a blend of Pinot Nero, Cabernet Sauvignon and Schioppettino (rather enigmatically named No 3 Vintage), and a monovarietal Pinot Nero that, in the current vintage, has few equals in Italy.

Pick of current releases: Verduzzo Friulano IGT 2002; Pinot Nero IGT 2001; No 3 Vintage IGT 2000

Contact: +39 0481 888131

Tenuta Villanova, Villanova di Farra

Founded in 1499 and under the same family ownership for the past 75 years, Tenuta Villanova is not exactly a newcomer. What is new and exciting at Villanova are the wines, the product of an ambitious restructuring programme that aims to lift the 105ha (hectare) estate out of a rut and reposition it among the high flyers. The long-term strategy focuses on replanting but, meanwhile, changes in the vineyard management and winemaking are already making an impact. The structure, fruit and aroma emerge across the whole range, from the good-value Isonzo Bianco to one of the best Sauvignons released this year.

Pick of current releases: Friuli Isonzo Bianco 2004; Friuli Isonzo Tocai 2004; Collio Sauvignon Ronco Cucco 2004

Contact: www.tenutavillanova.com

Damijan Podversic, Gorizia

There is no conventional label for the type of wine that Damijan Podversic makes. Inspired by amphora-wine guru Josko Gravner, Damijan pushes non-interventionalism to its limits, reducing the winemaking process to the bare essentials, and leaving the rest up to nature. He believes, like Gravner, that extract is indispensable for whites as well as reds. His white wines are macerated for 30 days at cellar temperatures, and matured for two years in wood before being bottled, unfiltered, with their lees. Conventional wisdom suggests that white wines made in this way would be oxidised, volatile and loaded with unpalatable tannins. In fact, they are as fresh as a daisy and irresistibly drinkable.

https://www.decanter.com/premium/producer-profile-gravner-381970/

Pick of current releases: Kaplja Bianco IGT 2002; Ribolla Gialla IGT 2002

Contact: +39 0481 78217

Established producers

Borgo del Tiglio, Cormons

Tasting new Borgo vintages, you have the impression of peeling away layers of aroma and never getting to the heart of Nicola Manferrari’s wines. The producer is reticent about his methods. The one thing he does talk passionately about is terroir. And when you get around to the older vintages, it is the terroir flavour that stands out, the element that Manferrari has spent the past 25 years studying. Borgo del Tiglio wines are complex, concentrated and long-living.

https://www.decanter.com/features/orange-wines-it-s-time-to-get-in-touch-245524/

Pick of current releases: Collio Bianco Ronco della Chiesa 2003; Collio Malvasia 2002; Collio Rosso della Centa 2001

Contact: +39 0481 62166

Dorigo, Buttrio

Girolamo Dorigo’s eclectic production in the area of Friuli, which consists of no fewer than 18 different wines, reflects dual poles of attraction. On the one hand, Dorigo makes Friuli’s only serious Champagne-method sparkler, a Burgundy-inspired Chardonnay and a classy Bordeaux blend. On the other, he makes full-on and totally authentic-tasting versions of the traditional wines of the Colli Orientali. He is the leading producer of the legendary dessert wine Picolit, and the long-living Pignolo, which he was responsible for saving from extinction. The arrival of Dorigo’s son, Alessio, as winemaker has ironed out the occasional lapses of style of the late 1990s, and the polished range now offers admirable consistency as well as diversity.

Pick of current releases: Colli Orientali del Friuli Pignolo 2001; Colli Orientali del Friuli Sauvignon Ronc di Juri 2003

Contact: www.montsclapade.com

Lis Neris, San Lorenzo Isontino

Lis Neris is known principally for the series of white varieties produced by Alvaro Pecorari through the 1990s. The new developments are wines that go beyond the monovarietal dimension towards Alvaro’s personal expression of the terroir of the upper Isonzo. Lis is a late-harvested blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio, while Confini challenges preconceptions with the union of Pinot Grigio, Riesling and Traminer. Depth and mellow, aromatic complexity are the key notes of both cuvées. And Alvaro’s Pinot Grigio (called Gris) remains the area of Friuli most refined example of a grape variety that only the most talented producers manage to lift above the level of commercial banality.

