Il Roncal, Friulano and Ribolla Gialla 2019

 Time for a return to the producer Il Roncal in Friuli in Italy. I have received two new vintages of the white wines Friulano and Ribolla Gialla from the vintage 2019.

Il Roncal is a wineproducer situtated in Cividale del Friuli in the Italian region of Friuli Venezia-Giulia close to the border of Slovenia. This wine producing area is know as Friuli Colli Orientali. Il Roncal own 20 hectars of vineyards on the Montebello hill. The winery name comes from a local Friulian expression meaning “estate on a hill cultivated in terraces” (also known as “ronchi”).Il Roncal was founded in 1986 by Roberto Morealo and is run today by his wife Martina Moreale. They produe several different wines and here I will focus on two white wines amde from two local grapes called Friulano and Ribolla Gialla.

The first wine is the Friulano from 2019. Friulano from Friuli-Venezia Giulia was known as Tocai Friulano until March 31, 2007 when the European Court of Justice prohibited of using the name Tocai in the name of the wine^. Since 2007 Tocai Friulano is merely known as “Friulano” in Friuli and is labeled as such.This is a quite aromatic grape. For the production no oak is used. The ABV is 13%. In the taste I get honey, minerals, pear and citrus. All the flavours are in a very good combination. Perfect for warmer weather or spicy food. Would love to try a sweet version of this grape.

The second wine is the Ribolla Gialla 2019 with an ABV of 12,5%. It is made from the grape Ribolla Gialla which is mostly grown in Friuli. In Slovenia this grape is known as Rebula. The first written documentation of the grape was in 1289 so it has been around for many years, In the taste I get per, elderberry and citrus. This is an excellent fresh and young Ribolla Gialla and an excellent vintage.

Il Roncal continues to show a high quality in their winemaking and so far all their wines have been very good to excellent. 

Gradis'cutta, Rosso 2014

During spring 2019 I visited the producer Gradis´cutta. Gradis'cutta is a producer which have 20 hectares of vineyards in the communes of Gorizia, Capriva del Friuli and Dolegna del Collio. 

The locations of the vineyards are at different elevations and therefore they have many different growing conditions for indigenous grapes, such as Ribolla and Friulano, and international grapes such as Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. Gradis'cutta produces a multitude of wines, from white to red to sprakling wines.

The Gradis'cutta wine Rosso 2014 is a red wine made from 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes are grown in the territory of Vecchia  Contea of Gorizia close to the border of Slovenia. The wine is aged 12 months in large wooden casks for about 12 months and then aged in the bottle.

In the taste I get black currants, cherry and tannins in the back that leaves a long aftertaste. Quite a slow drinker due to the long aftertaste but very good. This bottle just shows how good the Merlot grape is in Friuli.

Il Roncal, wine from Friuli, part 4

I thought that I had reviewed all available Il Roncal wines available for me but going through my old reviews I saw that  had forgotten to write about their wine Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso. But first, who are Il Roncal?

Il Roncal is a wineproducer situtated in Cividale del Friuli in the Italian region of Friuli Venezia Giulia close to the border of Slovenia. This wine producing area is know as Friuli Colli Orientali. Il Roncal own 20 hectars of vineyards on the Montebello hill. The winery name comes from a local Friulian expression meaning “estate on a hill cultivated in terraces” (also known as “ronchi”). Il Roncal was founded in 1986 by Roberto Morealo and is run today by his wife Martina Moreale. They produe several different wines and here I will focus on the red wine Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso of the vintage 2015.

Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso is a red grape variety that is mostly grown in the are of Friuli Venezia Giulia region in Italy and from what I have read it looks like this grape is indigenous to Italy. It seems to be related to such grapes as Teroldego and Lagrein and is one of the parents to the grapes Corvina for example. For the Il Roncal wine the grapes are grown at 180 meters above sea level and only Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso is used. The wine is stored in Bottis of the size 25hl for a year before being bottled and stored on the bottle for at least three months. The ABV is 13,5%.

The colour is ruby red with some violet colour. The taste is of black cherry, black currant, some plum and tannins in the back. Everything is very well integrated and the aftertaste lingers a long time. This is an excellent wine ready to be drank now. I should buy some more of his vintage so I have in the upcoming years.

