📍 Collio

Collio is a hilly area in north-eastern Italy, in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, on the border with Slovenia. Across the border lies Slovenian Brda, and the hills are in effect one continuous wine zone. Collio belongs to Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

The soils are layers of marl and sandstone, which locals call “ponca”. They give mineral wines with good acidity. The nearby Adriatic and the Alps moderate the climate: warm days and cool nights.

Collio is above all about white wines. The main grapes are Friulano, Ribolla Gialla, Malvasia Istriana, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco and Sauvignon Blanc. Reds are made from Merlot, Cabernet Franc and others. Many estates also make “orange” wines with long skin contact.

Collio wines are valued for purity, floral and fruity aromas, and the ability to age well. West of Collio lie the Colli Orientali hills, and to the south the Isonzo plain. “Collio Bianco” on a label is usually a blend of white grapes, and orange wines often state how long they stayed on the skins. Collio wines are bottled under the DOC names “Collio” or “Collio Goriziano”; the best whites are worth drinking two or three years after harvest, so that aroma and structure can open up.