The iconic bottles that define Friuli-Venezia Giulia: what they are, who makes them and what they cost.
The iconic bottles that define Friuli-Venezia Giulia: what they are, who makes them and what they cost.
The qvevri-fermented Ribolla Gialla that Josko Gravner introduced at Oslavia in 2001 after a 1990s study trip through Kakheti in Georgia, vinified in clay buried below the cellar floor.
Tasting notes: Skin-contact Ribolla Gialla fermented in buried Georgian qvevri at the Oslavia cellar with no temperature control, then aged in large Slavonian oak. Deep amber colour with dried apricot, honeycomb, walnut skin, gentian root and a tannic, savoury frame. Source: gravner.it.
The Oslavia Ribolla of the Radikon cellar, started by Stanko Radikon in the mid 1990s on the ponca slope above Gorizia and now run by his sons Sasa and Ivan after his death in 2016.
Tasting notes: Three-month skin maceration in open vats with no temperature control or added sulphur at bottling, then long ageing in 25-hectolitre Slavonian oak botti. Dried apricot, orange marmalade, walnut and a tannic, savoury palate. Source: radikon.it.
The Friulano cuvée renamed Jakot at the 2008 vintage in protest at the EU Tocai-Tokaj ruling, vinified on skins for several months in the same Oslavia cellar as Ribolla.
Tasting notes: Friulano labelled Jakot (Tokaj reversed) after the 2007 EU ruling forced the regional renaming. Long skin contact, large-cask ageing, no added sulphur. Yellow apple, dried camomile, almond skin and a savoury, lightly tannic finish. Source: radikon.it.
The Oslavia Ribolla of the Bensa brothers at La Castellada, one of the four Oslavia hill cellars whose extended-maceration programmes anchored the orange-wine revival at the turn of the 2000s.
Tasting notes: Bensa-family Ribolla from the Oslavia ridge, fermented on skins for several weeks in open wood vats then aged in large Slavonian botti. Amber colour, dried orange peel, walnut and a savoury saline finish. Source: lacastellada.it.
The flagship white blend of Damijan Podversic at the Oslavia-adjacent cellar above Gorizia, fermented on skins for around two months in open wood vats.
Tasting notes: Damijan Podversic's white blend from his vineyards above Gorizia, skin-macerated for around two months and aged in large oak botti without temperature control. Dried citrus, honey, hazelnut skin and a savoury saline finish. Source: damijanpodversic.com.
The cru Friulano of Mario Schiopetto's Capriva del Friuli cellar, where late-1960s temperature-controlled fermentations set the modern technical baseline for Collio white wine.
Tasting notes: Single-vineyard cru Friulano from the Capriva del Friuli cellar where Mario Schiopetto pioneered late-1960s temperature-controlled white-wine vinification. Almond blossom, yellow stone fruit, lemon zest and a chalky ponca-driven finish. Source: schiopetto.it.
The Rosazzo-amphitheatre flagship of the Livio Felluga cellar at Brazzano di Cormons, a Friulano-Pinot Bianco-Sauvignon blend first bottled in 1981 and one of the founding age-worthy DOCG Rosazzo whites.
Tasting notes: The signature white blend of Livio Felluga from the Rosazzo amphitheatre, fermented in steel with partial barrique ageing on lees. Yellow apple, anise seed, white peach and a long stone-fruit finish that gains complexity with bottle age. Source: liviofelluga.it.
The prestige white blend of Russiz Superiore at Capriva del Friuli, the sister cellar of Marco Felluga that anchors Roberto Felluga's Collio range.
Tasting notes: Russiz Superiore's prestige Collio Bianco from Roberto Felluga's Capriva del Friuli estate, fermented in French oak and aged on lees. Yellow stone fruit, beeswax, almond and a saline ponca finish. Source: marcofelluga.com.
Nicola Manferrari's signature Collio white blend at Brazzano di Cormons, a Friulano-Sauvignon-Riesling cuvée built on long oak ageing and considered a benchmark Collio Bianco.
Tasting notes: Nicola Manferrari's flagship Collio Bianco at Brazzano di Cormons, oak-fermented with long lees ageing. Beeswax, yellow apple, lemon balm and a layered ponca-driven palate that gains complexity over a decade. Source: collio.it.