Pick of current releases: Pinot Grigio Gris IGT 2003; Chardonnay Jurosa IGT 2003; Lis Bianco IGT 2003

Contact: www.lisneris.it

Livio Felluga, Brazzano

Livio Felluga laid the foundations of this top Colli Orientali winery with far-sighted vineyard acquisitions, in a period when large-scale direct growing was rare in the area of Friuli. Still family-owned and run today, the 135ha estate guarantees a size of production that gives its elegant labels a visibility denied to many of the region’s smaller wineries. Intelligent restyling has shaken off the conservative image that followed the company through the 1990s, and given the wines wider appeal. Terre Alte, one of the historic white cuvées of the region, remains the stand-out, although it has been joined by the oak-fermented Pinot Bianco Illivio.

Pick of current releases: Colli Orientali del Friuli Rosazzo Bianco Terre Alte 2003; Colli Orientali Rosazzo Rosso Riserva Sassò 2001

Russiz Superiore, Capriva

Marco Felluga is the indefatigable elder statesman of Friuli wine, a driving force in local institutions and head of a family firm that is one of the traditional leaders in the region. Felluga owns and manages three different properties, each with its own production. Castello di Buttrio concentrates on the DOC varietals of the Colli Orientali while, at Gradisca, they grow an extensive range of red and white wines for the Marco Felluga label.

Russiz Superiore is the prestige estate. Located in the heart of the Collio hills at Capriva, its wines demonstrate the structure, balance and longevity that puts Friuli into top international class. Sauvignon and Tocai are the focus varieties, but the Pinot Bianco and the Collio Bianco Disôre are also excellent.

Pick of current releases: Russiz Superiore Collio Sauvignon 2004; Russiz Superiore Collio Pinot Bianco 2004

Contact: www.marcofelluga.it

Schiopetto, Capriva

A gentle wind of change is blowing at the estate that Carlo, Giorgio and Maria Angela have inherited from their father, Mario, one of the founders of modern winemaking in Friuli. The familiar, long- necked Rhine bottles have gone, and the range has been rationalised. Schiopetto used to produce 17 different wines. Now, by eliminating minor varieties, the range has been streamlined to eight. Terroir studies have led to replanting and new site selection for key cultivars like Tocai and Pinot Bianco. As for style, consultant oenologist Donato Lanati has added a touch of depth and complexity, while maintaining the canons of elegance and varietal character established by the late Mario Schiopetto.

Pick of current releases: Collio Tocai 2004; Blanc des Rosis Bianco IGT 2004

Contact: www.schiopetto.it

Vie di Romans, Mariano del Friuli

Gianfranco Gallo was one of the group of talented young producers dubbed locally as the ‘Isonzo Boys’ who, in the 1990s, brought passion to winemaking in this previously sleepy DOC zone.

Ten years on, Gianfranco has not tired of new challenges. Having helped create the reputation of new-wave Isonzo for Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, this year in the area of Friuli he returns to more local varieties with new releases made from Tocai and Malvasia Istriana.

Pick of current releases: Friuli Isonzo Chardonnay Vie di Romans 2003; Friuli Isonzo Pinot Grigio Dessimis 2003; Friuli Isonzo Malvasia Istriana Dis Cumieris 2003

Contact: www.viederomans.it

Richard Baudains is based in the area of Friuli.

With a new direct plane route from London, the region of Friuli is becoming a fashionable destination. Off the beaten Italian tourist track, it is rich with history and beautiful scenery, says CARLA CAPALBO.

It’s a perfect harvest day, clear and warm, and the vineyards of Zamò below the Abbazia di Rosazzo are alive with groups of pickers and the buzz of tractors chugging their loads of green grapes back to the cellars. We’re in the region of Friuli, the northeastern part of Italy.

‘For 2,000 years, this was the line that divided east from west, the Slavic and the Orthodox churches from ours,’ says Don Dino Pezzetta, the abbey’s resident priest, as he points across the valley to Slovenia a few fields away. The handsome 10th-century Abbazia, with its frescoed cloisters and decorative rose gardens peopled with statues, is strategically placed at this intersection of cultures: Austria is an hour’s drive to the north, with Hungary beyond it, and Trieste is close by to the south, where the sea opens out towards Croatia or Venice. ‘Now, thanks to the expansions, we find ourselves in the very heart of the new Europe,’ he adds, smiling contentedly.

https://www.decanter.com/wine-travel/italy/decanter-travel-guide-friuli-italy-25890/

Rosazzo – whose most prestigious producers include the pioneering Livio Felluga – is also at the heart of an oenological unification project. The region of Friuli is justly famous for its crisp whites of Tocai Friulano, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio, but the region itself is relatively unexplored by tourists. In order to right this balance, a group of seven small comuni, or townships, within the province of Udine have formed an association, Territoria Nordest.

