Friuli-Venezia Giulia

Friuli-Venezia Giulia is Italy's most north-easterly region, covering 7,856 square kilometres. It borders Austria to the north, Slovenia to the east, and the Veneto to the west, and faces the Adriatic Sea to the south. Its surface divides into 42.5% mountains in the north, 19.3% hills, mostly in the south-east, and 38.2% plains and coast. The region has a total of 28,500 ha of vineyards. The Friuli DOC covers the entire southern half of the region; the northern half is Alpine mountains too high in elevation for viticulture.

• Borders Austria to the north, Slovenia to the east, and the Veneto to the west, with an Adriatic coast
• 28,500 ha of vineyards
• Surface: 42.5% mountains, 19.3% hills, 38.2% plains and coast
• The Alpine northern half is too high for viticulture

The climate runs from the mild Mediterranean of the coast to the continental climate of the middle plain and on to an Alpine climate. Summers are warm but not muggy and winters are cold, with average summer temperatures of 21.5 to 22.5°C and winter averages of about 4°C. Rainfall runs from 1,000 to 1,200 mm on the coast to 1,200 to 1,800 mm across the central plains and hills, and 2,500 to 3,000 mm in the pre-Alpine belt. The Julian Pre-Alps shelter the hills from cold northern winds, and in the east cool winds, above all the bora, favour the ripening of the grapes and their aroma precursors. In the eastern hills, Eocene marls mixed with sandstone form the Flysch di Cormòns, commonly called ponca in Friulian; the plains are alluvial, and the eastern plain has a ferretto-type soil of gravel under or mixed with 30 to 70 cm of weathered earth. In the Carso, the soils are karst terra rossa derived from the weathering of limestone rock.

• Mediterranean on the coast, continental on the middle plain, Alpine in the mountains
• Average summer temperatures of 21.5 to 22.5°C; winter averages of about 4°C
• Ponca, the Flysch di Cormòns of Eocene marl mixed with sandstone, marks the eastern hills
• Carso vineyards sit on karst terra rossa derived from limestone

The region's primary grape varieties are Pinot Grigio, Glera, Merlot, and Friulano. For Friulano, the Hungarians successfully objected to the prefix Tocai. Local specialities include Ribolla Gialla, Verduzzo, and Picolit for white wines, and Refosco, Schioppettino, and Pignolo for the red wines of the Colli Orientali. The region is best known for white wines, but also makes skin-contact whites, sweet wines from Picolit and Verduzzo, sparkling wines including Prosecco, and reds. Jancis Robinson writes that Friuli is the only part of Italy in which light, aromatic whites have been produced with ease. Ramandolo DOCG is made from 100% Verduzzo Friulano, and Colli Orientali del Friuli Picolit DOCG from at least 85% Picolit.

• Primary varieties: Pinot Grigio, Glera, Merlot, and Friulano
• Local specialities: Ribolla Gialla, Verduzzo, and Picolit (white); Refosco, Schioppettino, and Pignolo (red)
• Jancis Robinson calls sweet Picolit, made from dried grapes, "a local golden speciality of the Colli Orientali"
• Ramandolo DOCG: 100% Verduzzo Friulano, locally called verduzzo giallo

Viticulture in the region dates back to antiquity, and the first Romans arrived in Friuli in 186 BC. Between 1950 and 1979, specialised vineyards rose from 27% to 93% of the total. The Consorzio Collio was founded in 1964, and Collio was approved as a DOC by presidential decree on 24 May 1968; Friuli Colli Orientali followed by presidential decree on 20 July 1970. Jancis Robinson credits the early introduction of refrigeration, which put pure, fresh, varietal fruit into the bottle, for Friuli's light, aromatic whites. Gravner and Radikon pioneered a movement towards extended skin contact in white winemaking, even ageing the wines in amphorae rather than barrels.