Terre Magre, Refosco and Ribolla Gialla

 The producer Terre Magre is run by Piera Martellozzo who has vineyards is the regions of Friuli, Veneto and Trentino. From the the Friuli vineyards I have tasted two different wines made from two local grapes. The first wine is the Refosco Dal Penducolo of the vintage 2019. I get black fruit, cherry, black currants, and some blackberry on the taste. A medium aftertaste and it is a nice young Refosco.

The next wine is the Terre Magre Ribolla Gialla also from 2019. In the taste I get melon, pear and some citrus. Quite light and fresh, just missing out on some aftertaste.

Gradis'cutta Malvasia 2017, Collio, Friuli, Italy

 

During spring 2019 I visited the producer Gradis´cutta in Friuli, Italy. Gradis'cutta is a producer which have 20 hectares of vineyards in the communes of Gorizia, Capriva del Friuli and Dolegna del Collio. 

The locations of the vineyards are at different elevations and therefore they have many different growing conditions for indigenous grapes, such as Ribolla and Friulano, and international grapes such as Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. Gradis'cutta produces a multitude of wines, from white to red to sparkling wines.

The wine that I have tasted is the Malvasia 2017. This grape is a grape called Malvasia (Istriana). There are many grapes with the name Malvasia but this grape is native to Friuli. The Malvasia that is used for this wine is grown at 180 meters above sea level. The wine is kept on the yeast until bottling.

 

In the taste I get peach, apricot and some citrus and honey. A very good Malvaia that works well with spicy food.

 

The region Friuli Venezia Giulia in Italy borders to the east Slovenia and to the north Austria. This region is known for their white wine and one famous region here is the Collio area which is in the north-east area of Friuli Venezia Giulia and it is quite a hilly area bordering Slovenia. In the photo below the border to Slovenia is about 2km away.

During spring 2019 I visited the producer Gradis´cutta. Gradis'cutta is a producer which have 20 hectares of vineyards in the communes of Gorizia, Capriva del Friuli and Dolegna del Collio. 

The locations of the vineyards are at different elevations and therefore they have many different growing conditions for indigenous grapes, such as Ribolla and Friulano, and international grapes such as Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. Gradis'cutta produces a multitude of wines, from white to red to sprakling wines.

 

 

In this blogpost I will focus on their white wine Collio Rierva. This wine was produced for the first time in 1999, at their winery, This Collio riserva, is vinified exclusively with the indigenous varieties, Ribolla Gialla, Malvasia and Friulano.  The fermentation is don in large wooden casks (botti) of 10 hectoliters in size. After almost one age of ageing in the bottis itis tranferred to bottle and is aged for at least 15 more months., hence the name riserva.

The vineyards in which these grapes are grown are located in Bukova at Monte Calvario and in the vineyards of Ruttars, a frazione of Dolegna del Collo, at an altitude of 120 to 180 meters (400 to 600 feet) above sea level.

The vinatge is 2015 and the ABV is 13%. A very nice smell of white fruit on the nose.Taste of almosnd, grey pear and some grapefruit and the wine also has a very good body. A long aftertaste in the mouth. A lovely wine that is good as a food wine but also to drink on its won.

 

 

 

 

Alessio Komjanc, wine producer in Friuli Venezia-Giulia

One year ago I visited Friuli Venezia Giulia and visited the producer Alessio Komjanc near the Slovenian border in the area of San Floriano del Collio. It is a family owned business. The winery Alesssio Komjanc was founded in the seventies by Alessio Komjanc. When visiting this winery the one showing us around were Roberto Komjanc, one of the four sons of Alessio Komjanc. This winery has 24 hectars of vineyards. And they focus on many of the grapes used in Friuli Venezia Giulia. For white wines Komjanc uses regional grapes as Ribolla Gialla – still and sparkling; Friulano, Malvasia Istriana, Picolit and the international grapes Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon and Traminer Aromatico. Komjanc also produces some red wines on grapes such as Schioppettino, Pinot Nero, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Also there is a production of olive oil.

 

For this tasting I have focused on the red wines, made from Cabernet Franc and Pinot Nero. The first bottle is the Cabernet Franc red wine.  It is made of 100% Cabernet Franc grapes and is of the vintage 2016. In the taste I get black currant, strawberry and some cherry. This wine is very slightly sparkling which gives it a bit more refreshing taste when it is warm outside. A good wine which for me is perfect in summer time.

