Friuli-Venezia Giulia: Northeast Italy's wine heartland

Fruity-fresh white wines, concentrated red wines, seductive sweet wines - and with Prosecco, one of the most famous sparkling wines in the world. When it comes to wine, the global trade in Friuli-Venezia Giulia can draw on the full potential. Prosecco and Pinot Grigio are the two mainstays of the region. As are Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. However, in addition to international grapes, indigenous grape varieties such as Friulano and Ribolla Gialla are also making a name for themselves here.

Today, Friuli-Venezia Giulia mainly produces white wines, which are in high demand far beyond the region. Until the 1960s, around 80% of the vineyards were still planted with red wine varieties. Above all with Merlot, which produced very simple qualities here. Within just one generation, the winegrowers succeeded in fundamentally changing the wine face of Friuli-Venezia Giulia through targeted clearing and replanting.

Incidentally, the final internationalization of the grape varieties also took place in the course of this. Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay in particular, but also Pinot Bianco, were deliberately planted. On the other hand, there are wines made from local grapes that clearly tell of their origins. It is precisely these contrasts that make the wines from Friuli-Venezia Giulia so exciting. Quite apart from the fact that the margins are also right here. So let's take a closer look at the north-eastern Italian wine-growing region.

Friuli-Venezia Giulia: Good to know

Friuli-Venezia Giulia: geography and climate

Friuli-Venezia Giulia borders Slovenia to the east, Austria to the north and Veneto to the west. It also shares cultivation areas with this region. Prosecco, for example. As Friuli-Venezia Giulia stretches from the Alps to the Adriatic coast, it is not only the climate that is different, but also the soils. In between you will find gently rolling hills. The closer you get to the Adriatic, the more Mediterranean the climate. Towards the Alps, the continental influences dominate. The temperature differences between day and night are particularly high here. At the same time, the Julian Alps also ensure that the vineyards are protected from the particularly cold winds from the mountains themselves and from Russia.

Warm air currents from the Venetian lagoon also ensure significantly higher temperatures than in the hinterland. This sandwich situation is a great advantage. The warm winds also ventilate the moisture from the vineyards. In Friuli, it rains up to three times as much as in the German wine-growing regions with their high rainfall. Most of the rain falls in winter and spring, so that the vines are not damaged. The plains in Friuli-Venezia Giulia are mainly made up of alluvial soils. These are the remains of a sea basin that 50 million years ago formed the present-day Friuli region. Typical of the growing area are sparse layers of stone called “ponca”. This ponca makes for a loose, mineral and nutrient-poor soil, which is ideal for viticulture.

Friuli-Venezia Giulia: Overview of protected designations of origin

hree protected geographical indications (PGI) and a total of 16 protected designations of origin (PDO) make up the Friuli Venezia Giulia region. The protected designations of origin are also divided into 12 DOCs (Denominazione di origine controllata) and four DOCGs (Denominazione di origine controllata e garantita):

Wine styles from Friuli-Venezia Giulia

In general, the wines from Friuli-Venezia Giulia cannot be lumped together as they are simply too diverse and different. Nevertheless, we dare to square the circle of enjoyment and take a look at various styles that are not only of great importance on the Italian market, but also for export.

White wines

• Pinot Grigio: One of the world's bestsellers from Friuli-Venezia Giulia is undoubtedly pure Pinot Grigio, which is particularly popular as a summer wine thanks to its fruity freshness, mild acidity and light body. It also has an excellent price-pleasure ratio, which also brings the specialist trade a good margin. A real crowdpleaser.
• Ribolla Gialla: The Friulian white grape variety par excellence, which produces very lemony white wines.
• Friulano: The most widely cultivated grape variety in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The wines are fresh, fruity and ideal as everyday wines. However, they can also produce very long-lasting wines with complex depth if yields are reduced and the grapes are skilfully matured.
• Collio Bianco: Cuvée made from up to 12 grape varieties from the Collio Goriziano. These wines are particularly multi-layered and have a complex depth. Although the wines are generally low in acidity, they benefit from additional bottle ageing.

Red wines

• Tazzelenghe: A rustic and tart red wine with a high tannin content, the grape has a strong “tongue-biting” taste (Italian: “tazzalingua”). It ripens mainly around Manzano, Bùttrio and Ipplis. Goes well with game and pork.
• Refosco: An ancient grape variety that is widespread in Friuli and is considered one of the best Friulian blue grapes. The wine is intensely red, tastes of berries and is slightly bitter in the background. It is an excellent accompaniment to regional cuisine, meat and game.
• Schioppettino: This ruby red wine originates from Prepotto in the border region with Slovenia. It is considered a particularly fine and interesting wine.

Sparkling wine

• Prosecco: Whether Frizzante or Spumante, produced using the tank fermentation method or traditional bottle fermentation - Prosecco is the sparkling wine par excellence from Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Some of the vineyards are also located in Veneto. The taste ranges from palatable and floral to fresh and flowery to nutty and complex. The same applies to the RRP and the margin. Virtually anything is possible with Prosecco.

Sweet wine

• Ramandolo: A very old grape variety that already existed in ancient times and is now cultivated in the hills of Nimis and Ramandolo. The sweet, golden yellow wine with a strong character tastes full and broad and is the only DOCG wine in the Colli Orientali.
• Picolit: A noble white sweet wine that was already known in Roman times, but only produces low yields due to its fragility (many blossoms are damaged and cannot be fertilized). It is harvested late and by hand and then has to ferment for a long time in wooden barrels, which is why it can only be sold at high prices.

Friuli-Venezia Giulia: Wines in detail

Friuli-Venezia Giulia: Wine as an economic factor

Traditionally, it is somewhat difficult to obtain current export figures for Italian wine. However, in June 2024, the Italian industrial and commercial bank Mediobanca published its report on Italy's wine sector. It states what every wine professional already suspected: sales values are falling in Italy - including exports. However, there are exceptions. And one of these exceptions is Friuli-Venezia Giulia! The wine-growing region even led the growth in export markets in 2023 with an increase of 22.3%. While wine exports all over the world are sometimes more, sometimes less in crisis, this is a very impressive achievement.

But it is also an achievement that should not come as a surprise. After all, hardly any other wine-growing region in the world is so diverse. Whether best buys, crowdpleasers, character wines or natural wine exotics. In Friuli-Venezia Giulia you really can find everything. And in different colors and styles. This continues to make the wine-growing region very attractive for the global wine trade.

Your sales arguments for wines from Friuli-Venezia Giulia

• Enormous range of different wines
• Largely very good price-pleasure ratio
• Every quality level is served
• Very good Fantastic food companions
• Prosecco and Pinot Grigio in particular are very well known and therefore self-explanatory