Friuli-Venezia Giulia wine (or Friuli wine) is
wine made in the northeastern
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional It ...
region of
Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Once part of the
Venetian Republic and with sections under the influence of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise o ...
for some time, the wines of the region have noticeable
Slavic and
Germanic influences. There are 11 ''
Denominazione di origine controllata
The following four classifications of wine constitute the Italian system of labelling and legally protecting Italian wine:
* ''Denominazione di origine'' (DO, rarely used; ; English: “designation of origin”),
* ''Indicazione geografica ti ...
'' (DOC) and 3 ''
Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita
The following four classifications of wine constitute the Italian system of labelling and legally protecting Italian wine:
* ''Denominazione di origine'' (DO, rarely used; ; English: “designation of origin”),
* ''Indicazione geografica ti ...
'' (DOCG) in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia area. The region has 3 ''
Indicazione Geografica Tipica
''Indicazione geografica tipica'' () is the third of four classifications of wine recognized by the government of Italy. Created to recognize the unusually high quality of the class of wines known as Super Tuscans, IGT wines are labeled with the ...
'' (IGT) designations ''Alto Livenza, delle Venezie'' and ''Venezia Giulia''. Nearly 62% of the wine produced in the region falls under a DOC designation. The area is known predominantly for its white wines which are considered some of the best examples of
Italian wine
Italian wine is produced in every region of Italy. Italy is the world's largest producer of wine, with an area of under vineyard cultivation, and contributing a 2013–2017 annual average of 48.3 million hl of wine. In 2018 Italy accounted for ...
in that style.
[M. Ewing-Mulligan & E. McCarthy ''Italian Wines for Dummies'' pg 132-140 Hungry Minds 2001 ] Along with the
Veneto and
Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, the Friuli-Venezia Giulia forms the
Tre Venezie wine region which ranks with
Tuscany and
Piedmont as Italy's world class wine regions.
[K. MacNeil ''The Wine Bible'' pg 342-350 Workman Publishing 2001 ]
History
The winemaking history of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia has been strongly influenced by the history of the
Friuli
Friuli ( fur, Friûl, sl, Furlanija, german: Friaul) is an area of Northeast Italy with its own particular cultural and historical identity containing 1,000,000 Friulians. It comprises the major part of the autonomous region Friuli Venezia Giuli ...
and
Venezia Giulia
Venezia Giulia, traditionally called Julian March ( Serbo-Croatian, Slovene: ''Julijska krajina'') or Julian Venetia ( it, Venezia Giulia; vec, Venesia Julia; fur, Vignesie Julie; german: Julisch Venetien) is an area of southeastern Europe w ...
regions that were important stops along the
Mediterranean spice route from the
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
to the trading center of
Venice. During the
Middle Ages, travelers passing through this area brought
grapevines
''Vitis'' (grapevine) is a genus of 79 accepted species of vining plants in the flowering plant family Vitaceae. The genus is made up of species predominantly from the Northern Hemisphere. It is economically important as the source of grapes ...
from
Macedonia and
Anatolia. Under the
Habsburg reign, the French grape varieties were introduced.
[J. Robinson (ed) ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'' Third Edition pg 287-288 Oxford University Press 2006 ] Prior to the
phylloxera
Grape phylloxera is an insect pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America. Grape phylloxera (''Daktulosphaira vitifoliae'' (Fitch 1855) belong to the family Phylloxeridae, within the order Hemiptera, bugs ...
epidemic over 350
grape varieties were grown in the region. During the 19th century, the region served as a major Mediterranean port for the Austro-Hungarian Empire which bought a
Teutonic influence to the area.
Following the phylloxera epidemic, winemaking in the Friuli region was very muted and did not begin to garner much attention till the 1970s.
The international popularity of
Pinot grigio
Pinot Gris, Pinot Grigio (, ) or Grauburgunder is a white wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. Thought to be a mutant clone of the Pinot Noir variety, it normally has a grayish-blue fruit, accounting for its name, but the gra ...
in the 1980s and 1990s help to change the dynamic of Friuli-Venezia Giulia winemaking. Prior to this time vineyard owners sold their grapes in bulk to
co-op
A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-control ...
s and ''
négociant
A winemaker or vintner is a person engaged in winemaking. They are generally employed by wineries or wine companies, where their work includes:
*Cooperating with viticulturists
*Monitoring the maturity of grapes to ensure their quality and to dete ...
