Friuli Venezia Giulia

Friuli Venezia Giulia is a region located in the north-eastern corner of Italy, a stunningly beautiful region with an incredibly varied landscape of mountains, forests and hills as well as coastal areas, so there is certainly plenty to explore.

The region has a fascinating Middle Europe meets Italy feel. Friuli has been inhabited by Celts and Romans, was part of the Venetian Republic and the Austro Hungarian Empire (until 1918), and visitors will get an “Italy, off the beaten track” experience as there is a distinctly unique flavour here and the region is still quite virgin.

Friuli Venezia Giulia beauties include the astounding Dolomites, classed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, they make a fantastic location for skiing and snowboarding during the winter or long walks during the summer months. There are plenty of other gorgeous landscapes to explore such as the Grado lagoon and the famous beach in Lignano Sabbiadoro with its golden sand and the Adriatic sea. Friuli Venezia Giulia is also full of history with the beautiful city of Trieste with its picturesque Gulf and its Miramare Castle, which was built between 1856 and 1860, just be careful when the “bora” wind blows, it can reach up to 200km per hour, or the beautiful village of Cividale del Friuli, another UNESCO site.

And like any other Italian region, Friuli Venezia Giulia has plenty to offer to food lovers, from the famous San Daniele ham to the “Frico e polenta”, fried cheese with polenta, or the Gubana, a typical dessert.

Friuli Venezia Giulia is one of the most beautiful and unique wine regions in Italy. Just as its unique geographical position at the crossroads of northeastern Italy, the Adriatic Sea, Austria and Slovenia has given this region a mixed bag of cultural influences, so has its varied terroir or soil allowed it to cultivate an astonishing mix of grape varieties.

Today Friuli is known for its myriad of small, high quality family owned wineries and diverse production of indigenous and International grape varietals. Friuli is famous for its white wines which are also called “superwhites”, to highlight their uniqueness, and considered the best white wines in Italy, with the Friulano, Ribolla and Sauvignon amongst them. Friuli red wines are mainly made with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, both international grapes, and Refosco del Peduncolo Rosso a native red grape. A couple of other grapes and wines worth mentioning are Verduzzo and Picolit.