Friuli-Venezia Giulia lies in the far northeast of Italy, bordered by the Veneto region and Austria, Slovenia and the Adriatic Sea. Sitting at this international crossroads means Friuli-Venezia Giulia produces sophisticated wines revealing a variety of influences.
Friuli-Venezia Giulia is credited with creating the modern style for Italian white wines – fresh and dry – in the 1970s. Befitting the northern locale, some 80 percent of Friuli-Venezia Giulia’s vines are devoted to white wine – the highest proportion of white wine from any Italian winemaking region.
Pinot Grigio from Friuli-Venezia Giulia is famous worldwide. Friulano is the region’s flagship grape, though not as much of this crisp, pear-scented wine (recently renamed from Tocai Friulano to avoid confusion with Hungary’s sweet Tokaji wines, and also known as Sauvignonasse) makes it to the United States. Glera, known as Prosecco in the neighboring Veneto, makes simple sparkling wines.
There are 10 DOCs in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, but the most celebrated for white wines are the hillside zones of Collio Goriziano (often known simply as “Collio”) and Friuli Colli Orientale.
Pronunciation
[free-OO-lee veh-NEHT-zee-ah JHOO-LEE-ah]