• The first Romans arrived in Friuli in 186 BC
• Specialised vineyards rose from 27% to 93% of the total between 1950 and 1979
• Consorzio Collio founded in 1964; Collio a DOC since 1968
• Gravner and Radikon pioneered extended skin contact for whites

Friuli-Venezia Giulia has 4 DOCGs, 12 DOCs, and 3 IGPs. The 4 DOCGs are Colli Orientali del Friuli Picolit, Lison, Ramandolo, and Rosazzo, and the 12 DOCs are Carso, Collio Goriziano or Collio, delle Venezie, Friuli, Friuli Annia, Friuli Aquileia, Friuli Colli Orientali, Friuli Grave, Friuli Isonzo, Friuli Latisana, Lison-Pramaggiore, and Prosecco. The 3 IGPs are Alto Livenza, Trevenezie, and Venezia Giulia. Ramandolo and Rosazzo both began as sub-zones of the Colli Orientali del Friuli DOC in 1970 and became DOCGs in 2001 and 2011 respectively; Rosazzo is a white of at least 50% Friulano, with Sauvignon, Pinot Bianco and/or Chardonnay, and up to 10% Ribolla Gialla. The Friuli DOC, also labelled Friuli Venezia Giulia (Furlanija or Furlanija Julijska krajina in Slovenian), is an overarching, region-wide denomination. The Italian government approved it in July 2016 for the 2016 harvest. It does not replace the Friuli Annia, Friuli Aquileia, Friuli Colli Orientali, Friuli Grave, Friuli Isonzo, and Friuli Latisana DOCs but sits on top of them as an alternative denomination. Collio Goriziano and Carso initially tried to remain separate, but the regional government would not allow it, so the Friuli DOC includes the entire southern half of the region. Its zone takes in listed communes in the provinces of Gorizia, Pordenone, Trieste, and Udine, and its current rules were approved by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1680 of 6 November 2020. The rules count 21 wine types: a Bianco, a Rosso, Spumante and Spumante Metodo Classico, Ribolla Gialla Spumante in both methods, and varietal wines with at least 85% of the named grape. Sparkling Ribolla Gialla was not permitted under any earlier DOP, and frizzante, rosato, and dessert wines are absent. The rules deliberately leave out varieties that strongly characterise small, mostly native zones in favour of the more widely grown ones, and provide no riserva for any type.

• 4 DOCGs: Colli Orientali del Friuli Picolit, Lison, Ramandolo, Rosazzo
• 12 DOCs and 3 IGPs (Alto Livenza, Trevenezie, Venezia Giulia)
• Friuli DOC: approved in July 2016 for the 2016 harvest, sitting on top of the six Friuli sub-zone DOCs as an alternative denomination
• Friuli DOC allows 21 wine types, including sparkling Ribolla Gialla, which no earlier DOP permitted

Primary sources: https://www.masaf.gov.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeAttachment.php/L/IT/D/1%252Fd%252F5%252FD.fd1629819dea12c20cf4/P/BLOB%3AID%3D4625/E/pdf?mode=download, https://www.masaf.gov.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeAttachment.php/L/IT/D/1%252Fa%252Fe%252FD.8495fb8195fb9f88e44b/P/BLOB%3AID%3D4625/E/7z?mode=download, https://www.masaf.gov.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeAttachment.php/L/IT/D/1%252Ff%252F6%252FD.b5bdd1dbb38eb7253e5a/P/BLOB%3AID%3D4625/E/7z?mode=download, https://www.masaf.gov.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeAttachment.php/L/IT/D/1%252F2%252F3%252FD.8ccd09a077f2ec35dc9b/P/BLOB%3AID%3D4625/E/7z?mode=download, https://www.collio.it/i-valori-del-collio/. Secondary sources: https://italianwinecentral.com/doc-334-friuli/, https://italianwinecentral.com/region-province/friuli-venezia-giulia/, https://www.jancisrobinson.com/learn/wine-regions/italy/friuli-venezia-giulia. Last verified 2026-10-05