Collio is one of several wine-growing zones in northeastern Italy, a cluster of about 3,500 vineyard acres and 200 wineries producing someseven million bottles a year, nestled into the hills along the Slovenian border where the Alps meet the Adriatic. The soil is all marl and sandstone, and the wines, mostly white, have amazing depth of mineral flavor.
We'll tell the stories of some of the wine growers over the next few days. Today, on our visit to the castle at San Florian del Collio, with its panoramic view over the vineyards, our hosts inaugurated their new fontana del vino, a wine fountain to celebrate the 2010 vintage. The wine that gushed forth was once called Tokaj Friulano (or tokay or tokaij, depending), now known simply as Friulano, a variety that resembles sauvignon blanc and has been in these hills for generations. The Hungarians sued (and won) to keep Tokay for themselves, but theirs isn't remotely related to the Friulano.
There's a lot of talk that Collio should produce a signature "Collio Bianco," a white blend that would showcase the region's unique profile. First, though, they would need to agree on which of the region's grapes should be included (or excluded): friulano, ribolla gialla, pinot grigio, chardonnay, picolit, malvasia, sauvignon blanc? They've all been cultivated here for over 100 years, even the chardonnay and sauv blanc, brought in during the mid-1800s by a French nobleman.
The results so far are promising: regardless of the varieties that go into the blends, it seems that terror--that bracing minerality--trumps varietal differences. That's the hope, they say, that "Collio Bianco" will become synonymous with "fabulous white wine."
Many thanks to our hosts, the Collio growers' association, for getting the wine to come out of the wall, a true Fountain of Youth!
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