Internationally perceived by some as the defining wines of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, macerated white wines from the area are blockbusters of the wine world. However, their inception, ‘history’ and quality have become confused, and in the blinding glow of their popularity, the region finds itself in yet another identity crisis. I visited the first adopters of the style to discover how the wines came to be, their meaning today and the realities of the region where they come from.

Two successive warm and drought-filled years challenged winemakers in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, yet the 2021s and 2022s still offer plenty of pleasure. Readers will find many beautifully balanced yet sun-kissed wines. Unfortunately, others lack substance and come across as aromatically challenged, ripe and one-dimensional.

In the initial stages of the fellowship process with Vinous, I had composed a list of regions I was interested in writing about. In addition to my top areas of interest, I offered a supplemental shortlist of honorable mentions. One of those was Friuli Venezia-Giulia. Despite being a professional wine buyer, I realized that my perception of the region was narrow and inaccurate. A place I once understood as a Pinot Grigio and orange wine haven is a patchwork of fine wine producers struggling to form an identity on a global stage.

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.

This is not quite Italy, Austria or Slovenia; it is distinctly Friuli Venezia Giulia, and what forward-thinking producers in the region have accomplished through decades of toying and tinkering to find that perfect mix has created a kaleidoscope of styles from ancient to international to completely experimental.

Along with Piedmont and the Valle d’Aosta, Friuli Venezia Giulia offers wine lovers the greatest diversity in grape varieties and wine styles of any region in Italy. The whites and sweet wines are among the best in the country, and the reds have also become especially enticing in recent years.

No other region in Italy offers as large a selection of outstanding white wines from so many different grape varieties as Friuli Venezia Giulia does, while the region’s native red grapes yield wines that are equally distinctive.

Friuli’s oenological landscape is one of the most diverse and multi-faceted in Italy. An extraordinary range of sites and microclimates, along with influences from neighboring Slovenia and Austria, yields wines that at their best are compelling. That is the good news.

Friuli is home to some of the most spectacular hillside vineyards in all of Europe. While the best Friulian wines are stunning, the full potential of these sites remains largely untapped.

It is one my favorites drives in Italy. The highway turns north just past Verona. After a short while it feels like the valleys literally open up to reveal a dramatic landscape marked with apple orchards, the Adige River and the spectacular Dolomites. Just past Rovereto and Trento the vistas start to change again. We are in Alto Adige, one of the most spectacular regions in all of Italy. Seldom frequented by Americans, Alto Adige remains largely undiscovered.

Da Nando is an institution in Friuli. Even after all these years, the food and wine are well worth a visit. Proprietor Ivan Uanetto is a larger than life character whose booming voice and equally outsize personality fill up the room. Da Nando is the kind of place that is typical of the Italian provinces. The menu is essentially useless; instead diners should rely on the waiters to recommend what is outstanding on any given day. I usually start and finish with the antipasti, which consists of 5-6 courses that are more than enough for a meal. On the occasions I have ventured into the pastas and meat courses I have rarely been disappointed.

Le Dune is not the kind of place readers visiting Friuli are likely to happen upon by chance. The restaurant is tucked off a small road in the sleepy rural town of Mariano del Friuli and is very easy to miss.

Al Campiello is one of my favorite places to eat in Friuli. The restaurant is located in the hotel of the same name right off the main road that connects Gorizia and Udine. Owner Dario Macorig runs the dining room with extraordinary passion and energy.

No trip to Friuli is complete without a visit to Al Cacciatore. Proprietors Joško and Loredana Sirk offer a refined version of country-style cooking in their homey, old-fashioned trattoria. Located in the hills of Cormons, Al Cacciatore reflects everything that is fascinating about this region so steeped in the traditions of multiple cultures.

Why would one of the greatest producers of white wine in Italy want to organize a tasting of the second label of their red wine? This is the question that was on my mind as I drove down the country road that leads to Cormòns, the small hamlet that is home to Borgo del Tiglio.

Friuli-Venezia Giulia’s potential is evident every time I visit and taste with winemakers. A melting pot of traditions, cultures and terroirs, Friuli-Venezia Giulia is capable of producing world-class wines from a staggering list of indigenous and international grape varieties. However, the region faces many hurdles in fully realizing that potential at a higher level.

When we think of wines that will improve with age, challenging our palates and our intellects over decades of cellaring, it’s usually not a white that comes to mind, especially not a Sauvignon Blanc from Isonzo, Friuli. However, Gianfranco Gallo of Vie di Romans set out over forty years ago to prove us all wrong. Has he? With a fourteen-vintage vertical of the Sauvignon Blanc Vieris direct from the cellar, we’re about to find out.

Venica’s Ronco delle Cime is one of Italy’s benchmark Friulanos. Sleek and refined, it ages well, never losing its crisp, juicy character and food-friendly personality.

Mario Schiopetto is considered the father of modern Friuli Venezia Giulia (FVG) wines. Before his arrival, FVG wines garnered mostly local interest and were consumed fairly quickly after the harvest. But Schiopetto’s wines were clean, precise, mineral and ageworthy, and they rapidly gained an international following, literally putting FVG on the map. Schiopetto’s Friulano, first made in 1965, has long been one of the region’s gold standards for this iconic indigenous variety.

Pinot Bianco has called Friuli Venezia Giulia home for centuries now. Volpe Pasini’s Zuc di Volpe single-vineyard bottling is one of the best Pinot Biancos Italy has to offer. Pretty and varietally expressive, it’s also quite ageworthy.

For my money, Miani proprietor Enzo Pontoni makes Italy’s greatest white wines. None of Pontoni’s other wines showcase his amazing talent more than the Ribolla Gialla. Concentrated and complex yet also crystalline, Pontoni’s Ribolla is light years ahead of everyone else’s.

Ronco del Gelso’s wines belong in the top tier of their respective categories. The Pinot Grigio Sot lis Rivis is an especially noteworthy white that once again proves that Italy’s best examples of its oft-maligned yet incredibly popular Pinot Grigio can be world-class drinks.

Friuli Venezia Giulia’s Schioppettino is one of the world’s most interesting and potentially great red grape varieties. Schioppettinos are especially characterized by an enticing green peppercorn note that is extremely typical and juicy, bright, mid-weight frames. Ronchi di Cialla’s Schioppettino is an iconic and historic wine in the true sense of those words, and Italy’s finest expression of the grape.

These new releases from Miani and proprietor Enzo Pontoni show that Friuli’s most inspired, quality-obsessed grower continues to push the boundaries with brilliant whites and reds that showcase the pedigree of the region’s best sites.

La Subida is one of Italy’s best country restaurants. Hearty, but precise and flavorful renditions of Friuli and Slovenian classics are must tries for all serious foodies. The deep wine list rich in Friuli’s best wines adds measurably to the dining experience.