‘Our area of 150km2 lies within the Colli Orientali del Friuli and Friuli Grave DOCs,’ says Colutta. ‘It contains some of Italy’s best wine estates, and fabulous villas. We have many agriturismi – at one third of the cost of Tuscany – and good restaurants, but we haven’t had an easy way to bring visitors here.’ Until now that is. Ryanair now flies to Trieste (an hour’s drive away).

Going native

Being interested in Italy’s wealth of indigenous grapes, I chose to visit at harvest time, to see these varieties at their ripest. This part of the region of Friuli is home to a number of vitigni autoctoni, as they are called in Italy, including whites Ribolla Gialla, Tocai Friulano, Picolit and Verduzzo; and reds Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, Pignolo, Tazzelenghe and Schioppettino.

I spend a busy day in Udine, a little-known but handsome provincial capital town. I love the fact that every Italian town, however big or small, houses at least one artistic masterpiece – Udine has a basketful, including Tiepolos in the Duomo and Bishopric. Market fanatics will enjoy the handsome central piazza – it hosts a colourful food market and is surrounded by streets full of tantalising and stylish shops.

The surrounding countryside of Territoria is perfect for exploring on bike, tasting one’s way from villa to vineyard and from cellar to castle – with lengthy breaks for lunch and dinner. The landscape is a mix of flat plains and ronchi – the gentle hills covered with stepped terraced vineyards that are Friuli’s answer to Piedmont’s brics.

The 1852 Villa Giacomelli, in the comune of Pradamano, was the last Palladian-style villa to be constructed in the Veneto, and boasts a fabulous double-storey ballroom with statues and frescoes. Its 4ha (hectare) park has horses and a trattoria, Ai Savors, serving the farm’s organic produce. From here it’s a comfortable ride to Buttrio, a winemaking centre with something of Wonderland about it: I can’t help marvelling at its 1837 clocktower, with its inverted clockfaces – the 12 is at the bottom and the 6 at the top – how do they tell the time here? (This isn’t the only ‘out-of-the-way’ feature in the area. Alice would also have appreciated the giant chair that sits on a roundabout at Manzano: it’s three storeys high – and in the Guinness Book of Records). Below this madcap church, the Enoteca di Buttrio represents the wines of 20 Buttrio producers; nearby, the elegant Castello di Buttrio has recently been bought by Marco Felluga, the great Collio producer.

Down the hill is the historic farm and cellars of Count D’Attimis-Maniago, nestled below the Castello.

‘Buttrio is the first hill east of Udine, and the start of the Colli Orientali in Udine province,’ explains Count Alberto, whose family has owned the estate since the 16th century. ‘Once these hills reach the nearby province of Gorizia, they become known as the Collio.’ Beside the farm, the Count has retained a few rows of the traditional promiscuo method of vine growing – between fruit trees – that was favoured by Italian growers until modern viticultural methods took over.

Buttrio is home to other prestigious winemakers, including Rosetta Bosco: her lovely ripe 2002 Rosa Bosco Sauvignon has floral notes, and is long, balanced and juicy, with none of the green herbal notes that can over-simplify some Sauvignons. Across the way is the great Girolamo Dorigo, indefatigable champion of all grapes in the region of Friuli, whose wines cover the whole range from Brut to Refosco to Picolit. His superstars include the seductive red Bordeaux blend, Montsclapade, and the white Ronc di Juri Ribolla Gialla, but he also produces fine examples of red native varieties, including the rare Pignolo, and Tazzelenghe. This means ‘tongue-cutter,’ and this traditional vine has had some of its high acidity and tannins rounded out by good use of wood. ‘It’s an uncomplicated wine that goes particularly well with the rustic dishes of our local cucina,’ says Dorigo.

Also worth visiting is Enzo Pontoni, the quintessential garagiste – he spent 15 years as a mechanic before devoting himself completely to winemaking. A strong, suntanned man of few words, his wines are the result of an extreme relationship with the earth. Not far from here is Livon, whose many prized wines include the RoncAlto crus and a fine version of Schioppettino. This native grape owes its name to the ‘little explosion’ its hard, thick-skinned ripe berries make as they pop between your teeth. With high tannins and acidity but low alcohol, its flavours are of wild raspberries and violets, with distinctive spicy, black-peppery notes.

