Friuli Wine: The Italian White Wine Region You Shouldn’t Miss

ByKelly Chidi-Ogbonna
Editorial image of Friuli wine with a bottle of white wine, a filled wine glass and a vineyard landscape inspired by Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy.

Friuli is the kind of wine region that loses a name dispute to Hungary, makes white wines that drink like reds, and sits so close to Slovenia that some of its hills practically wave across the border. And most of us walk straight past it to grab a Pinot Grigio.

That’s a shame, because Friuli wine is some of Italy’s most interesting white wine. Here is a simple guide to the grapes, the hills to look for on a label, the orange wine that started here, and how to visit the cellars.

Quick Facts

  • Where: Friuli-Venezia Giulia, in Italy’s north-east corner, bordering Slovenia
  • Known for: white wines, and the birthplace of Italy’s orange wine movement
  • Vineyard area: 23,880 hectares in 2018, according to Decanter
  • Star area: Collio, a strip about 20 km long and 4 km wide, with around 1,500 hectares of vines, mostly white grapes
  • Grapes to know: Friulano, Ribolla Gialla, Malvasia Istriana and Pinot Grigio
  • Fun fact: Friulano used to be called Tocai, until a dispute with Hungary’s Tokaj
  • Signature soil: ponca, a mix of marl, clay, silt and sandstone
  • Visiting: many cellars need a reservation, and the Cantine Aperte open-cellar weekend in 2026 was on 30 and 31 May

Where Is Friuli, and Why Is It Different?

Friuli-Venezia Giulia sits in the north-east corner of Italy, with Slovenia on one side and the Adriatic Sea to the south. According to Decanter, the climate is mostly continental, with cool winters and dry, warm summers. The Adriatic influences the south, and the Julian Pre-Alps shelter the region from northern winds.

The secret ingredient is the soil. In the eastern hills it’s called ponca, a marl with clay, silt and sandstone that Decanter calls “Friuli’s signature soil for top wines.” In Collio, The Buyer describes the same layered ground, known as flysch, as the source of the wines’ minerality.

Collio: The Name to Remember

If you only learn one name on a Friuli label, make it Collio. It’s a thin strip of hills near Gorizia, shaped like a croissant according to The Buyer, about 20 km long and barely 4 km wide, and it sits right on the Slovenian border.

Cool easterly winds meet warm Adriatic breezes here, and the nights are much cooler than the days. That’s good for freshness. Around 87% of the vineyards are planted with white grapes, and The Buyer lists the most planted as Pinot Grigio (26%), Sauvignon Blanc (19%), Friulano (14%) and Ribolla Gialla (10%).

Collio was also the third DOC area in Italy, and there are 18 official DOC wines. The Buyer adds that locals compare sub-zones such as Oslavia, Plessiva, Pradis and Zegla to the crus of Burgundy. A wine area that narrow, with a hierarchy of its own, takes itself seriously.

The Grapes to Know

Friulano. This is the region’s signature white. Wine Folly describes it as lean and crunchy, with notes of thyme, apricot and Meyer lemon. It also says Friulano is made from the grape known as Sauvignon Vert. And it has a great backstory. The wine used to be called Tocai, but in 1995 the European Court of Justice found the name too close to Hungary’s Tokaj, according to Italy Magazine. After appeals, delays and a compromise, producers settled on Friulano for export. Imagine losing the name of your own wine to a dessert wine from another country.

Ribolla Gialla. Wine Folly describes it as high in acidity with a rich structure and flavours of apricot, tangerine and Asian pear, and notes that it’s often made sparkling. Decanter says Ribolla grown on ponca produces whites that “drink like red wines,” with stony minerality and a savoury finish. If you only try one Friuli grape, I’d make it this one.

Malvasia Istriana. A dry, aromatic white that is part of the Collio mix. Wine Folly says Malvasia in the region is often dry and aromatic, with floral notes and perfume.

Pinot Grigio. Yes, it’s from here too, and no, it doesn’t all taste the same. I covered that, including the copper-coloured ramato style, in Does All Italian Pinot Grigio Taste the Same?

Reds and sweet wines. White gets the glory, but Decanter lists Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso and Pignolo among the local reds. Wine Folly describes Terrano from Carso as tasting of cherry and forest floor. For something sweet, there are the dessert wines made from Picolit and Verduzzo in Colli Orientali.

Orange Wine’s Home Turf

Orange wine has nothing to do with oranges. It’s white grapes that fermented with their skins for days or even months, and Decanter calls Friuli-Venezia Giulia the motherland of orange wines in Italy, with Oslavia as the best site.

Cellar Tours calls Joลกko Gravner the founding father of orange wines in Friuli. After a visit to Napa Valley in 1987 led him to question how standardised wine had become, he started experimenting. Stanko Radikon began full skin contact in 1995. In 1997 Gravner tested a 250-litre Georgian amphora, and after visiting Georgia in 2000 he adopted amphora fermentation. Since the 2007 harvest, his wines age seven years before release.