''-like wineries that would blend the grapes together. With the success of
Mario Schiopetto in bottling and marketing the product of his own vineyard, other vineyard owners followed suit and began opening up small wineries of their own.
Climate and geography
The Friuli-Venezia Giulia region is bordered by the
Alps
The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...
to the north separating it from
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous c ...
.
Slovenia borders the region on the east and the Italian region of Veneto forms the western border and part of the southern border with the
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to the ...
.
The northern half is very mountainous and gives way to flatter terrain and
plains on the way to the sea. The climate is distinguished with very warm days and chilly nights that help maintain a balance in the grape between
acidity
In computer science, ACID ( atomicity, consistency, isolation, durability) is a set of properties of database transactions intended to guarantee data validity despite errors, power failures, and other mishaps. In the context of databases, a sequ ...
and
sugar levels and allows the grapes a long, slow growing season.
In summertime the
mean temperature is around 73 °F (22.8 °C) with rainfall averaging 60 inches (1,530 mm).
Harvest normally takes place in September.
[H. Johnson & J. Robinson ''The World Atlas of Wine'' pg 170-171 Mitchell Beazley Publishing 2005 ] The soils of the region vary from the
calcium
Calcium is a chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar ...
rich
marl
Marl is an earthy material rich in carbonate minerals, clays, and silt. When hardened into rock, this becomes marlstone. It is formed in marine or freshwater environments, often through the activities of algae.
Marl makes up the lower part o ...
and
flysch
Flysch () is a sequence of sedimentary rock layers that progress from deep-water and turbidity flow deposits to shallow-water shales and sandstones. It is deposited when a deep basin forms rapidly on the continental side of a mountain building ...
sandstone in the more hilly regions to
clay
Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4).
Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay parti ...
,
sand and
gravel
Gravel is a loose aggregation of rock fragments. Gravel occurs naturally throughout the world as a result of sedimentary and erosive geologic processes; it is also produced in large quantities commercially as crushed stone.
Gravel is classifi ...
in the valley. The names of Friuli vineyards and wine estates often include the word ''ronco'' (plural ''ronchi''), which is the
Friulian word for a
terraced hillside.
Wine regions
Most of the vineyards of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia are located in the southern half of the region, including the large wine regions of
Collio Goriziano ''Collio Goriziano'' (sometimes designated simply as ''Collio'' or ''Collio DOC'') is an Italian wine and winemaking region in northeast Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located in the northernmost part of the Province of Gorizia, in the Ita ...
,
Colli Orientali del Friuli The Colli Orientali del Friuli is a ''Denominazione di origine controllata'' (DOC) located in the Italian wine region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The region is located in the province of Udine and is sub-divided into three main sections; Ramandolo ...
,
Isonzo and
Carso
The Karst Plateau or the Karst region ( sl, Kras, it, Carso), also locally called Karst, is a karst plateau region extending across the border of southwestern Slovenia and northeastern Italy.
It lies between the Vipava Valley, the low hills sur ...
. The Lison-
Pramaggiore region is shared with the Veneto. Smaller regions such as the
Annia,
Aquileia
Aquileia / / / / ;Bilingual name of ''Aquileja – Oglej'' in: vec, Aquiłeja / ; Slovenian: ''Oglej''), group=pron is an ancient Roman city in Italy, at the head of the Adriatic at the edge of the lagoons, about from the sea, on the river Na ...
,
Grave
A grave is a location where a dead body (typically that of a human, although sometimes that of an animal) is buried or interred after a funeral. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as gravey ...
and
Latisana
Latisana ( fur, Tisane, locally ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Udine, in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region of north-eastern Italy, on the Tagliamento river.
