Picolit in Friuli-Venezia Giulia

Livio Felluga ★ 4.9

Founded in 1956 by Livio Felluga at Brazzano (Cormons), and now run by Livio's four children Maurizio, Filippo, Elda and Andrea Felluga. The estate farms approximately 165 hectares across the Colli Orientali, the Rosazzo ridge and the Collio. Terre Alte, the DOCG Rosazzo blend of Friulano, Pinot Bianco and Sauvignon, is the Friulian icon; the Picolit DOCG and the Sossó Refosco anchor the sweet and red ranges. The estate has been certified organic since the 2020s.

Tasting: Cellar visit at Brazzano by appointment with a vineyard walk through the Rosazzo and Brazzano parcels, a Terre Alte flight (the iconic DOCG Rosazzo blend) and a tasting of the Picolit DOCG when bottled. The Friuli wine resort on-site offers extended stays.

Signature wines: livio-felluga-terre-alte, livio-felluga-illivio, livio-felluga-friulano, livio-felluga-picolit, livio-felluga-sossó-refosco

Tip: The Friuli wine resort at the estate doubles as the visit base; book a vertical Terre Alte tasting paired with frico at the resort restaurant.

Bastianich ★ 4.7

Founded in 1997 by Joseph Bastianich (the restaurateur and Lidia Bastianich's son) on Felluga-family advice, the Colli Orientali cellar at Cividale del Friuli farms 35 hectares between Cividale and Buttrio.

Tasting: Cellar visit at Cividale del Friuli by appointment with a vineyard walk through the Buttrio and Cividale parcels and a flight of the Vespa Bianco, Plus Friulano, Calabrone Rosso and Refosco. On-site farmhouse rooms and restaurant.

Signature wines: bastianich-vespa-bianco, bastianich-plus-friulano, bastianich-calabrone, bastianich-refosco

Tip: Book the on-site restaurant for a tasting menu paired with the cellar's range; the Vespa Bianco lands particularly well with the Friulian gnocchi de susini.

Le Vigne di Zamò ★ 4.7

Founded in 1924 by Vittorio Zamò and run today by Pierluigi and Silvano Zamò alongside daughter Annamaria. The 60 hectares span the Rosazzo ridge, Vigne dal Leon parcel and Abbazia di Rosazzo plots in the Colli Orientali. The cellar bottles a single-parcel Pignolo (one of the region's revival reds) and the Vigne dal Leon Refosco alongside the Picolit DOCG.

Tasting: Cellar visit at Rocca Bernarda by appointment with a vineyard walk through the Vigne dal Leon and Abbazia di Rosazzo parcels and a flight of the Tullio Zamò Bianco, Vigne dal Leon Refosco and the Picolit DOCG.

Signature wines: le-vigne-di-zamo-tullio-zamo, le-vigne-di-zamo-vigne-dal-leon-refosco, le-vigne-di-zamo-pignolo, le-vigne-di-zamo-picolit

Tip: Ask for the Pignolo back-vintages; the cellar holds library stock of one of Friuli's near-extinct revival reds.

Rocca Bernarda ★ 4.7

Rocca Bernarda traces to 1559 when the Valvason family planted the first vineyards on the ridge above Premariacco. The estate was bequeathed to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta in 1977 and the Order continues to operate it. The 26 hectares anchor one of the historical reference programmes for DOCG Picolit, with the recovered 19th-century plantings credited as one of the bases for the modern Picolit revival.

Tasting: Cellar visit at Premariacco by appointment with a tour of the 16th-century villa and the historic Picolit cellars, a vineyard walk through the Rocca Bernarda parcels and a flight including the Picolit DOCG.

Signature wines: rocca-bernarda-picolit, rocca-bernarda-friulano, rocca-bernarda-refosco, rocca-bernarda-verduzzo

Tip: The Picolit cellar walk at the villa is the most direct way to understand DOCG Picolit's tiny yields and the history of the grape's near-extinction.

Specogna ★ 4.6

Specogna was founded in 1963 and is now run by brothers Cristian and Michele Specogna, the third Specogna generation. The 28 hectares on Colli Orientali ponca around Rocca Bernarda feed a small range with parcel-level Friulano and Pignolo bottlings. The Picolit DOCG is among the cellar's library cuvées.

Tasting: Cellar visit at Rocca Bernarda by appointment with a vineyard walk through the Specogna parcels and a flight of the Friulano, Pinot Grigio, Itoc Bianco and Picolit DOCG.

Signature wines: specogna-friulano, specogna-itoc-bianco, specogna-pignolo, specogna-picolit

Tip: Itoc Bianco (the cellar's whole-Colli Friulano-Pinot Grigio-Ribolla blend) is the entry to the cellar's library; ask for back vintages alongside.

Ronchi di Cialla ★ 4.7

Paolo and Dina Rapuzzi bought the abandoned Cialla parcels in 1970 and replanted Schioppettino from heritage cuttings, working with the Prepotto growers' association to add the variety back to the permitted Friulian list. The cellar is the historical anchor of the Schioppettino-revival narrative and the namesake of the Schioppettino di Prepotto sub-denomination formalised in 2008. Sons Pierpaolo and Ivan Rapuzzi now run the operation.

