Friuli-Venezia Giulia is the Northeastern most outcropping of Italy, perched like a right ear.  It is surrounded by the Veneto to its west, Slovenia to the North, Austria to the east and the Adriatic to its South. This region has a tumultuous history, settled by Celts, invaded by Huns, torn apart by Napoleon, two World Wars and belonging alternately to the Hapsburgs and the Venetians. It actually was not until 1963 that its borders came to be as they are today.  It is also a fascinating region for wine as it has a unique offering of indigenous grape varietals, such as refosco, ribolla gialla, malvasia istriana, schiopettino and also was heavily influenced by the French courts, so merlot, cabernet, riesling, pinot gris/grigio have flourished since the 1800’s. 

 The region is blessed with natural air-conditioning with the cooling breezes from the Alps and the warm currents of the Adriatic.  This duality creates an ideal climate for a long growing season that produces perfectly ripened grapes that retain a lively freshness.  Whites rule in this region and since the 1960’s it has been considered the model for Italian white wine making with its introduction of modern, steel tank, temperature-controlled fermentation. There is now an interesting pendulum swing back towards uber-traditional non-interventionist white wine making and we’ll show you one of each style.  Reds are on the rise as well, representing 40% of the production, and with dramatic improvements in quality, there is a lot to look forward to.  Lower yields, increased skin contact and the use of oak are creating complex, intense reds capable of long ageing.    

2007 Az. Agr. Russolo, Ronco Calaj, Malvasia Istriana Delle Venezie 

This small time producer is dedicated at showing the wine world the intricacies of the local grape varietals.  Malvasia is a grape that I am quite sure you have had before, since, if you’ve had most any Italian white wine, I’d ration a bet that there was some or a lot of malvasia in it.  It can range in style from light and spritzy to dense and round, depending on where it comes from and how it is made.  In Friuli there is a particular sub-varietal called malvasia istriana, or malvasia from Istria, the eastern most zone of Friuli that extends down toward Trieste on the Isonzo river.  This area is a very particular wine growing region, with the Austrian Alps to the north and the Slovenijan crags to the east, Friuli is buffeted by refreshing winds that come down from the hills.  Combine this with the coastal warmth of the Adriatic and the warm wind currents of the Isonzo river and you have a situation perfect for great white wine production.  Malvasia Istriana tends to be grown in the lower elevations nearer to the sea where it can reach levels of maturation often only seen in southern Italy, again due to the great ventilation of the region.  Russolo has offered great and particular wines from Friuli that are always a tremendous value.  This wine comes from a single vineyard called “Santarossa” which lies on gravely and mineral rich alluvial soils.  It was vinified and aged in stainless steel with a 4 month period on the lees to add richness. Try over and over this summer with great fish dishes and grilled vegetables!

2005 Movia, Pinot Grigio, Collio, Slovenia

So, take whatever your current paradigm of pinot grigio might be and toss it out the window, or should I say “wine-dow”!  This wine should have plenty to say for itself.  The Movia estate has been making wine for over three centuries and is actually located in western Slovenija, which is, as a wine region, still considered part of the Italian DOC of “Collio”.  Headed up these days (since 1820) by the Kristancic family, Ales is at the reigns of this iconoclastic winery.  Be assured that only the strictest adherence to bio-dynamism is followed along with wine making methods that are neither traditional nor “modern”.  These practices include the use of only Slovenijan oak, both large and small barrels, extended skin maceration, and a prolonged contact with the lees without racking or stirring lasting over two years!  This long and non-interventionalist approach allows the local pinot grigio to reach heights not seen in anywhere else in the wine world.  This wine should be seen as a “gateway wine”, one that can change your conception of wine and leave you yearning for more.  Well with Movia, there are plenty!  He makes a sparkling rose` from merlot and refosco that you have to disgorge yourself, that is, open very carefully because you could lose half the wine! 