History
The city was probably a Roman post station (''Mansio Apicilia'') ...
are located in the central and western part of the region around the city of
Pordenone. These smaller regions are located on
alluvial
Alluvium (from Latin ''alluvius'', from ''alluere'' 'to wash against') is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. Alluv ...
plains with
soils composed of gravel and sand. The wines made here are lighter and less elegant than the Friuli wines made in the major southern wine regions. Unlike other Friuli regions which require 100%, a
varietal
A varietal wine is a wine made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label.The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, 2000.winepros.com.au. ...
wine in the Graves and Aquileia zones only need 85% of the
grape variety
This list of grape varieties includes cultivated grapes, whether used for wine, or eating as a table grape, fresh or dried ( raisin, currant, sultana). For a complete list of all grape species including those unimportant to agriculture, see V ...
with the Latisana and Annia zones requiring 90%. More red wine is produced in these zones than in the rest of the Friuli with
Merlot,
Cabernet franc
Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone, as in the Loire's Chinon. In addition to being use ...
and
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon () is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Australia and British Columbia, Canada to Leban ...
being the leading varietals. With wine production still, ''
frizzante
Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it, making it fizzy. While the phrase commonly refers to champagne, European Union countries legally reserve that term for products exclusively produced in the Champagne reg ...
'' and ''
spumante
Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it, making it fizzy. While the phrase commonly refers to champagne, European Union countries legally reserve that term for products exclusively produced in the Champagne reg ...
'' styles are produced from
Chardonnay
Chardonnay (, , ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand. For ne ...
,
Pinot bianco, Pinot grigio,
Friulano and
Verduzzo
Verduzzo (or Verduzzo Friulano) is a white Italian wine grape grown predominantly in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of northeast Italy. It is also found in significant plantings in the Piave ''Denominazione di origine controllata'' (DOC) of ...
.
Collio and Colli Orientali del Friuli
The southeast province of
Gorizia is home to the DOCs of the Collio region, most notably Collio Goriziano. Part of the region's vineyards extend over the border with Slovenia but none of the Slovenian Wines can bear the designation
Collio. The area benefits from its location among the
foothills of the Alps where the cool winds that come off the Adriatic moderate the climate. The cool air helps maintain the acidity levels in the grape. The region's best vineyards are found in the clay and sandstone soil around the
comune of
Cormons
Cormons or Cormòns ( sl, Krmin, german: Kremaun) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about northwest of Trieste and about west of Gorizia, on the border with Slovenia.
Cormons borders the f ...
. The region is dominated by white wine production, making five times more white than red wine. Collio wine is typically full
bodied
''Bodied'' is a 2017 American battle rap comedy-drama film directed by Joseph Kahn. It was written by Alex Larsen and produced by Eminem, his manager Paul Rosenberg, and Adi Shankar. The film first premiered at the 2017 Toronto International ...
and rich, made as a varietal or blend of Friulano,
Ribolla Gialla,
Malvasia Istriana, Chardonnay, Pinot bianco, Pinot grigio and
Sauvignon blanc. Red wine under the designation ''Collio Rosso'' is made from a blend of Merlot, Cabernet franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. The general ''Collio Bianco'' designation can also include the white grapes
Müller-Thurgau
Müller-Thurgau is a white grape variety (sp. '' Vitis vinifera'') which was created by Hermann Müller from the Swiss Canton of Thurgau in 1882 at the Geisenheim Grape Breeding Institute in Germany. It is a crossing of Riesling with Madelein ...
,
Picolit
Picolit (also known as Piccolit and Piccolito) is a white Italian wine grape grown in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region of northeast Italy. The grape is allowed in the ''Denominazione di origine controllata e garantita'' (DOCG) wines of Colli ...
,
Riesling
Riesling (, ; ) is a white grape variety that originated in the Rhine region. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet, and sparkling ...
,
Traminer
Savagnin or Savagnin blanc (not to be confused with Sauvignon blanc) is a variety of white wine grape with green-skinned berries. It is mostly grown in the Jura region of France, where it is made into Savagnin wine or the famous vin jaune and ...
and
Welschriesling
Welschriesling is a white wine grape variety, unrelated to the Rhine Riesling, that is grown throughout Central Europe. Origin
The descendance of Welschriesling is uncertain. The German name ''Welschriesling'' literally means ' Romanic Riesling' ...
as well as the white juice from the red wine grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon and
Pinot nero
Pinot Noir () is a red-wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from pinot noir grapes. The name is derived from the French words for ''pine'' and ''black.'' The word ''pin ...
.
