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).
Cabernet Franc is one of the oldest red grape varieties in Bordeaux. The Libourne region is its terroir where it develops best. The terroirs of Saint-Emilion and Fronsac allow it to mature and develop its best range of aromas. It is also the majority in many blends. The very famous Château Cheval Blanc, for example, uses 60% Cabernet Franc. The wines produced with Cabernet Franc are medium in colour with fine tannins and subtle aromas of small red fruits and spices. When blended with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, it brings complexity and a bouquet of aromas to the wine. It produces fruity wines that can be drunk quite quickly, but whose great vintages can be kept for a long time. It is an earlier grape variety than Cabernet Sauvignon, which means that it is planted as far north as the Loire Valley. In Anjou, it is also used to make sweet rosé wines. Cabernet Franc is now used in some twenty countries in Europe and throughout the world.
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 meat lasagna, linguine with squid ink and cockles or chard with meat and mustard.
On the nose in the region of Frioul-Vénétie Julienne often reveals types of flavors of citrus, tree fruit or citrus fruit and sometimes also flavors of earth, microbio or vegetal. In the mouth in the region of Frioul-Vénétie Julienne is a powerful with a nice freshness.
When asked which is the most exciting appellation in the Rhône, there’s one that currently springs to mind before all others: Tavel. I have to be honest with you: I don’t buy much rosé. So, given that Tavel is, according to The Oxford Companion to Wine, ‘one of France’s few all-rosé appellations,’ my response might be unexpected. The Oxford Companion is technically correct, of course – the wines made here are paler than a typical red wine. But compared to other rosés, that’s where the comparison ...
The 0.27% of entries awarded Best in Show at this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards reflect the inspiring world of wine and quest for quality among winemakers globally, with 50 wines expressing the best of their categories. An all-time record for wines tasted at the world’s largest wine competition, it’s quite possible that Decanter World Wine Awards 2022 marks the largest-ever wine competition to be held in history. And of the record-breaking 18,244 wines tasted, just 50 were ...
When you have an idea that, in your first flush of inspiration, you think deserves to get beyond the breakfast table, you run straight into the modern dilemma. Is it a Tweet? Is it one for Facebook or Instagram? Should you just try it out on your nearest and dearest, or is there a book in it? A slim volume, or does it need several tomes to expound its profundity? My trade being what it is, and royalties being as modest as they are these days, I’ve rather given up on books. Writing new ones, that ...