Il Campiello at San Giovanni al Natisone is the best restaurant in the region, and a favourite of local winemakers, who can often be found there. Dario Macorig is a natural host, and serves fresh fish in his lively dining room, where I dine with Adriano Gigante, president of the Consorzio of the Colli Orientali del Friuli DOC, and producer of a fine Tocai from Corno di Rosazzo.

‘Tocai appreciates the microclimate here, and does best on the hillsides at altitudes of 100–200m,’ he says. ‘We’re halfway between the mountains and the sea, and affected by both. Tocai was always considered Friuli’s “base” white, but now it is being worked better the results are impressive.’ In 2007, the EU may oblige Friuli to stop calling it Tocai to avoid confusion with the Hungarian grape of the same name. ‘In that case, we’ll opt for Friulano,’ which would link it unquestionably to our region,’ says Gigante.

The olive groves

Nearby, there are two important wineries to visit on the Oleis hills. As the name suggests, these were once famous for their olive groves – and oils – and the local community is keen to revive the oil culture. On 28 and 29 May (the same weekend as Cantine Aperte, when thousands of Italian wineries open their cellars to guests) the Festa dell’Olio will feature tastings, lessons and meals. The late Mario Schiopetto – still referred to as Friuli’s vinicultural padrone – died last year, but his three children are continuing to produce great wines; Ivana Adami is one of Friuli’s best-known female winemakers, and her Rosazzo Narciso Rosso, of Merlot with Cabernets, is not to be missed.

I’m staying one night at Villa Lovaria, a grand 17th-century villa complete with park that has converted one wing into comfortable mini-apartments. The comune of Pavia di Udine is also home to the large winery of the Pighin family; their villa’s garden contains a fascinating vineyard planted with local varieties that can be visited by appointment. Nearby is the distillery of Nonino – a must for grappa lovers. A bite of lunch is welcome at La Frasca, an informal wine bar-cum-restaurant run by the simpatico Valter Scarbolo, himself a winemaker. He also manages Italo-American Joe Bastianich’s estate in the comune of Premariacco, which produces big, smoothly oaked wines to sell in the Bastianichs’ popular New York restaurants (Lidia, of Felidia restaurant, is his mother).

A modern outlook

Modern architecture in traditional settings can be successful: the new square-sectioned tower-cellar on the estate of Resi Perusini, near Corno, is a good example. She is an art historian, and her manor house and agriturismo are decorated with flair. Nearby is another beautiful building, the Rocca Bernarda, at Premariacco. Until recently the Rocca was owned by Signora Perusini’s uncle, who left it to the Order of Malta in a contested legacy. The villa and cellars are visitable by appointment.

The native Picolit is a specialty here. ‘Picolit has been here for many centuries, but it’s hard to work and was largely abandoned,’ he explains. The grapes develop irregularly between mature berries and minute unformed buds, due to what the Italians call poetically aborto floreale. ‘Those that ripen fully are sweet and aromatic. In the passito version of the wine, their sugars are concentrated further, post-harvest, when the bunches are dried before being pressed.’ This golden dessert wine is best tasted lightly chilled from large glasses that allow its floral, fruity perfumes to develop – the wine’s natural acidity prevents it from becoming cloying. Late-harvest Picolit is available in very small quantities.

It’s time to leave the region of Friuli, but I can’t resist a quick visit to the sea – the beauty of this part of the country is that you can easily do a day trip to the Alps, or go south to the fascinating ancient Roman port of Aquileia, with its exquisite mosaics and must-see museum, or just relax on the coast. In 20 minutes I’m at the lovely resort of Grado (not far from the airport), eating at the exceptional fish restaurant of talented young chef Attias Tarlao, the Tavernetta All’Androna. I’m with Patrizia Felluga: she is now making wines near Cormòns, a short hop from here, and was the first person to introduce me to Friuli. Hers is the most famous Friuli winemaking family, and her new winery, Zuani, is a fine example of a small, lovingly run estate with really characterful wines. There’s just time for a walk along the sandy beach before catching my plane after this bellissima view into a different Italian world.