Located to the northwest of the Collio Goriziano, the Colli Orientali del Friuli DOC shares similar
vineyard soils
The soil composition of vineyards is one of the most important viticultural considerations when planting grape vines. The soil supports the root structure of the vine and influences the drainage levels and amount of minerals and nutrients that the ...
and climate as the Collio region. The grape varieties are also similar though Ribolla Gialla and Picolit takes a more prominent role here as does the local grape Verduzzo. The three grapes are used to make varietal wines under the Colli Orientali del Friuli DOC. Picolit is known particularly for the quality of the
dessert wine it produces and has 2 DOCG dedicated to its production in
Udine. Red wine production is also more prominent in this region though it is still less than half the production of white wine. The red wines include varietal forms of Merlot, Cabernet franc and Cabernet Sauvignon as well as red wines made from the local
Pignolo,
Refosco
Refosco is a very old family of dark-skinned grape varieties native to the Venetian zone and neighbouring areas of Friuli, Gavi, Trentino, Istria, and Karst Plateau. ,
Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso
Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso is a red Italian wine grape grown predominantly in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of northeast Italy. The grape is a variety in the Refosco family (which also includes e.g. Terrano) and derives its name from its r ...
,
Schioppettino and
Tazzelenghe. The region is divided into 3 sub districts which include Ramandolo in the north and the DOCG
of the same name as well as the dessert wine ''Verduzzo di Ramandolo''. In the center of the zone is the
Cialla district which makes
dry wines under the designation ''Cialla Bianco'' and ''Cialla Rosso'' as well as sweet and off dry wines made from Picolit and Verduzzo. Other notable wines from this district include Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso and ''Cialla Schioppettino''. The far southern district is the
Corno di Rosazzo
Corno di Rosazzo ( fur, Cuar di Rosacis) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Udine in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about northwest of Trieste and about southeast of Udine. , it had a population of 3,313 and an ...
which is heavily planted with Ribolla Gialla that is believed to have originated in the vineyards of the local
abbey
An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns.
The conc ...
over 1000 years ago. The area is also known for its off-dry to sweet ''Rosazzo Picolit'' and dry ''Rosazzo Pignolo''.
Isonzo and Carso
The Isonzo and Carso wine regions are located in the far southeastern part of Friuli-Venezia Giulia bordering Slovenia. The Isonzo region is located on a plain of alluvial deposits directly south of Collio along the
Isonzo river. The best vineyards are located in the northeast, close to Cormons. The wine regions predominately have a
maritime climate with more rainfall than other Friuli regions. The region is known for its
sparkling Pinot bianco as well as dry white wines made from Chardonnay, Malvasia Istriana and Sauvignon blanc. Other Isonzo DOC designated wines include dry, off dry and sparkling wines made from
Gewürztraminer, Cabernet franc, Cabernet Sauvignon,
Franconia
Franconia (german: Franken, ; Franconian dialect: ''Franggn'' ; bar, Frankn) is a region of Germany, characterised by its culture and Franconian dialect (German: ''Fränkisch'').
The three administrative regions of Lower, Middle and Upper ...
,
Moscato Giallo,
Moscato Rosa, Pinot grigio, Pinot nero, Refosco, Riesling, Schioppettino, Friulano, Verduzzo and Welschriesling. The ''Vendemmia Tardiva'' is a
late harvest wine
Late harvest wine is wine made from grapes left on the vine longer than usual. ''Late harvest'' is usually an indication of a sweet dessert wine, such as late harvest Riesling. Late harvest grapes are often more similar to raisins, but have bee ...
made from a varietal style or blend of Chardonnay, Pinot biano, Friulano and Verduzzo.
Located south of the Isonzo zone, near the city of
Trieste, is the
Carso
The Karst Plateau or the Karst region ( sl, Kras, it, Carso), also locally called Karst, is a karst plateau region extending across the border of southwestern Slovenia and northeastern Italy.
It lies between the Vipava Valley, the low hills sur ...
zone. Situated on the
Istrian Peninsula
Istria ( ; Croatian and Slovene: ; ist, Eîstria; Istro-Romanian, Italian and Venetian: ; formerly in Latin and in Ancient Greek) is the largest peninsula within the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic betw ...
