Friuli-Venezia Giulia
|
Though the wines produced in this region represent only 2 % of the Italy's production, to some they are comparable in quality to wine produced in Piedmont and Tuscany. The main difference between the regions is that here the wines are mostly white, though some exceptional red can be found as well.
The northern part is very mountainous and gives way to 70 % of flatter terrain and plains on the way to the sea. The climate is distinguished with very warm days and chilly nights that helps to maintain a balance in the grape between acidity and sugar levels and allows the grapes a long, slow growing season. In summertime the mean temperature is around 22 ,°C. The harvest takes place in September. The soils of the region vary from the calcium rich marl and flysch sandstone in the more hilly regions to the clay, sand and gravel in the valley. The names of Friuli vineyards and wine estates often include the word ronco (plural ronchi), which is the Friulian word for a terraced hillside.
The region vineyards cover is 18.900 ha; annual wine production is 1,115,000 hectoliters; 52% white, 48% red; 60.5% is DOC or DOCG wines. It produces 2 DOCG wines, Ramandolo and Picolit, and 11 DOC wines. 
The foremost white wine produced in this region is the Tocai Friulano. Because of a confusion between a Hungarian grape called Tokaj and a French one called Tokay, the EC has demanded name changes of the French and Friuli grapes by 2006, allowing Hungary to keep the original Tokaj name. Other local whites include Chardonnay, Mf¼ller-Thurgau, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Ribolla Gialla, Riesling Italico and Riesling Renano, Sauvignon Blanc, Traminer Aromatico, Verduzzo and Malvasia Istriana. Among the red produced are Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Collio and Collio Cabernet, Merlot, Pignolo, Pinot Nero, Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, Schioppettino, Tazzelenghe, and Terrano. The region can be divided in 4 important wine zones: THE PLACES OF INTEREST:The wine history of this region is started by Illyrians 1200 AC â,?o the north-east corner of Italy is one of the oldest inhabited Italian regions, already 20,000 years ago. The Romans built roads and founded cities like Aquileia, but also introduced new methods of cultivation. Later the invasions of barbaric tribes emptied the area, and the next prosperous time came so late than 18th century, when Habsburg family established the â,"free portsâ, of Trieste and Fiume, giving the Austrian empire access to the Mediterranean Sea. This generated a wide economic and social gap between these two newly prosperous centers and the poverty-ridden Friuli and Carnia areas. The region has a thousand year tradition of artistic mosaic making which dates back to pre-Roman times. The mosaics inside the still functioning basilica of Aquileia, which was built by the Romans, are excellent examples of this ancient art. The local traditional festivals are an expression of the complex ethno-linguistic history of this part of Italy. Some of the dialects spoken in these areas are derived from a neo-Latin language called ladino, while others have strong Venetian influences, and still others derive from the Slavic language. Of particular interest is Resia, where the locals speak an ancient Slavic dialect and perform unique traditional dances accompanied by violin music which is unparalleled throughout Italy.TRIESTEt is a city and port in northeastern Italy very near to the Slovenian border and itâ,"s located at the head of the Gulf of Trieste on the Adriatic Sea. Throughout its history, it has been influenced by its geographic position at the crossroads of Germanic, Latin and Slavic culture. It flourished as part of Austria from 1382 until 1918 when it was one of the few seaports in what was one of the Great Powers of Europe. It was among the most prosperous Mediterranean seaports as well as a capital of literature and music. Today it is an important border town, and with a population of 208 278, it is also the capital of the autonomous region Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Trieste province.UDINEIt is a city in the middle of Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, between the Adriatic sea and the Alps, less than 40 km from the Slovenian border. Its population was 97,880. A city rich in history whose traces are in the local museums. In the 1550s Andrea Palladio erected some buildings in Udine. AQUILEIAIt is an ancient Roman city founded 181 BC, at the head of the Adriatic at the edge of the lagoons, about 10 km from the sea, on the river Natisone. The site of Aquileia, believed to be the largest Roman city yet to be excavated, is inscribed on the World Heritage List.Golf:Please, contact www.golfseasons.com |