REGION OF FRIULI IN FOUR DAYS

Day 1

On day one of your visit to the region of Friuli visit the wine museum in Villa Florio, and Marco Felluga’s winery at Buttrio castle. Lunch at the Castello di Buttrio’s locanda. Visit historic Count D’Attimis-Maniago estate in Pradamano, as well as Pighin winery, with its vineyard of indigenous varieties. Dinner at Walter Scarbolo’s La Frasca at Pavia di Udine. Stay at Agriturismo Scacciapensieri at Buttrio.

Day 2

Udine. Visit town centre, including the castle, the Duomo and Piazza Libertà. Lunch at Gli Amici of Godia. In the afternoon, to nearby Ipplis, and 16th-century Rocca Bernarda (owned by the Order of Malta), with its cellars and wine tasting. Dinner at Ristorante Al Campiello at San Giovanni al Natisone (great fish). Stay at Villa Lovaria.

Day 3

Manzano: see the giant chair, then to medieval Abbazia di Rosazzo, and two nearby wineries (Livio Felluga at Oleis or Ronco delle Betulle). Lunch at Agriturismo Ronchi di San Egidio, near the Abbey of Rosazzo (local cuisine). Afternoon visits to the winery of Giorgio Colutta, the Midolini balsamic vinegar-maker in Manzano, and the Nonino grappa distillery in Percoto. Stay at Agriturismo Perusino in Corno di Rosazzo.

Day 4

On your last day in the region of Friuli visit Cividale, a country town still showing its Lombard influences. From there, to the sea, to Grado, via the Napoleonic fortress at Palmanova. Lunch at Tavernetta All’Androna. Walk on the beach (or swim). From the region, you can reach the mountains, or Trieste or Venice within an hour by car.

Carla Capalbo is a writer, based in Italy, and is the author of Italian Cooking (£14.95, Lorenz Books).

These delicious whites are just crying out for recognition. But if Friuli is to achieve wider fame, regional in-fighting must stop.

The Colli Orientali del Friuli region in northeast Italy shares grapes, terroir and vinification techniques with its neighbour to the south, Collio Goriziano. Yet for some reason Colli Orientali has traditionally suffered by comparison to its better-known neighbour.

More recently, however, there have been signs that times are changing. Respected Italian wine guide Gambero Rosso placed Colli Orientali at the top of the Friuli Venezia Giulia league in 2002, awarding it 10 tre bicchieri (‘three glasses’, the top award) against Collio’s nine, out of a total of 27 for Friuli as a whole. Meanwhile the Tocai Vigne Cinquantanni of the Vigne di Zamò estate in Colli Orientali was awarded the coveted title of ‘Best white wine of the year’. Both of which suggest a change in the hierarchy of the Friuli region.

Marco Malison, director of the Colli Orientali Producers’ Association at Cividale del Friuli, says the results are ‘confirmation, should that be necessary, that in the past the quality of Colli Orientali’s wines might have been underestimated’.

Older brother Collio Goriziano was the first of the two regions to gain its DOC (in 1968) and has long been perceived as having more glamorous wines and winemakers than Colli Orientali while continuing to command higher prices for its products. As Marco Felluga, president of the Collio Growers Consortium, puts it, ‘Collio Goriziano was born first and is better known in the world market.’ But, could the advantage actually be, as Burton Anderson wrote in his Wine Atlas of Italy, ‘that the short version of its name is easier to remember’?

The rivalry between the various Friuli region winemaking zones can be fierce, epitomising what the Italians call campanilismo – literally ‘bell towerism’ – a love of one’s local church bell and the worst sort of parochialism. The campanilismo has its roots in the conflicts between the Venetian and Austrian empires, which split eastern Friuli into two distinct zones. In 1420 the Republic of Venice conquered western Friuli region, including what is now the province of Udine and the Colli Orientali territory, leaving the Austrians to gain control of Gorizia and the east.

Today, it is fair to say that the division of viticultural eastern Friuli into two disciplines is based on historical differences rather than any great contrast in the vineyards. Some growers, such as Schiopetto, Livio Felluga, and Livon, have plots in both, and it is difficult to define the difference between them. Gianni Menotti of Villa Russiz says: ‘There aren’t great differences in soil; the differences are mainly in the rainfall and temperature.’ Marco Felluga adds: ‘The chief differences are in the respective rules of production – in Collio vineyards are recognised as DOC only on hillsides, and only at a certain height.’

