24 hours in Friuli

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.