Collio now even has an official category, “vino da uve macerate,” with a minimum of seven days of skin contact. It’s not for every day, but if you’re curious, the grapes to look for are Ribolla Gialla, Friulano and Malvasia Istriana.

What to Eat With Friuli Wine

Wine Folly pairs Colli Orientali whites with the local Prosciutto di San Daniele and other cold cuts, and with summer risottos. For Collio, it suggests savoury first courses and frico, a cheese tart it calls a signature regional dish. The sweet wines go with hazelnut pastries and aged cheeses, and the lighter Friuli Grave whites make a good aperitivo.

How to Visit Friuli’s Wine Country

You don’t need a tour operator, but you do need to plan. Turismo FVG says a visit to Castello di Spessa is by reservation only, and its Collio page sends you to each producer’s own website for details, so check before you go. Many of those sites are in Italian, so use your browser’s translate button.

A few places to know:

  • Enoteca di Cormรฒns, on Piazza XXIV Maggio, is the regional centre for promoting Collio. Turismo FVG describes it as the essential stop if you’re short on time, with hundreds of labels and guided tastings.
  • Primosic in Oslavia offers visits and tastings, with a look at how its Ribolla Gialla is made.
  • Pascolo Alessandro in Ruttร rs is a family estate run over three generations, with a Friulano tasting.
  • Castello di Spessa in Capriva del Friuli is a historic estate with medieval ageing cellars, a resort, a golf course and a spa. Visits are by reservation.

The region also has the Strada del Vino e dei Sapori, a wine and food route made of six itineraries: mountain, hills, river, plain, Karst and coast. For a big tasting weekend, watch for Cantine Aperte. About 77 wineries across Friuli-Venezia Giulia opened their doors on 30 and 31 May 2026, according to Turismo FVG, and the organiser is Movimento Turismo del Vino FVG. I explained how open-cellar days work in Cantine Aperte in the Colli Euganei.

If you plan to buy bottles at the cellar, pack them properly. A padded wine bottle travel bag costs far less than losing a Ribolla Gialla to a suitcase. And for planning the rest of the trip, the Touring Green Guide to Friuli Venezia Giulia is a handy companion.

Bottles to Look For

Not sure where to start? The Buyer’s tasting of Collio lists these producers by grape. It’s a tasting list, not a shopping order, and I haven’t checked prices or where to buy them:

  • Friulano: Felluga, Castello di Spessa, Zorzon, Bracco, Fruscalzo, Humar
  • Ribolla Gialla: Radikon, Gravner, Princic, Primosic, La Castellada, Fiegl
  • Malvasia Istriana: Casa delle Rose, Pascolo, Il Carpino, Colmello di Grotta

How Do You Start Drinking Friuli?

You don’t need a map. Try this:

  1. Buy a Friulano from Collio or Colli Orientali. It’s the region’s calling card.
  2. Pour a Ribolla Gialla next to it and see which you prefer.
  3. If you like Pinot Grigio, look for one that names a specific area on the label.
  4. Keep an orange wine for when you feel adventurous.

Decanter lists Collio, Colli Orientali, Isonzo and Carso as the sub-zones to know, so those are good words to spot on a label. If you want sparkling, my Prosecco guide covers the bubbles in the next-door region.

Pour your Friulano into proper white wine glasses and the aromas have room to show up. And if you’d like to keep learning, the Wine Folly book is a friendly place to start.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Friuli wine known for? White wine. Friuli-Venezia Giulia is known for Friulano, Ribolla Gialla, Malvasia Istriana and Pinot Grigio, and for being the home of Italy’s orange wine movement.

What is Friulano? Friulano is the signature white grape of Friuli. It makes lean, crisp wines with notes of thyme, apricot and lemon, and it used to be called Tocai.

Why was Tocai renamed Friulano? The European Court of Justice found in 1995 that the name Tocai was too close to Hungary’s Tokaj. After appeals and delays, Friulano became the name for export.

What is Collio wine? Collio is a small DOC area on the Slovenian border. It’s mostly white wine, and it’s known for Friulano, Ribolla Gialla, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio.

Can you visit wineries in Friuli? Yes. Many welcome visitors, often by reservation, so check each producer’s website first. Cantine Aperte, when about 77 wineries open their doors, was held on 30 and 31 May in 2026.

What is orange wine? Orange wine is white wine made with skin contact, which can last days or months. The skins give it colour, texture and flavour, and Friuli is considered its Italian home.

One Last Thing

I think we’re so used to treating white wine as the easy choice that we forget where the most interesting whites live. Friuli has a signature soil, a border on its doorstep, and a grape that survived losing its name. That sounds like a wine with something to say. Next time you reach for the usual, try a Friulano instead, and if you ever find yourself near Gorizia, book a cellar visit.

Have you tried Friulano or Ribolla Gialla? Tell me which one you would pour first.

โ€” Kelly ๐Ÿท

#FriuliWine #ItalianWine #WhiteWine #OrangeWine #Collio

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Sources

Information checked in November 2026. Vineyard figures, rules and producers can change, so check with the producer or consortium before you buy.

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