Collio Bianco is the most famous and representative wine speciality of the hilly Gorizia area on the banks of the Isonzo river, the last Italian stronghold on the border with Slovenia. Here, from the cultivation of different varieties of white grapes and their vinification in blends, comes one of the greatest enological expressions of Friuli Venezia Giulia. This is one of those DOCs in which the personality of the producer is fully revealed, and he is free to create, as tradition dictates, a personal patchwork from the many varieties of grapes grown: Friulano, Malvasia Istriana and Ribolla Gialla above all, but also Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco, Sauvignon and Chardonnay. The result is a perfect blend of history, tradition and human expertise, the embodiment of a fascinating land and the identity of its people.
Collio Bianco is the most famous and representative wine speciality of the hilly Gorizia area on the banks of the Isonzo river, the last Italian stronghold on the border with Slovenia. Here, from the cultivation of different varieties of white grapes and their vinification in blends, comes one of the greatest enological expressions of Friuli Venezia Giulia. This is one of those DOCs in which the personality of the producer is fully revealed, and he is free to create, as tradition dictates, a personal patchwork from the many varieties of grapes grown: Friulano, Malvasia Istriana and Ribolla Gialla above all, but also Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco, Sauvignon and Chardonnay. The result is a perfect blend of history, tradition and human expertise, the embodiment of a fascinating land and the identity of its people.
The Collio is a hilly area in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region which also extends into Slovenia, where it is known as Brda. The Italian part of this territory, famous throughout the world for the production of white wine, includes several municipalities in the province of Gorizia: Cormons, San Floriano, Dolegna, Medea, Mossa and Capriva del Friuli with their relative hamlets.
This is an area with a strong wine-growing vocation, protected to the north by the Julian Alps and tempered by the nearby Adriatic coast. Thanks to the favourable soil and climate characteristics, these lands were considered the garden of the Habsburg Empire and Gorizia was nicknamed 'the Nice of the Adriatic'. The type of soil, known locally as 'ponca', contributes greatly to the fertility of the area. It is a soil created by the disintegration of rock formations: a mixture of marl and stratified sandstone of Eocene origin, rich in calcium carbonate and endowed with a high alkaline acidity, capable of giving the fruits of the plants a savoury and accentuated aromatic profile.
The brilliant work of great vine-growers, linked to the ancient traditions of the territory, has led in recent years to the valorisation of the Collio white wines, today recognised throughout the world among the best enological expressions of the Italian peninsula.
The origins of the cultivation of the vines that centuries later would give life to the Collio white wine date back to ancient times, around 1000 B.C., but only became widely known in Roman times. For centuries this area was considered synonymous with excellence in the production of white wines, exported above all to the nearby Republic of Venice. Thanks to the contribution of the French Count Teodoro Latour, founder of an important winery, international grape varieties such as Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio spread from the second half of the 19th century and still successfully grow alongside the native varieties: Ribolla Gialla, Friulano and Malvasia Istriana.
This hilly area recovered economically from the devastation of the two world wars thanks to viticulture and the production of single-variety wines, which achieved recognition with an overall designation of origin called Collio DOC in 1968, which still today requires the specification of the grape variety used, without the term 'white'.
Some producers realised, however, that the production of single grape varieties, even if of exceptional quality, did not fully express the soul, identity and tradition of the area. They therefore identified the recovery of the blend to produce a DOC without any other specifications as the way forward, in order to make themselves known to the world in a unique and identifiable manner. Among these producers, we should mention Edi Keber's Collio Bianco winery, which produces it from Friulano, Malvasia Istriana and Ribolla Gialla grapes, and was the pioneer of this movement to rediscover tradition and pave the way for this typology.
Today, many producers have embarked on this path, with the aim of contributing to the definition of a unique territorial wine. The regulations do not impose any restrictions on the percentage of grapes to be used, so each producer can develop his own recipe, also using international varieties, but always respecting tradition.
Collio Bianco wine usually has an intense yellow colour with shades that vary between straw and gold, depending on the type of ageing. The olfactory profile always presents a good aromatic intensity, marked by notes ranging from flowers, honey, yellow fruit and sweet spices, depending on the grape varieties used. The taste is usually fresh, savoury and mineral, marked by a good structure.
Recommended pairings are mainly with fish, but can also include egg dishes or white meats. Alongside fish dishes, broths, roast trout, cuttlefish and baby octopus, fried or marinated sardines, Collio whites are also a perfect accompaniment to omelettes, vegetable omelettes, grilled or stewed poultry seasoned with spices. For those looking for more precise regional combinations, for a perfect match that expresses the soul of the territory, we recommend Cjarsons, Blecs or San Daniele ham with the most intense, complex and structured expressions of the type.
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