Friuli-Venezia Giulia is an autonomous region in Italy, located in the extreme Northeast of the country, bordered by Austria and Slovenia to the north and east respectively. The eponymous wine region has four DOCGs, twelve DOCs and three PGIs and is best known for its white wine production. 77% of the region's wines are white, one of the highest proportions of any Italian region. The region's wines are distinctly different from other Italian wines in that they are made from non-traditional Grape varieties such as Sauvignon blanc, Riesling and Pinot blanc, as well as typically Italian varieties such as pinot gris and picolit.
The resulting wine varies depending on whether it is produced in the MediterraneanClimate of the South or the continental alpine climate of the north. In general, the wine produced here is fresh and Fruity, as one would expect from a cool climate wine zone. Friulano, the characteristic white grape of Friuli, is a classic example of these refreshing wines. It was once known as Tocai Friulano, but misleading associations with the prestigious Hungarian wine Tokaji led to a change under international law (it is now simply called Tai).
Pinot Gris is a grey grape variety mutated from Pinot Noir. It has its origins in Burgundy, where it is called pinot-beurot in reference to the colour of the grey robes worn by the monks of the region. Established in Alsace since the 17th century, pinot gris was called tokay until 2007. It is made up of bunches of small berries that vary in colour from pink to blue-grey. It is particularly well suited to the continental climate because it is resistant to the cold in winter and to spring frosts. This variety also likes dry limestone soils with plenty of sunshine in the summer. Pinot Gris is well suited to late harvesting or to the selection of noble grapes, depending on the year and the concentration of sugars in the berries. Pinot Gris wines are distinguished by their aromatic complexity of white fruits, mushrooms, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, etc., and their great finesse. In the Loire Valley, pinot gris is used in the Coteaux-d'Ancenis appellations. It gives dry or sweet wines with pear and peach aromas.
wines from the region of Frioul-Vénétie Julienne go well with generally quite well with dishes of pasta, shellfish or mature and hard cheese such as recipes of pumpkin and courgette lasagne, lobster and scallops on a bed of leeks or cheese soufflé omelette.
On the nose in the region of Frioul-Vénétie Julienne often reveals types of flavors of apples, lemon zest or slate and sometimes also flavors of papaya, bruised apple or oil. In the mouth in the region of Frioul-Vénétie Julienne is a powerful with a nice freshness.
Traditional glass bottles still dominate, but there is also a rising focus on the environmental credentials and lifestyle advantages offered by quality wines in bag-in-box, cans, paper bottles, returnable glass bottles and other so-called alternative packaging formats. Leading wine writers in the UK recently signed an open letter spearheaded by the Wine Traders for Alternative Formats (WTAF) group, which said a greater focus on viable alternatives to traditional glass bottles could significantly ...
Total sales in the Premiere Napa Valley 2022 auction hit $2.1m, including the buyer’s premium, according to Sotheby’s, which co-hosted the event alongside trade body Napa Valley Vintners. All 109 lots were ‘one-of-a-kind’ cuvées from leading producers, created specifically for the Premiere Napa Valley 2022 auction. Wines were from the 2019, 2020 and 2021 vintages. Only trade buyers can take part in the annual sale, but restaurants, retailers and merchants purchasing lots will generally offer the ...
The Roussillon is home to a range of wine styles, at varying price points. Sweet fortified wines (vin doux naturel) used to dominate production, with still dry wines (vin sec) in the minority. In the last 30 years, however, this has completely changed, and vin sec now makes up the majority (80%) of the Roussillon’s output. The recent Wines of Roussillon tasting, held in London, not only highlighted many good quality dry wines being produced, but also cemented the idea that Roussillon whites are ...
