Fashion influences the world of wine as much as it does any other sector of society and it is often the case that wines, wine producers and wine regions bask in glory for a year or so before being cast aside in favour of the more fashionable new kids on the viticulture block. But while in some cases the hype surrounding wines, regions and producers has been somewhat overblown and the wines little deserving of the praise they have garnered, in other cases it is a real blow for the wine world when regions fall out of favour.
One case in point is the Friuli region of Italy, which enjoyed great fame in the wine world during much of the 1990s. The region was principally famed for its excellent white wines, but as the new millennium dawned, much of the wine world’s attention turned to red wine and the Friuli region was overlooked in favour of more celebrated red wine producing regions of Italy such as Tuscany and Piedmont, while emerging regions such as Campania began to garner critical favour as well
But fashion is a fickle thing and today the Friuli region is once again attracting the attentions of the movers and shakers of the wine world. This time, however, the focus has shifted from the undeniably good white wines of Friuli and on to the many excellent red wines produced in the region. Until recently, the Friuli region actually produced more red wines than whites, so it is interesting to note that it is only now that this is no longer the case that the region is starting to find fame for its red wines.
Wine production in the Friuli region is relatively low, with the emphasis very much on quality over quantity. While many of the whites produced here do make their way overseas, the majority of Friuli reds have presumably been sold and consumed domestically. While the wider wine world’s loss has traditionally been Italy’s gain, increased awareness of the red wines from the Friuli region has led to an increase in demand and more and more bottles are starting to find their way over to the shelves of clued-up wine merchants in the UK. For those red wine lovers who have never tried a Friuli red, it is well worth searching out a bottle. Red wines of Friuli are made with both native and imported grapes and some of those made from native varietals, such as Pignolo, Refosco and Schioppettino, are good examples of Friuli wines at their best.
Although the climate and landscape of the entire Friuli region lend themselves well to the production of excellent wines, perhaps the very best of the denominations are those of Collio, Isonzo and Colli Orientali, all of which are found in the east of Friuli and all of which have a well-deserved reputation for producing impeccable wines.
The Friuli region lies in the far north-eastern corner of Italy and is increasingly gaining attention as part of tours of the wine regions of Italy, with wine lovers beginning to discover that there is more to this beautiful part of Italy than the Pinot Grigios that caught so much public attention during the 1990s. Lying to the north east of Venice, Friuli’s capital is the stunning city of Trieste, which remains largely off the international tourist trail – for the moment, at least. The region extends out to the border with Austria to the north and with Slovenia to the east. The relatively small region takes in everything from the sun kissed beaches of the Gulf of Trieste to the mountains of the Alps, leading to some wonderfully distinctive grape varietals.
The region is split into eight sub-regions, of which Collio and Colli Orientali, which can be found along the eastern edge of Friuli, are the most celebrated, although Isonzo, Carso and the extensive Grave region are increasingly gaining attention too.
Among the best of the red wines from the Friuli region, in addition to those made from native grapes, are those made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc grape varietals.
With the fickle finger of fashion beginning to point towards the red wines of Friuli, curious buyers would be wise to seek out bottles now, before prices shoot up. As for those interested in taking a wine tour of the Friuli region, act quickly – some experts predict that within a few years the region will rival Tuscany in tourism.
