Blog: Friuli-Venezia-Giulia | Wine region

Friulian wine has had its good moments in the past, but for most winemakers success came only in more recent times, around 1970. Today, the Friulians look back with some pride on how their wine has contributed significantly to the progress of Italy's viticulture. And this, in a somewhat remote corner - on the border with Slovenia.

The best white wine in Italy
It was the winegrowers of Friuli who were credited with the realization that good white wine is well worth the effort. The rise of white wine in Friuli also marks a turning point in Italian viticulture. For a long time there had been a culture for Italian red wine, which received great attention and affection, for example Chianti and Brunello. Between 1970-1980, white winemaking was characterized by rapid production processes, which became faster and faster. After only a few months the new wine became tired, no one wanted to buy it and wine drinkers waited for the new vintage.

The consistent misinterpretation of buyer demand for fresh wine, promoted by the producers themselves, brought Italy's white wine into a severe crisis. The winemaking activities in a rather remote part of Italy, Friuli, brought about a return and reorientation in viticulture. It was the discovery of small-scale structures, of slowness, of continuity and perseverance, which became part of the white wine.

On the southern flank of the Alps, Italy offers a whole series of splendid places for viticulture. In Friuli, winegrowers have been able to make the most of these conditions. Friuli is a large region and it is necessary to limit the vastness of this area in order to get the right view of the conditions there. Particular attention is paid to the wines from the eastern part of Friuli, the hilly area east of the city of Udine, with the towns of Cormons and Gorizia (Gorizia).

The gentle vineyards, the constantly mild and balanced climate and the soils are good conditions for the cultivation of white wine. When the sensational innovations of Italian viticulture began a good 30 years ago, it was the winegrowers of eastern Friuli who gave the impetus for the revolution of the entire white wine cultivation in Italy. The small size of the wineries, which has been preserved until today, allows selective work and therefore high qualities. The grapes are pressed and vinified as single varietals and bottled as single varietals, an important aspect of Friulian success. There are also cuvees, but as elsewhere, they are not of real importance.

The Collio
The collective term Collio refers to the red and white wines from a DOC area in the Italian region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. The name Collio means 'the hills of Goriziano' and is also colloquially called 'High Friuli'. To the north, the DOC area Colli Orientali del Friuli in the province of Udine adjoins, the border being formed by the river Judrio. The actual area with its 1,500 hectares of vineyards extends between the Judrio and Isonzo rivers in the west to the Slovenian border in the east. The two areas, quite similar in terms of geography and wines, belonged to the Habsburg Empire at the time. However, while the province of Udine became Italian as early as 1866, Gorizia joined only after the First World War. The soils of the Collio consist mainly of calcareous marl and sandstone, which is strongly interspersed with minerals. This is called 'flysch of Cormons' after a commune. About 80% of the wines produced are fragrant white wines. The Pinot Grigio in particular caused an international sensation from the 1980s and established the fame of the local white wines. - Gerardo [TS03/23]