Wines from Friuli

A Friuli classic, here in an expressive interpretation à la Tunella: Refosco combines strength, fruit and regional flavour with a cool elegance. The vines are rooted in the calcareous Ponca soils of the Colli Orientali, which gives the wine structure and finesse. Ripe wild berries, sloe, a hint of violets and black pepper on the nose. Powerful on the palate, with fresh, invigorating acidity, firm tannins and juicy fruit. The vintage brings clarity and drinking pleasure without diluting the serious character of the variety. The finish is characterised by dark fruit, herbal spice and a hint of graphite. A stylistically balanced Refosco that brings origin and typicity to the glass with fine precision. SUPERIORE.DE

A Cabernet Sauvignon with a Friulian character: powerful, but never rustic. The vines are rooted in the calcareous flysch soils of the Colli Orientali, where they find ideal conditions under the influence of Alpine winds and Adriatic breezes. Dark berries, cassis, some paprika and a hint of graphite on the nose. Maturation in stainless steel tanks preserves the freshness and clarity typical of the variety. On the palate, the 2023 is juicy, structured and animating, with fine-grained tannins and good grip. The periods of summer heat were well buffered by night-time cooling, which is reflected in the balance of fruit, flavour and freshness. A Cabernet from the north-east full of character - powerful, honest and with a touch of noblesse. SUPERIORE.DE

Mario Schiopetto was born in 1930, he grew up in the family-owned Osteria ai Pompieri and had his first professional experiences as a fireman and later as a truck driver. In 1963, guided only by his taste and love of wine, he began to devote himself to wine production in his parents' farm and produced the first pure Tocai in 1965. The historic label at the time included the drawing of his fire engine, which he also used to deliver the wine to customers. With the 2019 vintage, the winery recalled these historical roots and resumed the cute drawing on part of its wine labels.

Merlot from Friuli – this is no imitation of Bordeaux, but, like Refosco, a distinct style that balances ripe fruit, freshness and a connection to the terroir. With its single-varietal Merlot, Tunella has produced a wine that is both charming and full of character. The vines are planted on the stony Ponca soils of the Colli Orientali, which lend the wine structure and depth. On the nose: black cherry, ripe plum, subtle spice and a hint of tobacco. On the palate, it is juicy, balanced and lively, with good tannin structure and moderate alcohol. The vintage brings ripe fruit, yet ageing in stainless steel preserves the freshness and directness. A classic yet modern Merlot with authentic terroir and plenty of charm and depth. SUPERIORE.DE

Pinot Nero is a rarity in the Colli Orientali – and a challenge that Tunella masters with sensitivity. The vines are planted on well-ventilated slopes with calcareous flysch soils, which give the delicate Pinot structure and freshness. A transparent ruby red colour in the glass. The nose is fine and complex: red cherry, wild strawberry, a hint of rose and subtle earthy tones. Elegant and silky on the palate with fine acidity, delicate tannins and a surprisingly long, spicy-mineral finish. The 2024 vintage is particularly clear and focussed – with cool fruit, good inner tension and an almost Burgundian noblesse. A Pinot Nero with a regional accent that perfectly reveals the delicate side of Friuli. SUPERIORE.DE

Mario Schiopetto's father ran the "Ai Pompieri" osteria in Udine – directly in front of the fire station. His son did not become a landlord, but the founder of modern Friulian white wine. Years ago, the new owners, the Rotolo family, incorporated the name of their father's restaurant into their younger wine line as a nod and a promise: accessible, direct, straightforward. Since 1986, the Blanc des Rosis has brought together the four leading white grape varieties of the Collio in a single wine: Friulano as the aromatic backbone, Pinot Bianco for volume and elegance, Sauvignon for freshness and tension, Pinot Grigio for the mineral bite. The soils under Capriva del Friuli – eocene clay and marl – give the wine its characteristic cool precision. Gentle pressing, decanting without sulphur, eight months on the lees in steel. And from the 2025 vintage, the Blanc des Rosis will appear in the glass earlier than ever before without the previous two-year retention period – in the glass earlier than ever before.

A white wine with Mediterranean lightness and a Friulian character: Shàris is a charming blend of Chardonnay and Ribolla Gialla – —two varieties that reveal their finest qualities here on the marl and sandstone soils of the Collio. A skilfully composed white wine with character that is never overwhelming, yet never seems mundane – but rather a true flagship of Friuli’s modern white wine culture and, incidentally, the winery’s bestseller.

Antonio Bragato, born in Germany but with an absolutely Friulian identity, joined forces 20 years ago with Gianni Maccari, who was Livio Felluga's cellar master for many years and founded his own winery Ronco della Rocca at the beginning of the millennium. An agronomist and Oenologist by training, he is considered one of Friuli's best-trained winegrowing experts. The profound knowledge of his own 12 hectares of vineyards as well as the leased plots and the radical precision in the execution of every work step characterise the clear style and the reliable quality of the wines that Antonio Bragato creates there together with him.

