Wines from Friuli

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

An unusual liaison between two blues: "Blau & Blau" combines the autochthonous Blaufränkisch (Frankonia) with the international Pinot Noir. The grapes come from high-altitude plots in the cooler foothills of the Trevenezia, where both varieties enjoy fresh nights and long growing seasons. 2022 was a ripe, harmonious year with moderate weather conditions – ideal for balanced, elegant red wines. After manual harvesting, the wine matured in used barriques to develop structure and depth without overpowering the fruit.

A Chardonnay with an origin profile and signature – typical of Jermann. The grapes come from the hilly areas of Friuli, where cool downslope winds and chalky soils ensure freshness, structure and aromatic clarity. Pale straw yellow in the glass with a greenish tinge. On the nose, subtle but clear notes of Williams pear, yellow apple, citrus fruit, a hint of almond and floral accents. Dry, straightforward and finely structured on the palate, with fresh acidity, delicate creaminess and a pleasant, slightly salty finish. A fresh, stylish Chardonnay without heaviness, which impresses with a clear line, regional profile and plenty of typicity. SUPERIORE.DE

A classic from the Collio, interpreted with aplomb: Livio Felluga's Pinot Grigio impresses with its depth, precision and expression of origin. The vines are rooted in the famous "Flysch di Cormòns" - calcareous marl and sandstone formations that give the wine its subtle minerality. The colour in the glass is a bright straw yellow with golden reflections. The aroma is fine and complex: white peaches, ripe pears, some citrus zest, complemented by floral notes and a hint of roasted hazelnut. Dry, smooth and structured on the palate, with well-integrated acidity and elegant length. Not a banal summer wine, but a serious Pinot Grigio with substance, which is noticeably well-suited to the style of the house - straightforward, clear and with fine depth. SUPERIORE.DE

Pure Chardonnay of remarkable depth: "Nèstri" Bianco comes from the best vineyards around Buttrio in the heart of the Colli Orientali and is vinified in strictly limited quantities. The calcareous marl soils, the temperate microclimate between the edge of the Alps and the Adriatic Sea and the careful ageing in small wood characterise a white wine that is as complex as it is unique. Brilliant golden yellow in the glass with a greenish tinge. A multi-layered aroma on the nose: ripe apple, nectarine and citrus fruit, plus hints of vanilla, toasted brioche, fresh hazelnuts and a hint of chalk. Powerful and elegant at the same time on the palate, with a smooth texture, fine minerality and precise acidity. Maturation on the fine lees lends depth and length without masking the freshness.

A Traminer with cool elegance and moderate flavour - far removed from the baroque and broad opulence of many representatives of this variety. The grapes come from selected vineyards in the Venezie region with calcareous, well-drained soils. The 2021 vintage brought balanced proportions between ripeness and acidity - good conditions for an aromatic white wine with finesse and potential. Ageing in stainless steel tanks preserves the clarity and expression of the grape variety.

Livio Felluga's Friulano is very fresh and tropical, with nuances of sour melon, young mango and white smoke forming its attractive bouquet. It impresses with a lively acidity that balances the silky texture and ripe fruit, and with a spicy herbal note that gives it unexpected depth. Perfumed and fresh to the final, leaving a pleasant mouthfeel, with hints of bitter almond but also a gentle streak of residual tension. Very nice. SUPERIORE.DE

A Chardonnay with Friulian soul: the combination of high altitudes, barren flysch soils and temperate climate gives this wine freshness, finesse and character. Light golden yellow in the glass with a greenish tinge. The bouquet is inviting and balanced: yellow apple, white flowers, lemon and a hint of exotic fruit - underpinned by delicate almond and a hint of vanilla, without ever appearing overloaded. On the palate, it is dry, harmonious and clearly contoured, with lively acidity and a fine melting texture. The ageing in stainless steel preserves precision and varietal typicity. A Chardonnay that moves stylistically between freshness and substance - elegant, straightforward and with a noticeable imprint of origin and winemaker's craft. SUPERIORE.DE

A Sauvignon Blanc from the Collio that seduces rather than provokes. Pale straw yellow with a green tinge in the glass. The nose is complex but never overpowering: elderflower, grapefruit, green pepper, whitecurrant and a hint of sage. Juicy and precise on the palate, with lively acidity, firm structure and cool mineral depth. The maturation in stainless steel tanks emphasises the clarity and aromatic tension of the wine, without tipping over into a garish "gooseberry" flavour. A stylistically finely balanced Sauvignon that brings the potential of the Collio into the bottle with quiet sophistication and authentic terroir expression. Good ageing potential, as is to be expected with all Livio Felluga whites. SUPERIORE.DE

Silvia Milocco Nonino, Antonio's wife and from the third generation of the distillery family, lost her husband in the war. The only wealth she had for the economic survival of her family was the pomace. She set to work with determination and learnt distilling in the early 1940s. Before she became Italy's very first female master distiller, she worked as a cook in the family pub. Her botanical knowledge was a great advantage when creating her first liqueur. She wanted to express her Friulian homeland with her products: pure, authentic and unadulterated. She therefore created an aperitif from botanicals, which she called "Aperitivo Bianco".

A Rosso from Meroi is never just a cuvée - it is a calling card for the quiet precision with which this small, uncompromising family winery in the heart of the Colli Orientali del Friuli works. "Nestri" - Friulian for "ours" - combines Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Refosco in a stylistically clear but broodingcomposition that harmonises origin, ambition and personality. The vines grow on the typical Ponca soil, a mixture of marl and sandstone, which gives the wine mineral tension and fine structure. The wine is matured in French barriques, but always with the aim of preserving fruit and freshness - no loud wood, no bold display of vigour.

