DOC Friuli Colli Orientali / DOCG Colli Orientali del Friuli PicolitFriulano, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon, Ribolla Gialla, Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, Schioppettino, Picolit28 haFounded 1963Specogna family (Cristian and Michele Specogna)ORGANIC CERTIFIEDcorno-di-rosazzo
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.
DOC Friuli Colli Orientali / DOC CollioFriulano, Malvasia Istriana, Verduzzo Friulano, Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso16 haFounded 1996Pinto family (Mario Zanusso with sons Ferdinando Zanusso)ORGANIC CERTIFIEDcorno-di-rosazzo
I Clivi was founded in 1996 by Mario Zanusso, who restored old-vine parcels at Corno di Rosazzo (Clivi Galea in the Colli Orientali) and Brazzano (Clivi Brazan in the Collio) where vines now average over 60 years.
Tasting: Cellar visit at Gramogliano by appointment with a vineyard walk through the Clivi Brazan and Clivi Galea old-vine parcels (vines averaging over 60 years) and a flight of the Brazan Friulano, Galea Bianco and the Malvasia. Reservation required.
Signature wines: i-clivi-brazan-friulano, i-clivi-galea-bianco, i-clivi-malvasia, i-clivi-verduzzo-rno
Tip: Ask the cellar for vine ages on the Clivi Brazan and Clivi Galea parcels; both are among the oldest continuous Friulano plantings in the region.
DOC Friuli Colli OrientaliFriulano, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon, Ribolla Gialla, Chardonnay, Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, Schioppettino100 haFounded 1986Zorzettig family (Annalisa Zorzettig)ORGANIC CERTIFIEDcividale-del-friuli
Zorzettig was founded in 1986 by Giuseppe Zorzettig at Spessa di Cividale and built into the modern operation by daughter Annalisa Zorzettig, who took over in the 2000s.
Tasting: Cellar visit at Spessa di Cividale by appointment with a vineyard walk through the Myò parcels and a flight of the Myò Friulano, Myò Sauvignon and the Refosco. On-site agriturismo with farmhouse rooms.
Signature wines: zorzettig-myo-friulano, zorzettig-myo-sauvignon, zorzettig-refosco
Tip: Book the agriturismo for an extended cellar walk; the Myò Friulano is the cellar's most-cited bottling and the Refosco lands particularly well with the Friulian goulash.
DOC Friuli Colli Orientali / Schioppettino di Prepotto sub-denomination / DOCG Colli Orientali del Friuli PicolitSchioppettino, Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, Verduzzo Friulano, Picolit, Friulano, Ribolla Gialla21 haFounded 1970Rapuzzi family (Pierpaolo and Ivan Rapuzzi)ORGANIC CERTIFIEDprepotto
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.
DOCG Ramandolo / DOC Friuli Colli Orientali / DOCG Colli Orientali del Friuli PicolitVerduzzo Friulano, Picolit, Friulano, Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso15 haFounded 1979Coos family (Dario Coos with daughter Federica Coos)nimis
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.
DOC Friuli Colli OrientaliFriulano, Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Ribolla Gialla, Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, Merlot16 haFounded 1985Enzo PontoniWinemaker Enzo PontoniBiodynamic PracticingORGANIC CERTIFIEDbuttrio
Enzo Pontoni rebuilt his family's small Buttrio cellar from 1985 onward into one of Friuli's most-allocated reference cellars. The 16 hectares of old-vine parcels around Buttrio (Buri, Filip, Saurint, Calvari) are dry-farmed at very low yields, fermented spontaneously and aged in large oak. Miani's whites are among the most concentrated examples of Colli Orientali Friulano and Sauvignon and have a long-running auction-market following.
Tasting: Cellar access is essentially closed to the public; the cellar does not run a standard visitor programme. Wines are allocated through a small distributor network and traded in the secondary market. Reference here is editorial only.
Signature wines: miani-friulano-buri, miani-friulano-filip, miani-sauvignon-saurint, miani-merlot-calvari
Tip: The cellar does not run public tastings; reach the wines through specialist Friuli importers and aged bottle lists at top regional restaurants.
