Friuli

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• In the eastern hill zones, Eocene marls mixed with sandstone predominate, forming the so-called Flysch di Cormons, known in the Friulian language as Ponca.
• The hill zones to the west and north are instead characterised by the presence of moraine soils, where gravelly debris is often mixed with fractions of silty clay matrix.
• The plain to the east is characterised by a ferretto-type soil, with a prevalence of gravel covered by or mixed with a layer of altered earthy material ranging from 30 to 70 cm in depth.
• To the west of the plain zone the climate is warmer, with highly effective daytime warming from solar radiation and good diurnal temperature ranges.

• The origins of Friulian viticulture date back to 700 BC, and evidence has been gathered from ancient Greek and Roman writings, subsequently corroborated by the works of Herodian, Livy, and Strabo.
• In the nineteenth century, Count De la Tour introduced into Friuli the first vines of Pinot, Merlot, and Sauvignon, varieties that subsequently spread throughout the territory.

• The white wines display a straw-yellow colour with more or less greenish or golden highlights, with soft sensations on the palate and aromas ranging from full fruity to fine and elegant floral notes.
• The red wines are characterised by a ruby-red colour with varying hues, an aroma tending toward herbaceous, sometimes fruity and spicy, and are very dry with a characteristic full body.

• These eastern plain soils are fundamentally responsible for the relatively modest alcohol levels of the wines, while lending them good aromatic refinement, particularly in white wines such as Pinot grigio, Pinot bianco, Friulano, and Chardonnay.
• The loose, alluvial, stony, and sandy soils typical of Friuli favour deep root penetration and a constant supply of water and minerals, leading to qualitatively better products.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in Italy

Sources

• Specification (EUR-Lex, single document)
• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-IT-02176
• Official trade body site — Consorzio Tutela Vini Friuli Venezia Giulia