DOC CollioFriulano, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot10 haFounded 1970Toros family (Franco Toros with daughter Cristina Toros)cormons
Franco Toros has run the small Novali cellar above Cormons since 1970, and the 10 hectares on ponca produce small lots of varietal Collio wines that critics regularly rank among the appellation's most precise.
Tasting: Cellar visit at Novali by appointment with a vineyard walk through the small Collio parcels and a varietal Collio flight of Friulano, Pinot Bianco, Sauvignon and the Merlot Riserva.
Signature wines: toros-friulano, toros-pinot-bianco, toros-sauvignon, toros-merlot
Tip: The Friulano is consistently among the appellation's most-cited; book the cellar early since the tasting room only holds 6.
DOC Friuli Colli OrientaliFriulano, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon, Ribolla Gialla, Chardonnay, Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, Schioppettino70 haFounded 1960Zorzettig family (Massimo and Marco Zorzettig)ORGANIC CERTIFIEDbuttrio
La Tunella was founded in 1960 by the Zorzettig family at Ipplis (Premariacco), in the centre of the Colli Orientali. Today brothers Massimo and Marco Zorzettig run the operation.
Tasting: Cellar visit at Ipplis by appointment with a vineyard walk and a flight of the Biancosesto Bianco, Sciarmat Sparkling and Refosco Rosso. The on-site agriturismo offers farmhouse rooms.
Signature wines: la-tunella-biancosesto, la-tunella-rjgialla, la-tunella-sciarmat, la-tunella-refosco
Tip: The Biancosesto Friulano-Ribolla blend is the cellar's whole-Colli statement; book the agriturismo for a Ramandolo and Picolit dessert-wine flight at the end of the visit.
DOC Friuli Colli OrientaliFriulano, Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio, Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, Schioppettino, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Picolit35 haFounded 1997Bastianich family (Joseph Bastianich)cividale-del-friuli
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.
DOC Friuli Colli Orientali / DOCG Rosazzo / DOCG Colli Orientali del Friuli PicolitFriulano, Ribolla Gialla, Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay, Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, Pignolo, Picolit60 haFounded 1924Zamò family (Pierluigi and Silvano Zamò with daughter Annamaria Zamò)corno-di-rosazzo
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.
DOC Friuli Colli OrientaliFriulano, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon, Pinot Bianco, Ribolla Gialla, Chardonnay, Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso50 haFounded 1596Rotolo family (Emilio Rotolo)buttrio
Volpe Pasini's villa at Togliano dates to 1596 and the cellar's modern revival traces to the late-1980s acquisition by Emilio Rotolo. The 50 hectares on the Colli Orientali ridge above Cividale feed the Zuc di Volpe single-vineyard range as the cellar's signature programme.
Tasting: Estate visit at Togliano by appointment with a tour of the 16th-century villa and cellars, a vineyard walk through the Colli Orientali parcels and a flight of the Zuc di Volpe range. The on-site restaurant and farmhouse rooms pair estate wines with regional menus.
Signature wines: volpe-pasini-zuc-di-volpe-friulano, volpe-pasini-zuc-di-volpe-sauvignon, volpe-pasini-zuc-di-volpe-pinot-grigio
Tip: Book the villa restaurant for a Zuc di Volpe Friulano paired with regional gnocchi; the cellar runs estate-wide tastings before lunch service.
DOCG Colli Orientali del Friuli Picolit / DOC Friuli Colli OrientaliPicolit, Friulano, Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco, Verduzzo Friulano, Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso26 haFounded 1559Sovrano Militare Ordine di Malta (Sovereign Military Order of Malta)corno-di-rosazzo
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.