Edi Keber's mono-cuvée Collio Bianco at Zegla, a Friulano-Ribolla Gialla-Malvasia Istriana blend that the cellar bottles as its only DOC wine after a 2010s decision to focus on the indigenous Collio assemblage.
Tasting notes: Edi Keber bottles only this Collio Bianco at Zegla above Cormons, a 70-20-10 Friulano-Ribolla-Malvasia indigenous blend aged in large oak botti. Yellow apple, almond, dried herbs and a long ponca-driven finish. Source: edikeber.it.
The single-vineyard Sauvignon of Venica & Venica at Dolegna del Collio from the Ronco delle Mele apple-orchard parcel above the cellar.
Tasting notes: Single-vineyard Sauvignon from the Ronco delle Mele cru at Dolegna del Collio, fermented in steel and aged on lees. Elderflower, gooseberry, white peach and a saline ponca finish. Source: venica.it.
Gianfranco Gallo's single-vineyard Sauvignon at Mariano del Friuli on the Isonzo river plain, sourced from the Vieris gravel parcel of the Friuli Isonzo DOC.
Tasting notes: Gianfranco Gallo's single-vineyard Sauvignon from the Vieris gravel parcel on the Isonzo river plain, fermented in steel with long lees ageing. Yellow grapefruit, elderflower, white peach and a stony, river-shaped saline finish. Source: viediromans.it.
The DOCG Picolit of Livio Felluga, vinified from the rare acinellatura-affected Picolit grape in the disciplinare-standard 375 ml half-bottle.
Tasting notes: Late-harvest Picolit from the Colli Orientali, the acinellatura flower-abortion variety dried on the vine and pressed into a viscous sweet white. Apricot jam, honey, candied citrus peel and dried rose petal, served in the disciplinare-standard 375 ml format. Source: liviofelluga.it.
The DOCG Ramandolo of Dario Coos from the steep Nimis hillsides above Tarcento, a late-harvest Verduzzo Friulano dried on the vine into late October and November.
Tasting notes: Late-harvest Verduzzo Friulano from the steep Nimis hillsides above Tarcento, dried on the vine into November. Honey, dried apricot, candied orange peel and a fresh acidic spine that keeps the sweet palate buoyant. Source: dariocoos.it.
Edi Kante's reference Vitovska from the Carso limestone karst above Trieste, vinified in the cellar's 18-metre-deep limestone-cut chambers at Prepotto-Aurisina.
Tasting notes: Edi Kante's Vitovska from the Carso limestone above Trieste, vinified in the cellar's 18-metre-deep limestone-cut underground chambers at Prepotto-Aurisina. Saline, briny palate with white pear, almond, sea air and a low 11.5 to 12.5 percent ABV. Source: kante.it.
Paolo Vodopivec's qvevri-fermented Vitovska at Sgonico on the Carso plateau, where buried clay vessels ferment the indigenous Vitovska grape on its skins.
Tasting notes: Paolo Vodopivec's qvevri-fermented Vitovska at Sgonico on the Carso plateau, buried in clay for several months and aged in large Slavonian botti. Amber colour with dried pear, sea salt, herbal bitter tones and a tannic, briny finish. Source: vodopivec.it.
Enzo Pontoni's cult cru Friulano from the Buri vineyard at Buttrio in the Colli Orientali, made in tiny quantities with extreme yield reduction and barrel fermentation.
Tasting notes: Enzo Pontoni's Buri cru Friulano from the Colli Orientali, made in tiny quantities at Buttrio with extreme yield reduction and oak-barrel fermentation. Yellow stone fruit, beeswax, almond and a long mineral ponca finish. Source: colliorientali.com.
Peak wine-travel season in Friuli-Venezia Giulia is spring through autumn, with harvest the standout window.
classified-growth and grand-cru estates require booking days to weeks ahead; smaller family domaines often take walk-ins midweek.
most estates open 10:00 to 17:00 by appointment, often closed Sunday and Monday.
tipping is not expected at tastings; buying a bottle from the cellar door is the customary thank-you.
If you only open one bottle, open Gravner Ribolla by gravner. It is the wine most associated with Friuli-Venezia Giulia.