Blog: La Tunella · Friaul

In the 1960s, the grandfather Min and then the father Livio began a story that continues today in the Tunella of Massimo and Marco Zorzettig, who, together with their mother Gabriella, preserve more than fifty years of family history. In today's Tunella, modernity and memory, experimentation and the highest traditions of the Colli Orientali del Friuli coexist: a present that builds its future day by day.

The company has been called Tunella since 2002: the new name, which replaced the former Livio Zorzettig, is a place name that refers to a farmhouse and a hill near the winery, surrounded by meadows and vineyards nestled in the gentle landscape of the Colli Orientali.

Making wine means taking care of the details that escape the eye but awaken the soul. Although Tunella is a company with a long history, they have never abandoned the insane attention that characterizes every small winemaker working in their vineyard.

Friuli Venezia Giulia, a region in the far northeast of Italy, has ancient and solid winemaking traditions with more than fifteen thousand hectares of vineyards, more than half of which are dedicated to white wine grapes. Tunella's vineyards are all located in the Colli Orientali of Friuli, an area known for white wines of great value and absolute elegance.

The Colli Orientali del Friuli are considered one of the most suitable areas for growing grapes due to the particular soil characteristics and the favorable microclimate. The hills, terraced by man, are protected from the cold northern winds by the Julian Prealps and are pleasantly warmed by the breezes from the Adriatic Sea, only a few dozen kilometers away.

The soils are alternately marl (calcareous clay) and sandstone (calcareous sand), rich in lime, potassium and phosphorus. Of the seventy hectares owned by Tunella, all planted with vines and all located in DOC zones, 70% are planted with white wines and 30% with reds, a ratio that reflects the tradition of this area. Tunella is located in the easternmost part of Friuli Venezia Giulia, a region in the far northeast of Italy, close to Venice but bordering Austria and Slovenia. Our lands extend between the municipalities of Cividale del Friuli, Premariacco, Manzano and Corno di Rosazzo.

In every Tunella bottle there is the earth, the sun, the rain, the wind: because the wine absorbs everything it gets. And because we want those who come after us to enjoy the same flavors and fragrances, we pay attention to the sustainability of production. We adhere to the program of integrated pest management, which prescribes the limited use of fertilizers and treatments, while the energy for all agricultural activities is generated by photovoltaic panels. - Gerardo [TS02/23]