, the wine region has a maritime climate that is well suited to production of the local
Terrano used to make red wine. Wines made from this grape are known for their high acidity and good
food pairing
Foodpairing, or the non-registered trademarked term food pairing, is a method for identifying which foods go well together from a flavor standpoint. The method is based on the principle that foods combine well with one another when they share ke ...
with Slavic cuisine. The white wines made from the
Malvasia Istriana are highly regarded for their
honey-
almond notes. Other Carso wines can be made from the following grapes;
Vitovska
Vitovska or Vitouska, also known in Slovene as Vitovska Grganja or Garganja, is an Italian and Slovene wine grape predominantly planted in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region and the Karst Plateau in the Slovenian Littoral. The name ''vitovska'' is ...
, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot grigio, Sauvignon blanc, Traminer
and
Piccola nera
Piccola nera is a red Italian and Slovenian wine grape variety that is grown in the province of Trieste within the Friuli-Venezia Giulia wine region and across the border in neighboring Slovenia where ampelographers believe that the grape originat ...
.
Viticulture and winemaking
The best vineyards in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia are located on the south facing slopes of the Alps foothills in the southern part of the region where they can benefit from the most direct sunlight to go along with the night-time cool breezes from the Adriatic.
The vineyard
yields of the Friuli are among the lowest in Italy averaging 3.5
ton
Ton is the name of any one of several units of measure. It has a long history and has acquired several meanings and uses.
Mainly it describes units of weight. Confusion can arise because ''ton'' can mean
* the long ton, which is 2,240 pounds
...
s an
acre. This is a result of the Friuli quest for high quality over quantity in their wines and also a reason why these wines tend to be more costly than other Italian whites.
While white wine dominates Friuli wine production, nearly 40% of the production is red with Merlot being the leading red wine grape. In the 1960s, winemakers of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia pioneered modern techniques for white
winemaking
Winemaking or vinification is the production of wine, starting with the selection of the fruit, its fermentation into alcohol, and the bottling of the finished liquid. The history of wine-making stretches over millennia. The science of wine and w ...
in Italy by quickly getting juice off the grape skins and taking extra measures to prevent
oxidation.
Through Italy these techniques came to be known as the ''metodo friulano'' or "Friuli method".
[C. Fallis, editor ''The Encyclopedic Atlas of Wine'' pg 302, Global Book Publishing 2006 ] Most Friuli wines are made in varietal form, with most appellations in the region requiring wines to be made with 100% of one grape, but distinguished blends are also made. The general philosophy of Friuli winemakers (especially in regards to their white wines) is to emphasise the grape's pure fruitiness and acidity without the masking effects of
oak. To this extent, the Friulians more closely resemble the
Alsatians and winemakers of the
Loire Valley than their counterparts in
Burgundy
Burgundy (; french: link=no, Bourgogne ) is a historical territory and former Regions of France, administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Duke of Burgundy, Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11 ...
,
Spain and other parts of Italy.
From the mid 1990s there has been a revival of
amber wine production in the Friuli which involves leaving the white wine grapes in extended
maceration with their grape skins. The resulting wines have a hint of color pigments that give them an orange hue.
Grapes and wines
Over 30 different grapes varieties are grown in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia including
international varieties
An international variety is a grape variety that is widely planted in most of the major wine producing regions and has widespread appeal and consumer recognition. These are grapes that are highly likely to appear on wine labels as varietal wines a ...
such as Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot as well as local varieties like Refosco dal peduncolo rosso, Schioppettino, Friulano, Ribolla gialla and Verduzzo. Of the local varieties, Friulano is the most well known and important variety, producing crisp, floral wines that develop notes of
nuts and
fennel as it ages. The grape was widely known as ''Tocai Friulano'' but in 2006 the
European Union banned names that have some similarity or association with the
Hungarian wine Hungarian wine has a history dating back to the Kingdom of Hungary. Outside Hungary, the best-known wines are the white dessert wine Tokaji aszú (particularly in the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia) and the red wine Bull's Blood of Eger ( Egr ...
Tokaji
Tokaji ( hu, of Tokaj ) or Tokay is the name of the wines from the Tokaj wine region (also ''Tokaj-Hegyalja wine region'' or ''Tokaj-Hegyalja'') in Hungary or the adjoining Tokaj wine region in Slovakia. This region is noted for its sweet wines ...
