Friuli

Question 1

Viticulture

Answer 1

Vineyards in the south are on a flat plain near the Adriatic and have a warm maritime climate with warm air from the sea meeting cool air from the Alps.

High rainfall (1,200mm) with accompanying humidity. Makes disease control and organic challenging

Two zones: the plains and the low hills corresponding to everyday and higher quality wines.

Everyday wines, espec Pinot Grigio and Merlot are made from higher yield fruit grown on the alluvial plain with rocky deposits. Includes 5 DOCs. Most important is Grave del Friuli DOC (volume wines) and Friuli Isonzo (best from right bank of river Isonzo by Collio). Yields are higher on the plain.

Higher quality: hillsides of Collio DOC and Collio Orientali del Friuli DOC. Calcareous marl and sandstone. Compacted marl (ponca) has good drainage. Modest altitude of 200m, a range of slopes and exposure to wind makes for lower yields, better concentration.

Question 2

Grapes

Answer 2

Pinot Grigio: 25%
Merlot: 15%
Friulano: 9%
Chardonnay 7%
Sauv Blanc 7%
Cab Franc 7%

Local Varieties: Whites: Ribolla Gialla; Malvasia di Istria, Verduzzo and Picolit; Reds: Refosco, Schiopettino, Pignolo, Tazzalenghe

Varieties found in Europe: Riesling, Welschriesling (Riesling Italico), Gewurztraminer, Muller Thurgau, Blaufrankisch (Franconia)

French: Merlot, Sauvignonasse (Friulano), Chardonnay, Sauv Blanc, Cab franc, Pinot Blanc, Cab Sauv, Pinot, Carmenere

Question 3

Friulano

Answer 3

AKA Sauvignon Vert and Sauvignonasse
Good disease resistance (imp for the high rainfall)

Med minus floral and apple, med to high alcohol, med plus acid. Made in stainless to preserve primary and fresh or lightly oaked. Best can age.

good to very good and mid to prem

Question 4

Ribolla Gialla

Refosco

Answer 4

Ribolla Gialla: White. Only grown in Collio and Colli Orientali. Needs hills to prevent too much vigor. Prone to shot berries. Citrus and pepper and high acid. Lots of experimentation: oak, sparkling, sweet, skin contact for orange, amphorae

Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso: most planted of local reds. vigorous so best when on hillsides with lower fertility. Later ripening and resistant to botrytis. Cherry and herbal. small berries for wines with high tannin that are smoothed out via time in barrel.

Question 5

Winemaking

Answer 5

Clean unoaked style developed by Mrio Schiopetto in the 1960’s. Drew on German technical expertise, espec stainless for fermentation and aging, temp control, cultivated yeast, etc.

Friuli became the go to region for this style of wine. Now experimentation with late harvest, skin maceration, lees stirring, and oak is following.

Orange Wines: Friuli and the Oslavia sub region of Collio is a center for orange wine production. Long maceration (8 days up to 6 - 8 mo) on the skins of white varieties followed by a long aging (2 - 6 yrs) in large oak barrels. Josko Gravner, Dario Princic, Stanko Radikon were originators an commit to: organic, local varieties (espec Ribolla Gialla), long maceration on skins, no temp control during fermentation, long maturation in large format wood, min or no fining / filtration, low or no added SO2

Results in amber, orange, or gold wines. Pronounced citrus rind, marzipan, honey, med tannin. Premium. appreciated by somms, natural wine lovers, and adventurous drinkers.

Question 6

DOC’s

Answer 6

Friuli DOC
Friuli Grave DOC
Collio DOC
Colli Orientali DOC
Ramandolo DOCG
Colli Orientali Del Friuli Picolit DOCG

Question 7

Collio & Colli Orientali

Answer 7

Two most important DOCs for domestic and export

Very similar and mainly divided by history with COF brought into Italy in the 19th century while Collio was only in 1914

Collio max yields 77hl/ha and becoming a DOCG.

Mainly single varietal white: Friulano, Ribolla Gialla, Sauv Blanc, Chard. DOC’s can have the varietal name on the label for 18 diff varieties.

Question 8

Colli Orientali del Friuli Picolit DOCG

Ramandolo DOCG

Answer 8

Colli Orientali del Friuli Picolit DOCG: historic wine once a competitor of Tokaj. Volumes are small as Picolit bunches only have 10 - 15 berries due to problems with berry set. Wine is made from air dried grapes.

Ramandolo DOCG: air dried grapes from the Verduzzo variety

Question 9

Friuli DOC

Answer 9

Introduced in 2016 to allow a DOC wine across all of Friuli

Max yields ae 98hl/ha

Question 10

Business

Answer 10

Two main org’s for high quality wines:
Consorzio Tutela Vini Collio
Consorzio Tutela Vini Friuli Colli Orientali e Ramandolo; oversees: Colli Orientali del Friuli, Ramandolo, Picolit, Rosazzo

Good rep in the Italian market. Exports up by 50% 5 years to 2017 partly halo from Prosecco and Pinot Grigio.