 

Next wine is the Dedica Pinot Nero, which is made from Pinot Nero grapes and has the vintage 2016. This wine has been aged for 18 months is French barrels. The ABV is 14,5%. In the taste i get sour cherries, tobacco, oak and some black currant. Nice structure with the tannins in the back. Works best with food as it complements food very well.

 

 

Two white wines from Friuli, Tonon and Guerra Albano

Friuli region in Italy is a relative unknown producer of high quality white wines. From the Friuli Grave DOC in the province of Pordenone comes a sauvignon wine from the producer Tonon. This winery was founded in 1936 by Pietro Tonon. The winery itself is situated in the north eastern part of Veneto very close to the border of Friuli. Their Sauvignon wine is the only wine they make with grapes from Friuli, otherwise they are mostly focused on for example prosecco wines and other wines from Veneto. The Sauvignon wine is fermented slowly for 15-20 days and then the wine is stored in tanks until bottled. The vintage tasted is the 2016.
In the taste grass, papaya and some gooseberry. Quite a soft Sauvignon, perfect for warm days. Could be the slow fermentation that keeps it under control.

Guerra Albano is a winemaking company in the Friuli Colli Orientali DOC in the Montina village. They have a wine called Friuliano. This grape is an autochthonous grape from Friuli. This grape was know previoulsy as Tocai Fruliano before EU regulations regarding names came into use. In Slovenia this grape is known known as Jakot, whih is Tokaj spelled backwards. The vintage of this wine is 2018.
This wine is quite mineralic with some grapefruit and melon. It is quite an austere vintage and works perfectly together with fish. It seems that Guerra Albono makes quite strong Friulianos.

Il Roncal, wine from Friuli, part 3

This is the third part about the wine from producer Il Roncal in Friuli, Italy. This time I look into a sauvignon wine and two red wines made from indigenous wines.

The Sauvignon wines that is produced in some parts of Italy such as Friuli and Trentino-Alto Adige is quite different from other Sauvignon wines that I have tasted. In Chile for example I get a lot of gooseberry and they are not very balanced. While the Sauvigno wines from Friuli for example I find much more balanced. The Il Roncal Sauvignon is from 2017 and has an ABV of 12,5%. The grapes are pressed and fermented normally and then transferred into a steel tank for three months of refinement. I get a crisp and fresh aromatic nose, one can say that it is a Sauvignon just from the nose. The taste is very fresh and crisp with notes of gooseberry, tropical fruit, some grass and melon. A very good and balanced sauvignon.

The next wine is the red wine Pignolo from 2011 and the ABV is 14%. Pignolo is an autochthonous grape variety in Friuli. The name Pignolo comes from the Friulian dialect pignul. The grapes undergo a maceration period of 15 days. Then the wine is transferred into small French oak barriques  for 48 months. Finally it is transferred into steel tanks for 5 months and then bottled and stored for six months before it can be sold. That is quite a long period of at least five years. So how is the taste? I get dark fruits especially black currants with well integrated oak and tannins after nine years. Quite complex and very good.

The last wine is yet another autochthonous grape from Friuli. It is the grape Schioppettino and the vintage of this bottle is 2015. The maceration period is 15 years. Then the wine is stored in second cycle barriques for 24 months. Then it is bottled and lies on the bottle for 3 months before being sold. On the nose I get a lot of black fruits such as blueberry. In the taste there is also a lot of black fruits such as blueberry, blackberry and plum. After some time also some black currant appears. It is not a heavy wine but a medium balanced wine. A very good wine also.

Il Roncal has several more wines than the ones I have tasted in this three part series but these wines will probably wait until I have a chance to visit the producer in Friuli.

Finally s video of Martina Moreala talking about some of the wines of Il Roncal can be seen below, it is in Italian.

Il Roncal, wine from Friuli part 2, sparkling wines

Time for the second part about the wines from producer Il Roncal in Friuli, Italy, close to the border of Slovenia. This time my focus is on their sparkling wines.

The first sparkling wine is the Aurerum Ribolla Gialla Brut. For this sparkling wine the first fermentation is done in stainless steel tanks for 8-10 days. After that the wine ferments in pressure tanks for 180 days until the pressure reaches 6 bar, then it is bottled. The ABV for the bottle I have is 12%. In the taste I get citrus and some apple with brioche. This is a nice dry sparkling wine that goes well with fish for example or just as an aperitivo.