2004 Volpe Pasini “Togliano” Merlot, Venezia Giuila 

Volpe Pasini is one of the oldest wineries in the Italian northeast with buildings dating back to 1596 and  with written records of wine production from the early 1700’s.  The manor surrounds an internal vineyard representing the heart and soul of the estate.  The estate is located right in the heart of the Colli Orientali surrounded by beautiful gently rolling hills.  Although merlot is originally French in origin, the grape has been planted in Friuli since the 1800’s, so many Friulians will argue that it is now equally their own. In fact, merlot now accounts for 20% of all land planted to vines. For a long time Friulian reds had a deservedly bad reputation.  The region was so focused on whites that they utilized the same winemaking techniques for the reds, which ended up producing thin, stemmy, lackluster wines. Fortunately, in the 1970’s the Friulians began to chat with other winemakers in Italy and learned “new” techniques.  Volpe Pasini helped to lead this movement and their charming merlot demonstrates just how far the region has come.    

2006 Scolaris, Cabernet Franc, Collio

The story of the Scolaris family estate begins in 1924 when Giovanni Scolaris inherited the family farm located in the village of S. Lorenzo Isontino.  The story is similar throughout Europe and especially Italy, that the equipment at the “winery” was primitive; basket press, acacia wood barrel fermenter, chestnut and Slovenian oak barrels for aging.  The wine was sold locally in bulk to either the local co-op or to local “Frasca’s” small osterias.  In the post WWII era things changed and arguably the Friuli region was one of the most progressive in adapting new technologies to wine making.  Friuli had become a hub for the industrial revolution in Italy, not only with wine but with other famous Italian products (think steam powered coffee press, originating in Trieste!)  In 1980 Marco Scolaris took over the winery with a vision of quality that represented a turning point not just for him but for the region as a whole.  Yields were lowered in the fields while soft pressing and temperature control were all spawned out of Friulian craftsmanship.   It may surprise you that French varietals, mainly Merlot and Cabernet (all) are longstanding and almost considered “Native” by the locals.  This has to do with the forward progression and aristocratic influences from the Hapsburgs as well as the phylloxera louse that greatly changed the wine landscape in the 19^th century.  This wine represents simply great cabernet franc.  It comes from a 20 ha parcel of land and is vinified in stainless steel to preserve the freshness of the fruit.  A great pair with many foods from stews to grilled meats.

 2006 Dorigo Refosco, Colli Orientali del Friuli

Despite the popularity of the French varietals in Friuli, many believe that the local grape refosco is where the future of Friulian reds lies.  (Interestingly a few of the California producers experimenting with Italian grapes are working with refosco as well)  This is a grape that can easily be a simple, grapey quaffer, but when treated correctly it is capable of producing remarkable long ageing reds and Girolamo Dorigo is considered the master of Friulian reds.  He utilizes extremely low crop yields and a prodigious use of new oak to create his powerful example of this native grape.  His vineyards are located in an ideal location, tucked around the fortress town of Buttrio in the Colli Orientali.  Girolamo purchased the vineyards in 1966 and immediately realized that they were not suitable for his vision of world class wines.  He then began the laborious process of renovating the vineyards, consulting with famed enologisits and experimenting with new winemaking techniques.  Refosco is considered to be a relative of shiraz, which you can taste in the soft, dark fruit.  However, this Friulian grape also reflects the minerality and personality of the local terroir.  Interestingly Alessio Dorigo, who is now at the helm of the winery is turning back towards larger more traditional oak treatment of the wines, it will be interesting to see how the style of Friulian reds continues to evolve.

2004 Bressan Schiopettino, Isonzo del Friuli

Schiopettino is the “black” version of ribolla gialla and is notorious for being a difficult grape to grow properly and if not vinified correctly it can be feisty to drink as well with powerfully gripping tannins.  The name itself means “gunshot” because the wine is known to loudly crackle and pop during fermentation –pour that on your Rice Crispies!  Fulvio Bressan is a passionate man dedicated to the history of his family, their land and the production of truly natural wines.  He considers himself a rare survivor who has the courage to produce real wines.  Although he could be labeled as such, he eschews labels such as organic and biodynamic as he feels they are too fad driven and also that as soon as rules are in place then they will be broken.  He is prone to poetry and has an artistic sensitivity that comes through in his wines.  His schiopettino is all hand harvested, de-stemmed and pressed gently. It spends a full 2 years in 2000L old oak barrels to tame the natural tannin and high acidity.  The result is a beautiful combination of wild berries and a hint of animal woodsiness – think Northern Rhone syrah! If veal chops are in the menu, then this is your wine…

(I also must add that I love that they play Enya on their website)

Kerri