The Colli Orientali del Friuli is a '' Denominazione di origine controllata'' (DOC) located in the Italian wine region of

Friuli-Venezia Giulia (man), it, Friulana (woman), it, Giuliano (man), it, Giuliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_t ...

. The region is located in the

province of Udine The province of Udine ( it, provincia di Udine, fur, provincie di Udin, sl, videmska pokrajina, Resian dialect, Resian: , german: Provinz Weiden) was a Provinces of Italy, province in the autonomous region Friuli-Venezia Giulia of Italy, borderi ...

and is sub-divided into three main sections; Ramandolo in the north, Cialla and Corno di Rosazzo. The climate and soil is very similar to the neighboring DOC of

Collio Goriziano ''Collio Goriziano'' (sometimes designated simply as ''Collio'' or ''Collio DOC'') is an Italian wine and winemaking region in northeast Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located in the northernmost part of the Province of Gorizia, in the It ...

and the two region share many winemaking similarities as well. The main distinction between the Colli Orientali del Friuli and Collio Goriziano lie in the increased red and dessert wine production of the Colli Orientali del Friuli. The region also includes within its boundaries the three '' Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita'' (DOCG) of the

Ramandolo and the two '' passito'' wine DOCGs of Colli Orientali del Friuli Picolit and Colli Orientali del Friuli Picolit-Cialla.M. Ewing-Mulligan & E. McCarthy: ''Italian Wines for Dummies'', pp. 132-140. Hungry Minds 2001 .

History

Viticulture has existed in the area since the time of the Romans. In 1866, during the Risorgimento, the region was united with Italy. In the 1970s, the white wines of the region began to receive international attention due to innovations in winemaking techniques that produced fresher, more vibrant white wines. In the 1980s, winemakers in the Colli Orientali del Friuli focused on increasing the quality of their red wine production. Following in the footsteps of the "

Super Tuscan Tuscan wine (Italian ''Toscana'') is Italian wine from the Tuscany region. Located in central Italy along the Tyrrhenian coast, Tuscany is home to some of the world's most notable wine regions. Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di ...

" producers, Friuli winemakers decided to produce red wines outside of DOC regulations under the '' vino da tavola'' designation. Fuller bodied white wines made from

Chardonnay Chardonnay (, , ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern French wine, France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from English wine, Englan ...

and Pinot bianco fermented in oak were also sold under ''vino da tavola'' to distinguish them from the crisp, lighter white wines that Colli Orientali del Friuli is typically associated with.J. Robinson (ed): ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'', Third Edition, p. 187. Oxford University Press 2006 .

Grapes and wine

The white wine production of the Colli Orientali del Friuli is dominated by the Friulano grape which accounts for nearly a third of the region's vineyard plantings. Other important white wine varieties include

Sauvignon blanc is a green-skinned grape variety that originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French words ''sauvage'' ("wild") and ''blanc'' ("white") due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in ...

, Pinot grigio, Verduzzo, Pinot bianco and Ribolla Gialla. The Picolit grape is the primary grape for

sweet wines Sweetness is a basic taste most commonly perceived when eating foods rich in sugars. Sweet tastes are generally regarded as pleasurable. In addition to sugars like sucrose, many other chemical compounds are sweet, including aldehydes, ketones, ...

and is the main grape behind two of the regions DOCGs. Red wines account for around 35% of the region's entire production and is centered on the towns of

Buttrio Buttrio ( fur, Buri) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, with a population of 4,050 people, located about northwest of Trieste and about southeast of Udine. Buttrio borders the following municipalities: ...

, Cividale del Friuli and Manzano.

Merlot Merlot is a dark blue–colored wine grape variety, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name ''Merlot'' is thought to be a diminutive of ''merle'', the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the ...

is the leading red wine variety followed by

Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Sauvignon () is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Australia and British Columbia, Canada to Lebanon' ...

Pinot noir Pinot Noir () is a red-wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from pinot noir grapes. The name is derived from the French language, French words for ''pine'' and ''black.' ...

, Pignolo, Refosco,

Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso is a red Italian wine grape grown predominantly in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of northeast Italy. The grape is a variety in the Refosco family (which also includes e.g. Terrano) and derives its name from its ...

and

Schioppettino Schioppettino (; meaning "gunshot" or "little crack" also known as "Ribolla Nera") is a red Italian wine grape grown predominantly in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of northeast Italy. The grape is believed to have originated between the comun ...

Other DOCs and DOCGs

In addition to the main Colli Orientali del Friuli DOC, there are two smaller DOCs centered on the sub-regions of Cialla and Corno di Rosazzo. The ''Colli Orientali del Friuli Cialla'' DOC is noted for its dry white wines and produces sweet and off dry wines from the Picolit and Verduzzo grapes. Dry red wines are produced in this region from the Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso and Schioppettino grapes. The ''Colli Orientali del Friuli Rosazzo'' DOC of Corno di Rosazzo is noted for its significant plantings of Ribolla Gialla which is believed to have originated in the region in the vineyard of the local abbey over 1000 years ago. Sweet wines made from the Picolit and dry wines from the Pignolo grapes are also common in this region. The dessert wines from the Picolit grape made in the ''passito'' style has two DOCG regions in the Colli Orientali del Friuli, the ''Colli Orientali del Friuli Picolit-Cialla'' DOCG is centered on the commune of Cialla while the ''Colli Orientali del Friuli Picolit'' DOCG encompasses most of the region.

References

{{coord missing, Italy Italian DOC Wine regions of Italy Geography of Friuli-Venezia Giulia