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Pinot Grigio DOC
Denomination: Colli Orientali del Friuli › Linea tradizionale
The small region of Friuli Venezia-Giulia located in the very eastern part of Northern Italy, bordered by the Alps to the north and by the Adriatic Sea to the south, is the realm of Italy’s new-style white wine. Drawing from native varieties and the noblest of the international array, Friulians have applied studied vineyard techniques and modern oenology to the production of highly distinctive whites, as well as some eminently attractive reds.
Friuli has two DOC zones of exceptional status in Collio Goriziano and Colli Orientali del Friuli, adjacent areas that follow the border of Slovenia. A highly favourable environment is created on the terraced slopes, called "ronchi", by the exchange of Adriatic and alpine currents. Carso is a unique zone in the hills above the seaport and regional capital of Trieste.
About 49% of Friuli's total production is DOC and Friuli has built a glowing reputation in Italy and abroad for its white wines. The local Malvasia and Ribolla can be intriguing, as can such long-established imported varieties as Chardonnay, Sauvignon, and Traminer.
The Friulian Pinot Grigio is exquisitely fresh and fruity, with delicate fragrances and flavours that expresses clear varietal characters. Many producers consider their Pinot to be too pure and linear to benefit from wood aging.
characteristics ....
The mineral-rich stones deposited by
melting glaciers millennia ago, elicit the
Pinot Grigio’s noble traits. The rocky,
difficult terrain causes the vines to suffer, rendering small crops of highly
concentrated fruit.
The complex and elegant flavours of the
Pinot Grigio Friulano match a broad
variety of foods such as fish, chicken,
and cheeses.
On the nose, it can acquire particular
perfumes of pear and spice, with creamy
and lush style characters that will age
well for several years.
Available as frozen juice in 30L & 220L drums
Vineyard & varietal information
● Sourced from vines that are 10 to 25 years old
● The soil is clayey and no irrigation is allowed. All vines are located on a plain
● The law for growing Pinot Grigio calls for a single branch coming from any single
trunk with a maximum of 3 to 4 clusters per branch
● Vines are planted 7 feet apart with only 5600 plants per hectare and 10 clusters per
plant
● Yield is 6 tons per hectare [2 tons per acre]
● Grapes are pressed using low pressure pneumatic bladder presses and pumped
into stainless steel tanks, chilled at - 40℃, for two days. Once gross sediment has
fallen, juice is pumped into various sized polyethylene drums and frozen to -4
degrees Fahrenheit (-20 Celsius)
● Pinot Grigio is a grey skinned grape. Wines made with this grape demonstrate a yellow-
pink colour, with alcohol generally between 12.5 to 13.5% by vol.
● Traditionally fermented dry. Some winemakers age in barriques, however the majority prefer stainless-steel aging
● Wine can age 1 to 3 years
Photo:
Pinot Grigio grapes after a night of rain in Friuli
● Important note: We do not add SO2 to the juice prior to freezing; the result is a juice that once thawed oxidizes and may turn a
brown colour. This is a natural process: do not add SO2 to the juice when you receive it. As fermentation requires oxygen,
adding yeast will consume the oxygen in the juice and any oxidized phenolics will drop before the end of fermentation, revealing
a clear straw coloured wine. An addition of SO2 before this is accomplished risks maintaining these brown oxidized components
in the wine. We recommend adding SO2 at the end of yeast/malolactic fermentation, and not before the end of sugar/yeast
fermentation.
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