Friuli Venezia Giulia

Question 1

ponca

Answer 1

layers of sandstone and calcareous marls in the eastern hills area of Friuli. Aka. Flysch of Cormons.

Question 2

Tocai Friulano

Answer 2

aka. Friulano, Sauvignonasse (Gironde), Tai or Tai Bianco (Veneto)
pale green, aromatic, similar to SB but less aromatic. Almond milk, cut grass with slightly bitter finish.
planted in most DOC regions in Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
* Tocai Friulano is still officially registered, but no longer on the label since 2007 due to the EU laws (Tokaji).

Question 3

Ribolla Gialla

Answer 3

• aka. Rebula (slovenia)
• yellow-skinned, yellow fruits and flower.→often for orange wine. Light- to medium-bodied, high acidity, aromas of flowers, citrus, apple and honey.
• best region Rosazzo DOCG (within Colli Orientali)

Question 4

Malvasia di Istriana

Answer 4

• prefers hillside and poor soils, generally disease resistant except powdery.
• thick skin, usually pale unless it’s been macerated for long, style varies from mineral and austere, to full-bodied and alcoholic.
• Delicately floral and saline (best wines), develops ripe tropical fruit and even diesel fuel (like riesling)

Region: Collio DOC

Question 5

Picolit

Answer 5

• white variety in FVG
• Prone to grape shatter resulting fewer and smaller bunches, but sweeter berries, often very tiny yield.
• named after its yields from small berries, air-dried sweet wines from DOCG and some in Rosazzo.

Question 6

Verduzzo (Friulano)

Answer 6

mainly for air-dried sweet wines in Ramandolo DOCG. Full-bodied, almost tannic. 2 sub-varieties of V.Giallo (yellow, better quality) and V. Verde.

Question 7

Vitovska

Answer 7

• white variety with Slavic origin, almost extinct until revived by producers like Kante and Zidarich.
• flowers, pear, sage, hay and almond, mineral notes.

Question 8

Refosco

Answer 8

• a group of native Italian red varieties, the finest one is Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso (‘from red stem)
• high tannin and acidity, M to full body. Either easy-drinking refreshing style, or with certain oak aging

Question 9

Pignolo

Answer 9

• the name means pine core, as the shape of the bunches.

- Deep color, high tannins, hard to ripe. Dense and full bodied with spicy aromas.

Question 10

Schiopettino

Answer 10

• aka. Ribolla Nera

- similar to some Rhone reds, aromatic with spicy notes, medium body, deep colored.

Question 11

Tazzelenghe

Answer 11

• ‘tongue cutter’, indicates the high acidity and tannin (among the highest in Italy).

Question 12

Top white varieties and their styles

Answer 12

1) Pinot Grigio: Italian style mainly, some are of Alsatian style
2) Friulano: blend with international whites, orange wines and varietal whites (floral and almondy).
3) CDY and SB: varietal or blend
4) Ribolla: varietal whites and orange style, fuller body with minerally.

Question 13

Franconia

Answer 13

Blaufrankisch

Question 14

casarsa

Answer 14

training system, similar to Sylvoz

Question 15

Friuli Grave DOC

Answer 15

• aka. Grave del Friuli DOC
• ≈4300ha, Largest DOC, about 50% of FVG’s total production. more like an IGT than DOC, high max. yielding (91hl/ha)
• majority is alluvial plain, small hill in northeast. Poor soil (sand and gravel) and well-drained, irrigation is necessary
• Mainly red (ML, CF, Refosco…), white (friulano, PB…)

Question 16

Lison DOCG

Answer 16

• inter-regional appellation both in Veneto and Friuli.
• It produces a Friulano-based white, high quality, floral, green fruits and almond.
• other wines from the region are labelled as Lison Pramaggiore DOC, with the exact same area as the DOCG.

Question 17

Collio DOC

Answer 17

• aka. Collio Goriziano DOC, or Brda in Slovenia.
• actually same geological and climatic, divided from Colli Orientali, only because of historic reason (didn’t belong to Italy until after WW1)
• over 80% white wines, both varietal and blend known as Collio Bianco.
• mostly from PG (most planted, followed by SB and Friulano), also RG, Malvasia Istriana, Picolit…

Question 18

ronchi

Answer 18

plural of ‘ronco’, means well-exposed often terraced sites in Friuli.

Question 19

Flysch of Cormons

Answer 19

The alternating-layered soil of Collio, consisting of calcareous marl and sandstone. aka. Ponca

Question 20

Colli Orientali del Friuli DOC

Answer 20

• Eastern hills of Friuli, north of Collio. 2nd largest in Friuli.
• Friulano is the dominant white, earning fame since 1970s because of international whites, e.g CDY, SB and PG, etc, under the influence of Collio DOC. Super-whites e.g Livio Felluga, Miani
• now more red ( international) with barrique aging, started in 1980s.

Question 21

Ramandolo DOCG

Answer 21

• 100% Verduzzo Giallo

- very northern tip of Colli Orientali DOC

Question 22

2 Sub-zones of Isonzo DOC

Answer 22

River Isonzo originates from Slovenia.

1) Rive Alte: north of the region/right bank, red gravel and clay, cooler Higher quality.
2) Rive di Giare: south/left bank, white gravel, limestone and sandy loam, warmer. Similar wine style to Friuli Grave DOC.

Question 23

Bora

Answer 23

the dry and cold east wind from the Balkans (southeaster Europe). It cools off the moderate breeze of Adriatic Sea.

Question 24

Carso DOC

Answer 24

• the Carso plateau, a strip of chalky limestone bordering Slovenia. Bare, ragged and arid area, with very poor soil. Need to transport soil to the vineyard.
• The climate is a mix of Mediterranean and continental influences, largely due to the strong impact of Bora (the east wind from the Balkans)
• very limited space for vineyard, small plots on steep terraces overlooking the sea known as ‘pastini’
• Vitovska (W) and Terrano (R)

Question 25

pastini

Answer 25

small plots on steep terraces overlooking the sea, at altitudes of 200-500m above the Adriatic.

Question 26

Number of DOCs and DOCGs in FVG

Answer 26

12 DOCs and 4 DOCGs:

Lison DOCG (Friulano-based white)
Colli Orientali del  Picolit DOCG (sweet passito made from mostly picolit)
Ramandolo DOCG (sweet passito made from Verduzzo Giallo, aka. Ramandolo locally)
Rosazzo DOCG (white blend of SB, PB, CDY and Ribolla Gialla)

Question 27

Rosazzo DOCG

Answer 27

sub-region within Colli Orientali, white wine region, blending of SB, PB, CDY and Ribolla Gialla, since 2011

Question 28

pasitini

Answer 28

The terraces on high altitudes in Carso DOC

Question 29

Magreti

Answer 29

Flat, grassy expanses