The second sparkling wine is the Argenteum Extra Dry. For this sparkling wine Il Roncal uses 50% Chardonnay and 50% Ribolla Gialla. The first fermentation is done in stainless steel tanks for 8-10 days. After that the wine ferments in pressure tanks for 60 days until the pressure reaches 6 bar, then it is bottled. For this wine I get a lot of brioche, apple and citrus and the mouthfeel is very dry. Yet another good sparkling wine from Il Roncal. May be too dry for some people.

The last sparkling wine is the Roseum Demi Sec which is a sparkling rose wine. The grape used for this wine is 100% Schioppettino, a rare red wine grape from Friiuli. For this wine wine they do the same fermentation and pressurisation as the Ribolla Gialla brut. I get a taste if rasperry, strawberry and some citrus. A very good rose sparkling with a very good structure. It went very well together with salmon and herring.

The region Friuli Venezia-Giulia is not known for their sparkling wine but it is a regions that produces very good sparkling wine. But it is hard to find it outside of Friuli Venezia-Giulia.

Il Roncal, wine from Friuli part 1

Il Roncal is a wineproducer situtated in Cividale del Friuli in the Italian region of Friuli Venezia-Giulia close to the border of Slovenia. This wine producing area is know as Friuli Colli Orientali. Il Roncal own 20 hectars of vineyards on the Montebello hill. The winery name comes from a local Friulian expression meaning “estate on a hill cultivated in terraces” (also known as “ronchi”).Il Roncal was founded in 1986 by Roberto Morealo and is run today by his wife Martina Moreale. They produe several different wines and here I will focus on two white wine and one red wine.

The first wine is a red Merlot wine from 2015. For this wine 20% of the wine has been aged in oak tonneaux for one year before being mixed together with the rest of the wine. The wine then rests for three months on the bottle before being sold. In the taste I get black currant with some earthy notes and tannins in the end. A nice Merlot.

The second wine is a Friulano from 2018. Friulano is a native grape to Friuli Venezia Giulia. For this wine only steel tanks are used for storing and fermentation. In the taste I get honey, lime and tropical fruits in a good light fresh white wine.

The third wine is the the white wine Ribolla Gialla from 2017. Also Ribolla Gialla is a native gape of Friuli Venezia-Giulia and also here steel tanks has been used for fermantation. The taste is of pear, minerals and this wine is fresh and quite harmonius.

Three very good wines from Il Roncal and in the second part I will go into their sparkling wines.

Pinot Grigio, Collio, from Alessio Komjanc

One year ago I visited Friuli Venezia Giulia and visited the producer Alessio Komjanc near the Slovenian border in the area of San Floriano del Collio. It is a family owned business. The winery Alesssio Komjanc was founded in the seventies by Alessio Komjanc. When visiting this winery the one showing us around were Roberto Komjanc, one of the four sons of Alessio Komjanc. This winery has 24 hectars of vineyards. And they focus on many of the grapes used in Friuli Venezia Giulia. For white wines Komjanc uses regional grapes as Ribolla Gialla – still and sparkling; Friulano, Malvasia Istriana, Picolit and the international grapes Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon and Traminer Aromatico. Komjanc also produces some red wines on grapes such as Schioppettino, Pinot Nero, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Also there is a production of olive oil.

In the last blogpost about Komjanc I wrote about the native grapes and this time I will look at one international grapes, Pinot Grigio. It is a white wine grape that is grown internationally and can make bad to excellent wines but in Friuli Venezia Giuli it makes very good wines  The wine that I have tasted from Komjanc is their Pinot Grio from 2017 which has an ABV of 14%, which is a bit stronger than your usual Pinot Grigio. In the taste I get pear, lime and some honey. A very nice smooth Pinot Grigio whih is very good.

Komjanc, a wine producer in Friuli Venezia Giulia

For my second instalment about Friuli Venezia Giulia I write about the producer Komjanc. The winery Alesssio Komjanc was founded in the seventies by Alessio Komjanc and is situated in San Floriano del Collio. When visiting this winery the one showing us around were Roberto Komjanc, one of the four sons of Alessio Komjanc. This winery has 24 hectars of vineyards. And they focus on many of the grapes used in Friuli Venezia Giulia. For white wines Komjanc uses regional grapes as Ribolla Gialla – still and sparkling; Friulano, Malvasia Istriana, Picolit and the international grapes Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon and Traminer Aromatico. Komjanc also produces some red wines on grapes such as Schioppettino, Pinot Nero, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Also there is a production of olive oil.

