Pride and Tradition: The Friulian Way

BY ERIC GUIDO | APRIL 18, 2023

Have the wines of Friuli-Venezia Giulia ever been as good as they are today? I ask myself this question every year while tasting through the 400+ wines that fill this report. The region has struggled to define its identity for decades, driven by the international success of a few big names, some of which are still in the game and others that have fallen astray. Friuli-Venezia Giulia’s producers have adapted and experimented to arrive at a style that could be considered Friulian. Many will tell you that they have succeeded. This region is a mix of culture, tradition and modern-day tastes, with many producers, locals and tourists happy with the current winemaking standard. Even so, there are significant challenges to overcome if the region is going to continue to succeed internationally.

The Borgo del Tiglio vineyards.

A Little Geography 

Friuli-Venezia Giulia (which I will refer to as FVG going forward) is located in the extreme northeast of the Italian peninsula. This melting pot of cultures was formed over thousands of years as ruling parties and borders changed repeatedly. As a result, its people, architecture, foods, languages, grape varieties and wine culture are incredibly diverse and unique. To the north is Austria, with the Julian Alps dominating its borders. To the east lies Slovenia, with a landscape and culture that often feels like a natural progression from Friuli. In fact, you could easily walk across this border without even knowing you have crossed into another country. To the south is the Adriatic Sea, and its Mediterranean influence. Friuli’s wine landscapes are defined by their proximity to the Julian Alps and the Adriatic Sea, which creates a push and pull of cooling and warming currants, along with the cold north-easterly Bora winds. 

The major wine-growing regions of FVG are Collio, Colli Orientali, Carso, Isonzo and Grave. Collio is one of Italy’s most renowned sources of high-quality white wine. The area forms like a crescent moon around Slovenia’s Brda. From space, one would never assume that these two regions were separated by political borders instead of natural ones. These are all hillside vineyards with Ponca soils as elevations increase. Ponca is a rocky mix of chalky clay and sandstone that dominates the hillsides and valleys of the region. Collio is a hotbed of winemaking activity where both reds and whites thrive. It is also home to the skin-contact (orange) wines that are made in the Oslavia district. Moving closer to the foothills of the Julian Alps is Friuli Colli Orientali, which runs south toward Collio. Here we find Friuli's Ponca soils again. The Colli Orientali is home to many of the region's most famous names and subzones. Carso runs like a shelf of shear limestone cliffs along the Adriatic Sea and into the heart of Slovenia. Trieste, the capital of FVG and its largest city, is located on the coast at its most southern tip. The wines of the Carso are wildly unique, as these are barren lands made of stone. Visiting many wineries here is like delving into a dwarven city or mine. Skin-contact (orange) wine dominates, and its producers are masters of their craft. The Vitovska grape is also unique to Carso. Isonzo and Grave are defined by large plains formed by glacial movements, rivers and floods that carried dolomite rocks and pebbles while heading out to the Adriatic Sea. In some places, these rocks and gravel exist just below the surface of sandy marls and travel deep into the earth. Today, the Isonzo winemakers have established that great wines are indeed possible. The Grave remains the region’s largest denomination in hectares and volume of wine produced.

The subterranean Georgian Amphorae (locally known as Qvevri) at Gravner.

Bringing Friuli-Venezia Giulia Back to the International Stage

The evolution and progress in the wines I’ve witnessed throughout FVG is a positive sign. I find more character, precision and polish each year. Thankfully, the days of the super-stylized whites have ended and have been replaced with wines made with a more regional approach. However, several things are holding FVG back, some of which will be easier to remedy than others.