Region: Friuli-Venezia Giulia
The special region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia in northern Italy has a long history of producing exceptional white wines in its beautifully mountainous vineyards. Situated between the stunning Italian Alps and the wild Adriatic sea, Friuli-Venezia Giulia's wineries are dedicated to capturing the alpine essence of their wonderful terroir, and the finest wines of the region are famed for their alpine freshness, full of notes of clear mountain waters and lush, green grasses. Because Friuli-Venezia Giulia is so close to the Italian border with Slovenia and Austria, it is normal to find wineries working with grape varietals not normally associated with Italian wines. However, the Riesling wines of Friuli-Venezia Giulia are undoubtedly amongst the finest in Europe, and French varietals such as Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir also grow very well there alongside some of Italy's best Pinot Grigio vines.
There are few countries in the world with a viticultural history as long or as illustrious as that claimed by Italy. Grapes were first being grown and cultivated on Italian soil several thousand years ago by the Greeks and the Pheonicians, who named Italy 'Oenotria' â€“ the land of wines â€“ so impressed were they with the climate and the suitability of the soil for wine production. Of course, it was the rise of the Roman Empire which had the most lasting influence on wine production in Italy, and their influence can still be felt today, as much of the riches of the empire came about through their enthusiasm for producing wines and exporting it to neighbouring countries. Since those times, a vast amount of Italian land has remained primarily for vine cultivation, and thousands of wineries can be found throughout the entire length and breadth of this beautiful country, drenched in Mediterranean sunshine and benefiting from the excellent fertile soils found there. Italy remains very much a 'land of wines', and one could not imagine this country, its landscape and culture, without it.