2023 was a year of contrasts in Friuli: after a changeable spring, a warm summer with sporadic rainfall and a cool, dry September made for exceptionally well-balanced grapes. These conditions particularly favoured the late-ripening Ribolla Gialla – which is clearly noticeable in this cru. The wine comes from the historic Zuc di Volpe vineyard – a hill with old vines, clayey marl soils and a striking south-east exposure. Maturation in stainless steel with prolonged ageing on fine lees preserves the varietal typicity and at the same time gives the wine depth and suppleness.

Some wines bear the name of a vineyard. This one bears the name of a family – and that is no coincidence. Serena Palazzolo e Figli: Serena and her sons. That sounds like a calling card, and that's exactly what it is. If you want to get to know Ronco del Gnemiz, if you want to understand how Christian Patat and his family work on the hill of Rosazzo, this is the place to start. Not with a "simple" entry-level wine, but with a promise. The grapes come from different plots on the estate – an assemblage that combines the best of each site. Organically farmed, harvested by hand and pressed as whole bunches. The must then ferments in used barriques and Liters barrels, without malolactic fermentation or bâtonnage. Christian Patat says: "Vinification is just the consequence of our work in the vineyard." A sentence that explains everything.

A Pinot Nero with fine understatement, elegant, juicy and surprisingly cool in appearance. The grapes come from vineyards in the Collio, where the combination of poor marl soils, Alpine influence and Adriatic mildness create ideal conditions for this sensitive grape variety. Medium ruby red in the glass with a brick-coloured rim. Redcurrant, sour cherry, cranberry and a hint of forest floor and white pepper on the nose. Smooth and clear on the palate, with a fine texture, well-integrated acidity and an elegant finish. Not a loud Pinot, but a playful, delicate character with style and lightness – a real angel in a glass. SUPERIORE.DE

Luigi Veronelli affectionately called him "Il Contadino". And in doing so, he captured the essence of Livio Felluga better than any label ever could. A man from Istria who survived two world wars, saw borders shift, lost his homeland and settled on the rolling hills of Rosazzo in the late 1930s to give Friulian viticulture a new future. What this winegrower has built up is now one of the leading names in the north-east. The Rosato is, in the estate’s own words, “a new way of expressing the most characteristic thing we have: the character of our terroir.” 85% Merlot, 15% Pinot Nero, from flysch soils of Eocene origin – that characteristic alternation of marl and sandstone which distinguishes the Collio and Rosazzo from the rest of Italy. Pinot Nero is harvested at the end of August – earlier than Merlot, which follows in mid-September. The grapes are placed in small crates, gently destemmed, cold-pressed, and the must clarified by decanting. Fermentation takes place in steel and terracotta, with ageing on the lees.

A rarity with provenance: Schioppettino is one of the oldest indigenous grape varieties in Friuli and is experiencing a well-deserved renaissance thanks to quality-orientated winegrowers like Tunella. The grapes come from selected sites with marl and limestone soils in the Colli Orientali, harvested at the beginning of October, carefully vinified and then matured for around twelve months in large wooden barrels. A characterful, regional red wine with a noble appearance – delicate, distinctive and tradition-conscious.

A rare gem from the Colli Orientali: "Noans" is Tunella's rare cuvée made from noble sweet fermented, vine-dried grapes - a prime example of Friuli's underestimated talent in the field of high-quality sweet wines. The vines grow on calcareous marl (Ponca), which in this region not only produces delicate white wines, but also sweet wines with a cool balance. The carefully selected grapes - mostly Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Bianco and Friulano - remain on the vine until well into late autumn. The natural loss of water through dehydration leads to an enormous concentration of sugar, acidity and flavour. After manual harvesting, the wine is fermented and matured in small barriques, where it slowly ferments for months. The result: a finely structured, deeply flavoured Trockenbeerenauslese of impressive elegance.

The ColBajé vineyard above Cividale produces wines with a clear structure and delicate tension – including this expressive Pinot Grigio. The vines grow on calcareous soils and benefit from strong temperature differences between day and night. Selective harvest and careful ageing in stainless steel preserve the freshness and depth of the fruit. Vinification was carried out using the traditional Ramato method, in which the must macerates on the skins for a short time – this gives the wine its characteristic, delicate copper colour.

Schiopettos Friulano is youthful and unobtrusive, with a lovely bouquet that blends lemon zest with mint and hints of crushed stone. It washes over the palate with an exciting blend of citrusy acidity and salty minerality, whilst a core of tropical melon develops towards the finish. It ends on a more delicate note, yet is long-lasting, with lovely floral notes lingering on the finish. The lovely balance and underlying power of this wine will ensure it ages well in the bottle. The best is yet to come. SUPERIORE.DE

2023 in Friuli was characterised by a cooler, changeable spring and a summer that was warm but not extremely dry. These conditions favoured the late-ripening Ribolla Gialla: the grapes developed a balanced sugar-acid ratio and retained their animating freshness despite being well ripe. As in the previous year, the wine comes from the single vineyard ColdeBliss, whose limestone-rich soil and hillside location allow for a particularly clear, mineral profile.

A signature classic from the Collio: Schiopetto’s single-varietal Sauvignon Bianco comes from old vines around Capriva del Friuli – on marl and sandstone soils that are perfectly suited to aromatic varieties. Hand-harvesting, a short maceration period and ageing in stainless steel tanks preserve the wine’s freshness and precision. Pale yellow with greenish highlights. The bouquet is intense but never overpowering: white currant, salted lemon, elderflower, a hint of lemon balm and wet stone. On the palate, it is clear, straightforward and elegant, with lively acidity, salty minerality and a delicate citrus zest in the long finish.