The area is very hilly and the local climate makes it very peculiar. The temperature normally drops at night and the soil is made of silt and sandstones. Winemakers plant grass between every row of vine in order to get a better soil structure and to slow erosion. From the house of Komjanc one can see Slovenia, only about 2 km away.

The wine I will focus on here is a  Komjancs white wine made from the grape Ribolla Gialla. The grape is a white grape grown mostly in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region. In Slovenia it is known as Rebula (the name Komjanc is Slovenian). Nowadays it is thought that Ribolla Gialla originated in this region.
The wine from Komjanc is their Ribolla Gialla from 2017 with an ABV of 12,5%. I find this wine to be quite light and easy drinking but full with flavours. In the taste I get peach, tropical fruits and some floral notes with a light hit of citrus. I just love these Ribolla Gialla wines.

From the tasting I had at Komjanc I tasted several of their other wines and some I will review later on. They have very good wines along the board and it is a fun visit at the winery.

Gradiscutta, wine producer from Friuli Venezia Giulia

For the next upcoming blogposts I will focus on wine from region Friuli Venezia Giulia in Italy. This region borders to the east Slovenia and to the north Austria. This region is known for their white wine and one famous region here is the Collio area which is in the north-east area of Friuli Venezia Giulia and it is quite a hilly area bordering Slovenia. In the photo below the border to Slovenia is about 2km away.

During spring 2019 I visited the producer Gradis´cutta. Gradis'cutta is a producer which have 20 hectares of vineyards in the communes of Gorizia, Capriva del Friuli and Dolegna del Collio.

The locations of the vineyards are at different elevations and therefore they have many different growing conditions for indigenous grapes, such as Ribolla and Friulano, and international grapes such as Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. Gradis'cutta produces a multitude of wines, from white to red to sprakling wines.
The indigenous grape Friulano was known as Tocai or Tocai Friulano until 2007 when the name had to change to due EU regulations. This grape has nothing to do with the Hungarian wine Tokaji.

When I visited Gradis'cutta one of many wines that I tasted was their wine Friulano of the vintage 2018 with an ABV of 12,5%. It is made of 100% Friulano grape. This wine is very fresh and crisp. In the taste I get tropical notes and citrus with some minerals. One day earlier I had tasted the 2017 vintage at a bar in Goriza and that vintage was very good also and that shows a good quality over the years. Highly recommended wine and from the wine tasting I had at Gradiscutta they have a very good quality for all the wines that I tasted. A very good producer from a relative unknown wineregion and if you have the chance, please visit them.

A review will come later for their sparkling wines which have interesting stories behind them.

The white wines from Germany and Italy

Sometimes I try some rieslings from Germany since the rieslings in Germany can give very good wines. The last one I tried was Georg Breuer and the Sauvage riesling from 2018.  Georg Breuer is a producer in the region of Rheingau. The ABV of this vintage is 12%. In the taste I get green apple, petroleum and some minerals. In the aftertaste I get some slight bitter almonds. A nice riesling.

The next wine comes from Italy and the region of Sicily. It is the wine Colomba Platino from the producer Duca Di Salaparuta. It is the vintage 2016 and the ABV is 12,5%. The grape used is 100% Inzolia or Ansonica as it is also known as. It is a native grape to Sicily and is quite rare. In the taste I get peach, apple and some citrus with some tropical fruits in the back, This is a very good white wine from Sicily.

For the last wine is we go from the south to the north and the region Friuli Venezia Guilia. I have tasted wine from Villa Chiopris before and this time it is their wine Sauvignon Blanc from 2014 that I have tasted. This wine is five years old and that is quite old for being a white wine. In the taste I get tropical fruit with goosberry and apple. Very nice and fresh despite being five years old. Together with spicy food this wine becomes even better. So try it with spicy food and you will not be disappointed.

Two white wine from Friuli Venezia Guilia, La Cricca and Les Enfants

Friuli Venezia Giulia is a beautiful region in the northeastern part of Italy. This region borders Slovenia and the white wines are not that famous as for example the white wines from South Tyrol.

