Friuli-Venezia Giulia: Just Try to Keep Up

BY ERIC GUIDO |

Friuli-Venezia Giulia never rests. It’s one of the reasons the region was able to establish itself as the epicenter for white wine production in Italy. It’s the reason why leading producers had so much success internationally with their stylized Super Whites over a decade ago, and the reason why they were able to recover so quickly as those wines fell out of favor. The only problem is that producers also never stop tinkering or trying to reinvent the wheel. As a result, there is a large amount of confusion on the part of consumers as they try to figure out what they should expect.

Keeping track of the latest in Friuli can be dizzying.  

Of course, there are trends, today’s paradigm being a clean and lean selection of native and international white varieties of varying residual sugar, along with a Ramato-style (skin-contact) Pinot Grigios (to show that you’re hip), characterless Merlots, slurpable Refoscos, and blended wines, often fermented and matured in oak. The result is an ocean of wine that can oftentimes be forgettable, mixed in with a small number of producers that stand out for their uniqueness, high standards of quality and focus on terroir. The good news is that producers in the latter category are growing in number. The even better news is that the historic producers of this region continue to turn out great wine, for the most part. And the cherry on top of it all is that more and more Friulians are talking about terroir.

Borgo del Tiglio Hamlet and winery.

Borgo del Tiglio Hamlet and winery.

As the Crow Flies

One of the most interesting things about the important winemaking regions of Friuli is how astonishingly close they are to each other, while also remaining so incredibly diverse. One of my first stops on a recent trip was on the plains of Isonzo, at the Vie di Romans winery. It was here, standing with a panoramic view of the entire region, that owner and winemaker, Gianfranco Gallo, puts the entire thing into perspective while pointing with his finger. Looking north, I could see the hilly Colli Orientali, the home to the likes of Miani, Ronco del Gnemiz and Ronchi di Cialla in the Cialla Valley. These higher elevations and hilly terrain, mixed with the famous Ponca soils (a chalky clay and sandstone) produce some of the region's most famous, terroir-inspired wines. Pointing slightly further to the east, the town of Cormons, Mount Quarin behind it, and the Collio, literally a ten-minute drive away. Right beyond those hills, there is Oslavia, where the ancient styles of Gravner and skin-contact wines of Radikon are made, with the town of Gorizia, further south and the Slovenian border just a stone's throw away, home to the Damjian winery. And finally, looking southeast, the Carso, a plateau of stone that hangs like a peninsula between the Adriatic and the hills of Slovenia, with shear limestone soils strewn with rich red clay, home to many of Italy’s most experimental producers: Edi Kante, Zidarich and Vodopivec, just to name a few.

The proximity of all these regions is an amazing thing to see. From this same location, the Adriatic Sea with its warming Mediterranean influences, is only twenty-five miles away. To the North, the cooling presence of the Julian Alps, only fifty miles away, and from the east, the strong, ventilating winds of the Bora. These three factors are what create Friuli’s unique climate, a confluence of all three that form the perfect balance for viticulture, and especially for white wine. 

As for the Isonzo, where I stood, it was formed by flooding waters coming down from the Julian Alps along the Isonzo river. These waters not only caused erosion but also deposited gravel and sand over the course of millennia. The fertile, well-draining soils of the area, similar to those in the Grave, further north-west, are a perfect place to create the bulk of Friuli’s wine production, but also responsible for many of the lackluster and forgettable wines produced in the region. That said, a winery like Vie di Romans is a perfect example of how world-class wine can be made here.

Looking out toward the Gravner winery from Slovenia.

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Friuli-Venezia Giulia is one of the most culturally and climatically diverse regions in Italy. It should come as no surprise that the region produces a vast range of wines as a result. From crisp varietal whites and richer blends, to wild, indigenous reds and extended skin-contact, amphora-aged wines, the wines of Friuli run the gamut. Quality can be variable, so readers must be selective.

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