Tasting: Cellar visit at Cialla by appointment with a vineyard walk through the Schioppettino parcels in the Prepotto valley and a flight of the Schioppettino di Cialla, Refosco, Verduzzo and Picolit. The cellar holds back-vintage library bottles for special visits.

Signature wines: ronchi-di-cialla-schioppettino, ronchi-di-cialla-refosco, ronchi-di-cialla-verduzzo, ronchi-di-cialla-picolit

Tip: Ask for a Schioppettino di Cialla vertical; the cellar holds library stock and the variety ages 10 to 20 years.

Dario Coos ★ 4.5

Dario Coos founded the cellar in 1979 in the Ramandolo zone above Nimis and built it into one of the appellation's most-cited sweet-wine producers. Daughter Federica Coos now works in the cellar.

Tasting: Cellar visit at Ramandolo by appointment with a vineyard walk through the steep Monte Bernadia slopes and a flight of the Ramandolo DOCG, the Picolit DOCG and the Friulano Colli Orientali. The cellar's sweet-wine focus makes it a strong base for understanding the late-harvest tradition.

Signature wines: dario-coos-ramandolo-il-longhino, dario-coos-picolit, dario-coos-friulano

Tip: Il Longhino Ramandolo is the cellar's flagship; pair it with the local Montasio cheese at the end of a Colli Orientali day trip.

Ronchi di Manzano ★ 4.5

Ronchi di Manzano was founded in 1969 by Giovanni Borghese and is now led by his daughter Roberta Borghese. The 50 hectares on Colli Orientali ponca around Manzano and Orsaria feed varietal whites, Schioppettino and Picolit DOCG. The on-site agriturismo doubles as a Colli Orientali base.

Tasting: Cellar visit at Orsaria by appointment with a vineyard walk through the Manzano parcels and a flight of the Friulano, Sauvignon, Schioppettino and Picolit DOCG. On-site agriturismo with farmhouse rooms.

Signature wines: ronchi-di-manzano-friulano, ronchi-di-manzano-schioppettino, ronchi-di-manzano-picolit

Tip: The Schioppettino is among the cellar's library cuvées; ask for a back-vintage tasting paired with the agriturismo dinner.

Livio Felluga Tasting Room ★ 4.9

Livio Felluga cellar at Brazzano of Cormons pours Friulano, Pinot Grigio, the Terre Alte Rosazzo white blend and the DOCG Picolit, the modern Colli Orientali reference.

Tasting: Visit the Brazzano of Cormons cellar where Livio Felluga rebuilt the Rosazzo hill plantings after 1956, with a tour of the Vigneti delle Dolomiti slopes and a flight of Friulano, Pinot Grigio, Terre Alte (Friulano, Pinot Bianco and Sauvignon white blend) and the DOCG Picolit.

Bastianich Tasting Room ★ 4.6

Bastianich family cellar at Cividale del Friuli pours Vespa Bianco, Friulano Plus and the Calabrone Refosco, Schioppettino and Pignolo blend across vineyard walks above Cividale.

Tasting: Visit the Bastianich family cellar at Premariacco above Cividale where Joe and Lidia Bastianich built the Friuli outpost of their New York Italian-food family, with a flight of Vespa Bianco (Chardonnay, Sauvignon and Picolit), the Friulano Plus and the Calabrone Refosco, Schioppettino and Pignolo red.

Rocca Bernarda Tasting Room ★ 4.6

Rocca Bernarda cellar at Premariacco, owned by the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, pours Friulano, Pinot Bianco and the DOCG Colli Orientali del Friuli Picolit 375 ml.

Tasting: Visit the Sovereign Military Order of Malta's Rocca Bernarda cellar at Premariacco, with a vineyard walk to the DOCG Picolit plantings and a flight of Friulano, Pinot Bianco, Refosco and the DOCG Colli Orientali del Friuli Picolit in 375 ml.

Castello di Buttrio Tasting Room ★ 4.7

11th-century Castello di Buttrio above the Rosazzo hill pours Friulano, Refosco and the Riserva del Castello across the Museo del Vino, the vineyard walk and the castle restaurant.

Tasting: Visit the 11th-century Castello di Buttrio cellar above the Rosazzo hill, with the Museo del Vino on the cellar floor (winemaking objects across the Colli Orientali centuries), a vineyard walk on the south-facing ponca and a flight of Friulano, Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso and the Riserva del Castello.

Dario Coos ★ 4.4

Small specialist Ramandolo and Picolit DOCG cellar in the Nimis foothills above Tarcento, with tight production and a Pre-Alpine microclimate.

Why locals love it: Tiny Nimis foothill DOCG that gets less attention than the Collio whites; the cellar is small enough that visits run by appointment with the family.

Tip: The Ramandolo hillsides have a Pre-Alpine microclimate distinct from the Collio and Colli Orientali; pair the cellar visit with a Tarcento or Nimis lunch.

Ronchi di Cialla ★ 4.6

Prepotto cellar that rescued Schioppettino from near-extinction in 1976 and 1977; the canonical Schioppettino di Prepotto reference and DOCG Picolit producer.

Why locals love it: Prepotto is a hilltop commune on the Slovenian border off the standard Cividale-Cormons tour map, and the Schioppettino-only focus keeps the cellar a specialist destination rather than a general Friuli stop.

Tip: The cellar's Schioppettino bottlings benefit from 10 to 20 years of cellar age; ask the family for a vertical to read the variety's evolution.