From Venica & Venica, a family estate in the hills above Gorizia, this is Pinot Grigio grown in Collio, the small DOC pressed against the Slovenian border where Friuli's white wines reach their highest pitch. The grape is the same one that makes Pinot Gris in Alsace, but here it is picked earlier, fermented dry, and the result is leaner and more mineral. The 2023 vintage was warm and generous across Friuli, and the wine carries that ripeness without losing its edge.
- Pinot Grigio, picked early and fermented dry.
- Collio DOC, the hills above Gorizia.
- 2023, a warm Friuli vintage.
- 13.5% alcohol, high acidity, medium body.
- Green apple, white peach, citrus, almond, mineral.
How it is made
Collio DOC sits in the far east of Friuli Venezia Giulia, in a band of hills that share their geology with Slovenia. The soils are a mix of sandstone and marl, laid down in layers that drain fast and force the vines to dig. Pinot Grigio is a mutation of Pinot Noir, and the skins carry a faint copper tint, though the wine is pressed off them quickly to stay pale. Fermentation runs dry and cool, which is what keeps the acidity sharp and the fruit precise.
How it tastes
Acacia blossom on the nose, then green apple and white peach on the palate. There is citrus underneath, a squeeze of it, and a bitter almond note that arrives at the end and lingers. The wine is dry, medium in body, and high in acidity, which gives it a taut, mouthwatering quality rather than a soft one. A mineral streak runs through the whole thing, the kind that comes from hillside soils and cool nights.
Good to know
Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris are the same grape. In Alsace, it makes rich, slightly sweet wines with a coppery colour. In Friuli, it is picked earlier and made dry, and the difference in the glass is dramatic. Collio was one of Italy's first recognised quality zones for white wine, and the DOC rules here are strict about yields and grape selection.
