The source of some of Italy’s best and most distinctive white wines, Friuli-Venezia Giulia is where Italian, Germanic, and Slavic cultures converge. The styles of wines produced in this region of Italy’s far north-east reflect this merging of cultures. Often shortened to just “Friuli,” the area is divided into many distinct subzones, including Friuli Grave, Colli Orientali del Friuli, Collio Goriziano and Carso. The flat valley of Friuli Grave is responsible for a large proportion of the region’s wine production, particularly the approachable Pinot grigio and the popular Prosecco. The best vineyard locations are often on hillsides, as in Colli Orientali del Friuli or Collio. In general, Friuli boasts an ideal climate for viticulture, with warm sunny days and chilly nights, which allow grapes to ripen slowly and evenly.
The area of Friuli Grave covers more than one third of the wine extension of Friuli Venezia Giulia, where the Meduna, Cellina, and Tagliamento rivers have left huge quantities of dolomitic limestone and dragged it to the valley. This area is protected from the North winds and benefits at the same time from the good effects of the nearby sea.
The wine is produced from a soft pressing of grapes followed by must fermentation in stainless steel tanks with selected yeasts. It is then finished with bottle ageing. This wine produces light aromas of Golden Delicious apple and honey. It is a very fresh wine with a clean mouthfeel when young while hints of tropical fruits emerge while ageing.