Vertigo – vertigo from the heights. Anyone who has ever stood on Livio Felluga’s terrace in Rosazzo will understand the name immediately: the view sweeps over the vineyards to the Karst, as far as Istria, to the walls of ancient Aquileia and far out into the Adriatic Sea. A view that throws you off balance for a moment. And a red wine that does the same. Livio Felluga has blended Schiopettino, the wild, peppery native variety of Friuli, with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon – three very different characters on the same flysch soil of Eocene origin, the characteristic alternation of marl and sandstone of the Rosazzo hills. Gentle destemming, fermentation with skin contact in stainless steel tanks, ageing in steel and small French oak barrels, followed by bottle ageing.

Fiore di Campo, based on Friulano, is no more and no less than the self-proclaimed "family wine" of the Lis Neris house, and that is entirely justified: pretty straw yellow with green-gold reflections. Enticing mineral and citrus nose with notes of peach, jasmine, almonds and liquorice. Firm, fresh and crisp on the palate of apricot and green apple, plus a lovely creamy texture. Its full body and gentle complexity marry in a final with considerable freshness and high drinkability. Perfect entry into the world of Lis Neris' terrific white wines. SUPERIORE.DE

Pinot Grigio has been at home in the Isonzo for 140 years now; with the necessary sensitivity, it develops a great deal of elegance and structure and can almost be called autochthonous here. It is not surprising that Alvaro Pecorari has taken this grape variety to his heart. A finesse-rich white with a floral bouquet and a fine peach note. On the palate, multi-layered and quite complex, the 8-month yeast storage gives it depth, length and a good ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

The Ponca stretches from the north-east of Udine to the south of Istria in Croatia. The part closest to the winery, which formed in the northernmost bays of the lagoon, lies on the current border between Italy and Slovenia. More precisely, it is divided between two countries, three provincial governments and four protected designations of origin from the Collio, the Colli Orientali del Friuli, the Brda and the Vipava. Initially, with the help of a few Slovenian friends and colleagues, they only experimented with Merlot grapes, but now the grapes are vinified in their own cellar. SUPERIORE.DE

From the gentle hills of the Friulian Collio, where the Ponca soils have been producing wines of exceptional elegance for centuries, comes this crystal-clear Pinot Bianco from Silvio Jermann, a visionary who has been redefining the boundaries of traditional viticulture since the 1970s. The 100% Pinot Bianco, a grape variety that has become rare in this region, matures for several months on the fine lees in stainless steel tanks. This process gives the wine its characteristic roundness and depth. The early September harvest ensures the perfect balance between aromatic ripeness and the natural acidity that makes Jermann's wines so distinctive.

"Cladrecis" is an elegant interpretation of Chardonnay from the far north-east of Italy – full of character, harmonious and impressively balanced. The grapes come from a small parcel in the eponymous district of the municipality of Prepotto, whose chalky soils and cool microclimate offer ideal conditions for the finesse typical of the grape variety. Maturation in wooden barrels and on the fine lees gives the wine a subtle creaminess, fine roasted flavours and a hint of vanilla without masking the freshness.

In 1881, Anton Jermann left the Austrian Burgenland, travelled through the then Slovenian Collio and finally planted his vines in Villanova di Farra in Friuli. One family, three languages, one Ponca – the characteristic flysch soil of marl and sandstone that gives this region its unmistakable character. On the label of Vinnae, a double-headed eagle bears the legacy of this history: found on an old barrel from great-grandfather Anton, a symbol of the Danube monarchy that once ruled here. Silvio Jermann created the name Vinnae in 1983 – as a tribute to the family's hundred years of winegrowing and the birth of his son Michele. From "Vinnaioli", the winegrowers, to Vinnae: the Ribolla Gialla, the variety that the family has been cultivating in this borderland since the 18th century. Today a blend of 90% Ribolla Gialla, 5% each Friulano and Riesling Renano – three indigenous varieties for three territorial souls. Fermentation in steel, six months maturation partly in large Slavonian oak barrels.

A Pinot Grigio with character that can only come from the Collio and neighbouring areas of Friuli. The grapes come from high-altitude plots with poor marl and sandstone soil, which reduces the yield and intensifies the flavour. Pale straw yellow in the glass with silvery reflections. On the nose, the wine is complex and elegant: green pear, fresh apple skin, some white melon and a fine hint of lemon balm. The palate is precise and animating with lively acidity, cool minerality and a dry, juicy finish. Not an opulent charmer, but a straightforward, stylish Pinot Grigio with a regional character and subtle depth – in the spirit of Silvio Jermann's quality philosophy. SUPERIORE.DE