The better Colli Orientali vineyards, however, are in the south of the DOC area, cheek by jowl with Collio Goriziano. Establishing the identity of either zone through the style of the wines produced is difficult, with little to choose between them. Paolo Dolce of Rocca Bernarda says that, ‘Collio Goriziano is above all a very structured and full-bodied white wine; Colli Orientali is less structured, but more elegant.’

The name Collio is derived from collina (hill), immediately evocative of the region’s rolling and picturesque landscape. Orientali is cooler and damper to the north as it gets closer to the Alpine foothills, whereas Goriziano to the south is warmer and drier, protected from cold northerly winds by the same Alpine foothills. The main soil type, in both zones, is flysch, calcareous marl with sandstone layers, which drains well and delays ripening. Such conditions are ideal for the production of the outstanding whites that Friuli is renowned for.

Both are relatively small viticultural areas, Collio Goriziano covering 1,550ha (hectares) and Colli Orientali 2,300ha. Such small regions are naturally suited to small-scale producers rather than larger cooperative wineries, hence a preponderance of estates with Azienda Agricola in their title (which means they produce wine from their own grapes rather than buying them in).

THE FRIULI STYLE

Wineries in both regions tend to be well equipped, with the emphasis on clean fruit extraction and varietal purity – a style pioneered by Mario Schiopetto – although this is moving towards a fuller, more complex style through the use of techniques such as lees ageing, skin contact and barrel maturation.

Most producers maintain that the use of wood is atypical for the region, a view supported by Dolce: ‘For most wines, wood isn’t important, except for a few products that necessitate ageing in oak. Even then you are talking about a small percentage of wine.’

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The Collio Goriziano zone is centred upon the attractive town of Cormons, 13km west of Gorizia. Certain outlying villages are particularly renowned for their fine wines, especially those on the south-facing slopes of the Colle della Croce between Cormons and Capriva. Pradis (home to the Princic winery) and Spessa (Schiopetto, Castello di Spessa, and Pighin) are stand-outs.

Similarly, the Ronchi di Manzano between Buttrio and Manzano in Colli Orientali – another stretch of south-facing slopes, and a mere 8km from Cormons – is home to many of the zone’s best producers, such as Girolamo Dorigo, Abbazia di Rossazzo, Marina Danieli, and the Ronchi di Manzano estate itself.

Heading north from San Giovanni al Natisone towards Ipplis we encounter Ronco del Gnemiz, Azienda Agricola Specogna, Rocca Bernarda and, at Rosazzo (one of Colli Orientali’s three subzones), Livio Felluga’s Terre Alte vineyards.

From Corno di Rosazzo northwards towards Cividale notable estates include Adriano Gigante, Paolo Redaro, Volpe Pasini, Ivana Adami, Abbazia di Rosazzo, and – also in a subzone – Ronchi di Cialla. The only wine of any note from the far north of Colli Orientali is the sweet white Ramandolo, near Tarcento.

The three sub zones, Rosazzo, Cialla and Ramandolo, are the first such sottozone to be granted in Friuli, with tight restrictions to merit their DOC status. Marco Felluga has concerns about the new system: ‘The sub zones create confusion for consumers. We are committed to reinforce and make known the name of our territory that is Collio.’

The iconoclastic blends that contributed to the high prices fetched by Goriziano whites have never had the same cachet in Orientali, though that iconoclasm has been toned down in recent years as the DOC regulations have expanded to take into account multi-varietal blends.

Could it be that producers are beginning to have greater faith in their terroir than in the name of a blend? Dolce, for one, believes a change has occurred: ‘In the last 40 years Friuli winemaking has concentrated on monovarietal wines. I believe one can continue like this for some time, even if it is important to begin to develop wines with the name of the territorio rather than that of the variety.’

The odd rebel still persists, however, like Ivana Adami at Rosazzo and her efforts with the unclassified Franconia variety. But these days most Goriziano and Orientali growers are happy to work within the DOC framework, implying a greater collective unity among the producers of eastern Friuli.