The producer La Cricca is situated in Craeretto, a small village situated in Friuli. La Cricca is four people making wine and they say that their mission is to respect the heritage. The wine I have tasted is their white wine Friulano from 2016 with an ABV of 13%. This wine if from the Colli Orientali are which is a winemaking region near Udine. This vintage was of only 1322 bottles and the grape used is the native grape Friulano which has been cultivated in Friuli since 1600. This is a fruity wine with a long aftertaste. I get honey, pear and some citrus and flowers. A delightful wine.

Next up is the white wine Les Enfants from the producer Villa Russiz which is a big producer in Venzia Giulia. This wine is a blend of several grapes,  50 % Pinot Grigio, 25% Pinot Bianco, 20% Ribolla Gialla and 5% Sauvignon. This wine is fresh, crisp and with a taste of citrus, pear and some mineral. Yet another good white wine from Friuli Venezia Giulia.

Ponka 2010 from Paraschos

The wine Ponka from 2010 by producer Paraschos in Friuli is what people would call an orange wine or natural wine. This wine is done without any sulphurs, filtration and things like that, therefore this wine is orange. It is only the third orange wine that I have tasted.

The colour is definitely orange. I get minerals and apricots in the taste. Quite a mature wine at nine years old. Not much acidity but a powerful taste. A bit simpleminded and it screams out for food. The verdict is that the wine is nice but not worth the cost which is way too high for a wine with this quality. Fans of orange wines will love this one.

Let us go back to Friuli and for a normal white wine called Ribolla Gialla from producer Villa Chiopris. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 12%.  In the taste I get grapefruits pear and some minerals. A nice white wine.

Two recommended wines from Italy

Italian sparkling wines especially Prosecco can be quite light but easy-drinking. The sparkling wine Agata Cuvee Millesimato from 2016 is more complex but still easy to drink. The producer is Ardenghi from the Veneto region in Italy. The taste is quite fresh with citrus and bread tones. A very nice sparkling wine perfect for a warm day.

Next wine is a white wine from Friuli in the northern eastern part in Italy. The grape is Pinot Grigio and the name of the wine is Ciani. The producer is Azienda Agricola Ciani Valter and the vintage is 2016. On the nose I get a lot of white fruits. The taste is of melons, grapefruit and some pears. This is an excellent expression of a Pinot Grigio which I highly recommend. One producer that knows how to make good wines.

Radikon, natural wine from Italy

For the first time I have tried what it is called a natural wine. it is the wine Radikon Slatnik 2013 by producer Azienda Agricola Radikon.This is what is also called orange wine because of the colour of the wine. This wine if from the Italian region of Friuli-Venezia-Giulia. There is no temperature controlled fermentation for this wine for example only what the producer called "natural" methods.

So how does it taste. First the colour is very deep orange. One can almost believe that it is a cider in the glass. The smell is strong and goes towards apples. Now the taste is like a weak cider. A lot of apples and sharpness but without the freshness of a very good cider from Normandy. It is drinkable but all the time I wonder why shall I drink it since I can get a cider that tastes much better than this wine. One thing I don't usually mention is the price. This wine is very expensive and I can get many bottles of cider for the same price. This is not for me but may be interesting for some people.

Bambino Bianco and Tocai Friulano

Italy has many different grape varieties and many of them only grows in Italy. This time I have had the chance to try two, Bombino Bianco and Tocai Friulano.

The wine Marese from producer Rivera is made from the grape Bombino Bianco. It is from the DOC Bombino Bianco Castel Del Monte in Puglia. This grape is mostly grown in Puglia but can be found in several other regions in Italy. This wine were very nice to drink. Interesting and I have to try more of this grape.

The second wine I had the chance to try is the wine Friulano from producer Guerra Albano, whose winery Guerra Albano is located in the DOC Colli Orientali del Friuli area in Montina, near Cividale del Friuli. The wine is very strong and tastes like green apples, pear, grass some citrus and is very intense and fresh. Quite interesting wine and needs some food with the wine. The grape used for this wine is called Tocai Friulano. These wines were also called Tocai Friulano earlier but had to change the name due to name regulations of the EU to Friulano. This grape is mostly grown in Friuli Venezia Giuli and recently scientists have found out that the grape Sauvignon Vert is the same grape. For more information about this grape I recommend the book "Native Wine Grapes of Italy" by Ian D'Agata.