Friuli Venezia Giulia

• Total vineyard area:

  23.000 hectares

• Number of producers:

  9000

• Total wine production per year:

  1.100.000 hectoliters

• Number of DOCGs:

  4

• Number of DOCs:

  10

The origin of viticulture in Friuli has distant origins: in fact, Friulian wines boast over two thousand years of documented history, when the Romans established the first colony in the Aquileia countryside.

During the following centuries, viticulture expanded considerably before the Dark and Middle ages when little wine was made. At the end of the Middle Ages, however, Friulian wine was transported to the countries of northern Europe. Then when Friuli came under the dominion of the Serenissima Republic, wine began to be used for trade and for everyday drinking.

Friuli-Venezia Giulia has always been the land of great white wines. The fame of these wines peaked in the 2000s when a competition defined some of them as “super whites.”

Friuli-Venezia Giulia has recently been fighting with Hungary over the right to continue using the word ‘Tocai’ for one of their grapes. Hungary also has a protected designation of origin called Tokaji, a small village on the border with Ukraine known for its sweet wines.

The case was lost by Italy in 2007 with the consequence that if the Tocai Friulano wine keeps its name, its wines have since been called respectively "Friulano" in Friuli-Venezia Giulia and "Tai" in Veneto.

• Vini e Spumanti Lorenzonetto - Cav. Guido:

  A winery run by the Lorenzonetto family. This family has always handed down the art of winemaking and cultivation of vineyards from father to son, scrupulously observing ancient traditions while keeping up to date with modern viticulture and enological techniques. The company offers wines that pair with everything from aperitifs to desserts.

• Pitars:

  The Pittaro family, known as the “Pitars”, has been linked to this winemaking tradition since 1600. In the early 20th century, they moved to working with Merlot, an originally French variety. Today, Pitars is a fourth generation winery who keep family and enological traditions alive.

• Zorzettig Vini:

  The wine history of the Zorzettig family begins more than 100 years ago, on the hills of Spessa di Cividale in the heart of the Colli Orientali del Friuli. Today the vineyard spans around 115 hectares and has an annual production of around 800,000 bottles. 50% of the wines are exported with a presence in Austria and Germany and a growing market in Asia, the United States, Australia, and Northern Europe.

• Ribolla Gialla:

  a native grape cultivated since Roman times. The wines are fruit driven and delicious

• Verduzzo Friulano:

  These wines are yellow-green in colour thanks to very juicy berries and are aromatic in flavour.

• Tocai Friulano:

  These grapes are straw-yellow in colour, which creat wines that are delicate, dry and harmonious.

• Picolit:

  a native variety used for passito wines, usually scented with almond, wildflowers and peach.

• Vitovska:

  a native variety which makes excellent aperitif wines with flavours of sage and pear

• Merlot:

  An elegant variety with red-fruit flavours and a soft texture, often accentuated by wooden barrels.

• Refosco:

  Refosco means “dark bunch”. The wine is dark and structured with fruity and spicy notes.

• Cabernet Franc:

  A variety that makes herbaceous, medium-light bodied wines with an intense aroma on the nose.

• Schioppettino:

  A native variety with an intense red colour, they make full bodied, complex wines.