Times are good for the Colli Orientali and Collio Goriziano, with 2003 an excellent vintage. When asked which is the best zone, following the Gambero Rosso results, most growers refuse to rise to the challenge, pledging loyalty to their own region. But although there is certainly a rivalry, there is also a strong collective belief that Friuli, as a whole, deserves greater recognition. ‘Friuli is a little-known region,’ laments Dolce. ‘It should be better known for its gastronomy, culture, landscape and people. But it can only have success if it remains united.’

https://www.decanter.com/features/great-wine-route-fruili-247945/

Stuart George is the Circle of Wine Writers/Websters young Wine Writer of the Year 2003

Written by STUART GEORGE

ANDREW DUFFY visits Friuli, a border region renowned for its food and wine but suffering a minor identity crisis.

I have in my possession a copy of a document from 1632 which proves beyond doubt that when the Friulan beauty Aurora Formentini married the Hungarian Count Adam Batthyany of Nemet-Utjar, she brought with her as part of her dowry 300 tocai vines. These vines may have subsequently flourished so well in Hungary that part of the country was named after them, but the fact remains that tocai is a Friulan – and, therefore, an Italian – wine. Anything the Hungarians may say otherwise is moonshine and madness. Except, just how Italian is Friuli? Certainly there is a very Italian perfectionism in Friuli. The winemakers want to make the best wines regardless of what anyone else thinks; the famous prosciutto-makers of San Daniele want to make the best prosciutto, even though that may mean some people don’t like it – ‘It isn’t Coca-Cola,’ I was told at the Morgante prosciutto factory. Passions run high in Friuli, but then this is Italy and you’d expect them to.

Italian Nature

Friuli has all the classic Italian motifs. Tall, square, golden-stone bell-towers rise up above vineyards in the afternoon heat-haze; terracotta roofs on white houses dot the landscape; the dark spikes of cypresses punctuate the hillsides; and in the city of Udine, women in large sunglasses with big leather shoulder bags, mobile phones and cigarettes, shop and have coffee. It’s gloriously Italian.

But Friuli is a border province, hidden up in the northeast corner above Venice, below the Austrian Alps and to the west of Slovenia. A clue to its identity lies in the town of Gorizia, where the towers of Sant’Ignazio have distinctly Slavic, onion-shaped domes. The splendidly dark and brooding castle shows its strategic importance as a crossroads in Europe, and there are plenty of medieval siege machines, suits of armour and halberds. Down below, the streets are broad, Austro-Hungarian imperial boulevards – and the border with Slovenia cuts the town in half. Then again, pass through the checkpoint into Nova Gorizia in Slovenia, which still has that old Eastern Bloc Tito style, and you may decide that Friuli is more Italian than you’d thought. Just to keep you guessing, the un-Italianness shows in the food – I ate smoked pork with rosti, and gnocchi di susine, a cinnamon-spiced bread dumpling with a plum in the middle.

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Other influences

Austrian influences are found in the Friulan language, Ladino, too: the Italian is sometimes amended and turned into Ladino by, for example, the addition of a tail to ‘Santa Maria’ to give ‘Santa Marja’ – a small but very Slavic difference. But above all, the difference is in the wine. Friuli is the only part of Italy that works with the Tocai Friulano grape and every vineyard makes its own version of the wine. However, it’s nothing like its Hungarian namesake; instead it’s a crisp, full white, usually with floral overtones, which is often drunk as an aperitif.

There are a couple of other unique grapes and wines, too. The Picolit grape makes a heady dessert wine, best tasted at Rocca Bernarda, Livio Felluga, Le Vigne di Zamò and Walter Filiputti at l’Abazzia di Rosazzo. Again among the whites, Ribolla Gialla, which you should taste particularly at Collavini and Ronco delle Betulle, is crisp with hints of flowers and wall fruits, and from the light oaking that part of the blend receives. One of the most well-known local reds, Refosco dal Pedunculo Rosso, is at its best at Venica & Venica, Livon and Livio Felluga. The latter establishment has 160ha (hectares) of vineyards and its Terre Alte is a must-try wine, a big yeasty blend of three grapes. ‘It’s like alchemy,’ Elda Felluga told me. ‘The Tocai Friulano is the baddie; the Pinot Bianco is the elegance; and the Sauvignon Blanc gives it perfume.’ Elda knows her wine: apart from being a fifth-generation winemaker, she is the regional president of the Movimento Turismo del Vino, an organisation which is spreading the word about Italian wines and their place right at the heart of Italian history, culture and civilisation.

