Wine in Corno di Rosazzo, Friuli-Venezia Giulia

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 The 26 hectares anchor one of the historical reference programmes for DOCG Picolit, with the recovered 19th-century plantings credited as one of the bases for the modern Picolit revival.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.

I Clivi ★ 4.7

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.

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.

Le Vigne di Zamo ★ 4.4

Le Vigne di Zamo at Corno di Rosazzo farms organic Colli Orientali parcels across Rosazzo, Buttrio and the Tre Vigne family holdings. The cellar bottles Friulano, Picolit DOCG (375 ml half-bottle) and a series of single-vineyard whites that anchor the Zamo family's Rosazzo cellar reputation.

Tip: Ask for the Picolit DOCG half-bottle alongside the Friulano; the cellar is a reference Picolit producer in the Colli Orientali half-bottle format.