Friuli Venezia Giulia is considered one of Italy's most prestigious winemaking regions. This is above all true regarding its white wines [1]. FRIULI ISONZO wines can be produced in the province of Gorizia within 21 municipalities. Friuli Isonzo geographically is located on the oriental part of Friuli Venezia Giulia region, in Gorizia province. The territory is a sort of plateau, which hosts river Isonzo, degrades towards Adriatic Sea and it is made of alluvial soil as well as the ones originated by the movement of glaciers from Giulie Alps. The plateau is an “open window” for the colder winds from the Balcans in the east and from the warmer winds from the Sea in the south, the latter prevailing. The cooler area is between Gorizia and Cormons and the warmer is between Gradisca d’Isonzo, Romans and Mariano. Friuli Isonzo history was early influenced by the proximity to Aquileia, the most important city in the region at Roman times, as recorded in 77 CE by Pliny the Elder who described the wine produced in the area as characterized by the presence of the Sea breeze. The relevance of the Isonzo area in wine history became clear in 19th century both because of relationship with Austrian Empire technical knowledge and Intereuropean commercial presence, and because of Louis Pasteur who established himself there for a while to help carrying on studies on viticultural diseases. In 1891 Gorizia hosts the IV Austrian Enology Congress which had phylloxera as one main topic and so the event appeared to be the first true “world congress” for the enology sector. Since the ‘70s and the ‘80s we can see a change in the concept of Isonzo wine, moving from a product for local consumption into something more interesting; to realize this design great help came from a new generation of winemakers that put their focus on quality of production. Now their association, founded in 1966, includes 90 producers which pursue this philosophy of fine wine, that nevertheless led in following decades of increasingly greater acknowledgments. [14].
Wine description
CHARDONNAY colour is straw yellow in different intensities; smell is delicate, characteristic, pleasant; taste is dry, velvety, silky, harmonic; minimum alcohol content is 11%; MALVASIA colour is straw yellow; smell is pleasant; taste is dry, delicate; pleasant; minimum alcohol content is 10.5%. PINOT GRIGIO colour is straw yellow, eventually with coppery hues; smell is characteristic, pleasant; taste is dry, harmonic, pleasant, characteristic. RIESLING colour is straw yellow; smell is fairly intense and characteristic, delicate, pleasant; taste is dry, fairly bodied, harmonic, characteristic, pleasant. SAUVIGNON colour is light golden yellow; smell is characteristic; taste is dry, bodied, velvety, pleasant. FRIULANO colour is between straw and golden yellow, tending to citrusy; smell is delicate and pleasant, characteristic; taste is dry, warm, full, has a slightly aromatic background. [14].
[1] Cernilli, Daniele (2017). "The Ultimate Guide to Italian Wine 2018". Doctor Wine by Daniele Cernilli. ISBN 978-88-941075-1-8
[14] Winemaking normative requirements, up-to-date. www.inao.gouv.fr www.politicheagricole.it