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More on Friuli

In Tuscany, every hilltop has a church; in Rosazzo, the hills at the heart of Friuli, wineries have pride of place instead, with vine terraces spreading out like ripples from the houses. Most of the vineyards are open to visitors and I was struck by the near-religious atmosphere that surrounds wine in Friuli. The heavy oak doors to the cellars wouldn’t look amiss on a cathedral; the tasting tables are touched with something bordering on reverence; and a holy hush descends as the wine is tasted. The cru Rosazzo sits in the DOC Colli Orientali del Friuli and is special even for Friuli, as different facing slopes allow it to grow a wider choice of grapes. In fact, Friuli as a whole is uniquely well placed to make wine. The broad plain drifts down to the Adriatic and the pre-Alps rise jagged behind, making it look curiously like South African wine country. The meeting of warm, moist sea air and cold, dry mountain air gives hot days and cool nights, which are perfect for winemaking. It also puts the visitor to Udine an hour from the ski slopes, an hour from the beaches of Grado and Trieste, and an hour from Slovenia.

While many vineyards will host tours and tastings, the essence of agriturismo is to stay at a working vineyard. Most only do bed and breakfast but there is no shortage of good restaurants in Friuli. At Volpe Pasini I swept up a crunching gravel drive and parked by a stone well and piles of oak barrels. It is obvious that this is a working vineyard. There are seven rooms, all understated elegance in dark wood and cream furnishings, with stone floors and high white walls soaring up to dark beams and terracotta roof tiles (inside as well as out). Even grander, the Castello di Spessa has five rooms – the first two overlooking the courtyard have the best view – and a deep cellar the owners didn’t even know about when they bought the castle. Rubini, near Cividale, has 10 guest rooms crammed with ancient furniture, while there’s a more family atmosphere at Venica & Venica (when I was there the daughter of the house, Serena, rollerbladed through the breakfast room), with six rooms and two apartments done in Scandinavian style, plus a swimming pool and a tennis court.

If you prefer to stay in a city, Udine is one to lose your heart to and makes a good base. The walled medieval centre has cobbled streets lined with arcaded walkways and shops, where men argue and smoke, children run and buskers play. There’s a strong Venetian influence in Piazza Libertà, and the Loggia del Lionello and the Loggia di San Giovanni virtually transport you to St Marks Square. People flock to see the Tiepolo Old Testament frescoes at Palazzo Arcivescovile and the impressive art collection in the castle.

The daily morning market in Piazza Matteotti is small but educational – knobbly pumpkins ready to be made into gnocchi adorn vegetable stalls and the fish stall has large, theatrically bloody heads of swordfish and tuna, a reminder of just how real and fresh their fish is. In the first week in October, the piazza even hosts Friuli DOC, a regional showcase of wine and food. San Daniele del Friuli is an essential visit, too. It’s a quiet town, with a small cobbled centre, an average cathedral and some lovely crumbling frescoes in Sant’ Antonio Abate, but its real point is that it makes the best prosciutto in the world. A tour of a prosciutto plant is fascinating, but only for those who can stomach a room hung with 20,000 pig legs gently drying at 4?C. A much easier place to visit is Palmanova, a perfectly preserved city-fort town, purpose-built as a defensive, symmetrical, nine-point star. However, the most intriguing and perfect Friulan town has to be Cividale del Friuli, a medieval gem and the heart of the Lombard presence in the region during the seventh and eighth centuries.

The museum here shows just how simple these barbarian invaders were, while the Lombard chapel boasts world-class frescoes, with statues of six women, probably martyrs, actually taking precedence over the male saints below. (In Lombard culture, women were unusually liberated, to the extent that they had their own money and were given cash on their engagement, marriage, first child – and when they produced a male heir.) The centrepiece, though, and the emblem of the town, is the Devil’s Bridge, which spans the opalescent green River Natisone far below. The story goes that no one could build a bridge over the river because the sides were too high. One day the devil offered to do it, in exchange for the soul of the first being to cross it, so the citizens sent a cat over. It’s the same story as elsewhere in Italy but with one difference. In Cividale even the Devil could not build the bridge, so he had to ask his mother to help him. This tale imparts two lessons: in Friuli things are a little harder so you have to be a little shrewder; and when all else fails, even in the country that values machismo like Italy does, you can always rely on your mum. No matter how like the rest of Italy it may seem, Friuli is something else.

Written by ANDREW DUFFY