. Now Tocai Friulano is called ''Friulano''. The very acidic Ribolla gialla grape was primarily used as a blending component until winemakers started to apply the techniques used with Chardonnay (such as
malolactic fermentation
Malolactic conversion (also known as malolactic fermentation or MLF) is a process in winemaking in which tart-tasting malic acid, naturally present in grape must, is converted to softer-tasting lactic acid. Malolactic fermentation is most often ...
) to produce softer, more
butter
Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 80% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread, melted as a condiment ...
y wines that still retain the crisp,
lemon
The lemon (''Citrus limon'') is a species of small evergreen trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, native to Asia, primarily Northeast India (Assam), Northern Myanmar or China.
The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culina ...
edge of the grape. Wines made from Verduzzo have
peach and nutty flavors in their youth but develop more honeyed flavors as the wine ages. The high acidity of the grape works well in sweet production and in regions like Ramandolo it is often dried to make a ''
passito
Straw wine, or raisin wine, is a wine made from grapes that have been dried to concentrate their juice. The result is similar to that of the ice wine process, but is a much older process and suitable for warm climates. The technique dates back ...
'' wine. The Picolit grape also does well in sweet wines where it can produce elegant, floral wines that have a dry finish.
In contrast to the thin, sometimes bland Pinot grigio produced in other parts of the Tre-Venezie, well made examples of Friuli Pinot grigio are known for their fuller body and delicate peach, almond and
green apple flavors. Sauvignon blancs are made in a style reminiscent of
Sancerre
Sancerre () is a medieval hilltop town (ville) and commune in the Cher department, France overlooking the river Loire. It is noted for its wine.
History
Located in the area of Gaul settled by the powerful Celtic (Gaule Celtique) tribe, the B ...
with smoke,
herbs and elements of honey and
hazelnut. Some of the most expensive Friuli wines are made from the Picolit grape which is prone to
grape diseases
This is a list of diseases of grapes (''Vitis'' spp.).
Bacterial diseases
Fungal diseases
Miscellaneous diseases and disorders
Nematodes, parasitic
Phytoplasma, virus and viruslike diseases
See also
*'' Ampeloglypter ater''
*'' A ...
and
mutations which cause the vine to lose its flowers and grape clusters. In most years, less than half of a vineyard Picolit crop will survive and be able to make wine. The light, honeyed dessert wine that it can produce is often in high demand because of restricted supply.
Along with the internationally styled Merlots, Friuli produces some distinctive red wines from the local grape varieties. Tazzelenghe (meaning "tonguecutter") produces a very
tannic and fruity wine that mellows as it ages but maintains a good amount of its fruitiness. The Schioppettino (meaning "gunshot" and sometimes called ''Ribolla nera'') also produces very tannic wines with
spice and
pepper notes behind the
ripe fruit flavors. The best known local red wine variety is the Refosco dal peduncolo rosso (different from regular Refosco) which produces a herbal full-bodied wine that ages well.
Refosco is noted for its high acidity with
blueberry
Blueberries are a widely distributed and widespread group of perennial flowering plants with blue or purple berries. They are classified in the section ''Cyanococcus'' within the genus ''Vaccinium''. ''Vaccinium'' also includes cranberries, b ...
and
blackberry
The blackberry is an edible fruit produced by many species in the genus ''Rubus'' in the family Rosaceae, hybrids among these species within the subgenus ''Rubus'', and hybrids between the subgenera ''Rubus'' and ''Idaeobatus''. The taxonomy of ...
notes.
In 2008,
DNA analysis
Genetic testing, also known as DNA testing, is used to identify changes in DNA sequence or chromosome structure. Genetic testing can also include measuring the results of genetic changes, such as RNA analysis as an output of gene expression, or ...
showed that the Friuli
table grape ''Refosco di Guarnieri'' was identical to the Venetian wine grape
Trevisana nera.
[J. Robinson, J. Harding and J. Vouillamoz ''Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours'' pg 1084–1085 Allen Lane 2012 ]
See also
*
Vini Lunardelli - Friuli winery known for their controversial
wine label
Wine labels are important sources of information for consumers since they tell the type and origin of the wine. The label is often the only resource a buyer has for evaluating the wine before purchasing it. Certain information is ordinarily inclu ...
s
References
External links
Introduction to Friuli white wineWine region mapColli Orientali del Friuli DOC Vintage Chart
{{Cuisine of Italy
Wine regions of Italy
Friuli-Venezia Giulia