Collio and Goriška Brda

Collio whites: Friulano, Malvasia, Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio - dry, savoury, almond and orchard fruit.

The classic Italian-side bottle is a single-grape Collio white from a family estate or the Cormons co-op. Friulano and Malvasia Istriana are the local stars; Pinot Grigio from these hills is richer than the plains version.

The classic Italian-side bottle is a single-grape Collio white from a family estate or the Cormons co-op. Friulano and Malvasia Istriana are the local stars; Pinot Grigio from these hills is richer than the plains version.

Friulano: almond and herbs, fuller and softer than Sauvignon - the local classic.

Once called Tocai Friulano, genetically the same as Sauvignonasse (Sauvignon Vert in Slovenia). Almond, herbs, apricot and apple, with rounder body and lower acidity than Sauvignon. Great with ham and cheese.

Once called Tocai Friulano, genetically the same as Sauvignonasse (Sauvignon Vert in Slovenia). Almond, herbs, apricot and apple, with rounder body and lower acidity than Sauvignon. Great with ham and cheese.

Prosciutto di San Daniele with a Collio Friulano.

Friuli's famous sweet ham meets Friulano's almond softness and fresh finish: a salty-sweet match that is the simplest introduction to the region.

Friuli's famous sweet ham meets Friulano's almond softness and fresh finish: a salty-sweet match that is the simplest introduction to the region.

Gubana (nut-and-raisin cake) with a sweet wine.

A Picolit or a sweet dried-Rebula wine like Leonardo matches the cake, because the wine should be at least as sweet as the dessert.

A Picolit or a sweet dried-Rebula wine like Leonardo matches the cake, because the wine should be at least as sweet as the dessert.

Ribolla Gialla / Rebula: lemony and salty fresh, amber and tannic when left on skins.

The flagship white of the border hills, with thick skins and high acid. Steel-fermented it is crisp and citrusy; oaked it is richer; left on the skins for weeks to months it turns amber and grippy. Also makes sparkling and sweet wines.

The flagship white of the border hills, with thick skins and high acid. Steel-fermented it is crisp and citrusy; oaked it is richer; left on the skins for weeks to months it turns amber and grippy. Also makes sparkling and sweet wines.

Off-path: an orange Ribolla from Oslavia or Brda.

Radikon, Gravner or Podversic from Oslavia, or Movia Lunar and Kabaj Amfora from Brda. Few friends at home will have tried one. Serve cool, not cold.

Radikon, Gravner or Podversic from Oslavia, or Movia Lunar and Kabaj Amfora from Brda. Few friends at home will have tried one. Serve cool, not cold.

Frico (crisp Montasio cheese and potato) with an amber Ribolla.

The classic Friulian pairing for skin-contact wine. The tannin and savoury depth of an orange Ribolla stand up to melted cheese.

The classic Friulian pairing for skin-contact wine. The tannin and savoury depth of an orange Ribolla stand up to melted cheese.

Collio Bianco: a blend of local whites - the region's most characterful white wine.

The traditional blend is Friulano, Malvasia and Ribolla Gialla, though top estates now add Chardonnay, Sauvignon or Pinot Bianco. Expect more depth than a single-grape bottle, often from time on the lees or in oak.

The traditional blend is Friulano, Malvasia and Ribolla Gialla, though top estates now add Chardonnay, Sauvignon or Pinot Bianco. Expect more depth than a single-grape bottle, often from time on the lees or in oak.

Brda sparkling Rebula: bone-dry Metodo Classico-style fizz from local grapes.

Rebula, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir make traditional-method sparklers, often Brut Nature. Movia's Puro, Medot's Brut 48 and Klet Brda's De Baguer Virgo are the ones to find - a local alternative to Champagne.

Rebula, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir make traditional-method sparklers, often Brut Nature. Movia's Puro, Medot's Brut 48 and Klet Brda's De Baguer Virgo are the ones to find - a local alternative to Champagne.

Klet Brda: Slovenia's biggest cellar, in Dobrovo; Quercus to De Baguer ladder.

The cooperative that unites hundreds of Brda growers. Quercus is fruity and steel-fermented, Krasno aged in large oak, and Bagueri / De Baguer in barriques.

The cooperative that unites hundreds of Brda growers. Quercus is fruity and steel-fermented, Krasno aged in large oak, and Bagueri / De Baguer in barriques.

Celebration: a top Collio white that ages.

Borgo del Tiglio's Studio di Bianco, Jermann's Vintage Tunina or Primosic's Ribolla di Oslavia are all local, small-production and cellar-worthy.

Borgo del Tiglio's Studio di Bianco, Jermann's Vintage Tunina or Primosic's Ribolla di Oslavia are all local, small-production and cellar-worthy.

Primosic: Oslavia family estate; Ribolla di Oslavia is its fuller, oak-aged style.

A long-time Oslavia grower whose Ribolla di Oslavia is aged in large oak casks. A good way to taste the amber-tinted, structured end of Collio Ribolla without going fully orange.

A long-time Oslavia grower whose Ribolla di Oslavia is aged in large oak casks. A good way to taste the amber-tinted, structured end of Collio Ribolla without going fully orange.

Orange Ribolla from Oslavia: amber, tannic, long-aged - where modern orange wine began.

Whole-berry fermentation on the skins for weeks to months, then years in big old oak or clay before release. The result is deep gold to amber, with dried apricot, orange peel and grip. Mostly sold as Venezia Giulia IGT.

Whole-berry fermentation on the skins for weeks to months, then years in big old oak or clay before release. The result is deep gold to amber, with dried apricot, orange peel and grip. Mostly sold as Venezia Giulia IGT.

Brda orange and amphora Rebula: clay vessels, long skins, low sulphur.

Brda's natural-wine makers ferment Rebula on its skins for weeks to months, often in clay. Movia, Kabaj and Erzetič are the names to look for; expect amber colour, dried fruit and savoury grip.

Brda's natural-wine makers ferment Rebula on its skins for weeks to months, often in clay. Movia, Kabaj and Erzetič are the names to look for; expect amber colour, dried fruit and savoury grip.

Skin contact runs from days to months - ask how long.

From a light copper tint after a short soak to fully amber wines after months, the length of time on the skins sets the style and tannin. Ramato is the gentle end; Gravner and Radikon the other.

From a light copper tint after a short soak to fully amber wines after months, the length of time on the skins sets the style and tannin. Ramato is the gentle end; Gravner and Radikon the other.

Borgo del Tiglio: tiny Cormons-area estate; Ronco della Chiesa is its Friulano.

Nicola Manferrari, a former pharmacist, makes ageworthy whites from around eight hectares. The Friulano Ronco della Chiesa has been the one to know since the 1990 vintage.

Borgo del Tiglio is the small-estate end of Collio. Nicola Manferrari trained as a pharmacist and took over the family vineyards after his father's death, with no winemaking background. Around eight hectares near Cormons now produce some of the most precise whites in the hills. The wine to find is the Friulano Ronco della Chiesa, admired since the 1990 vintage, and the best proof that Friulano can age rather than just refresh. His Studio di Bianco is a blend built through years of blending trials, and the Chardonnay, Sauvignon and Malvasia are also well regarded, with a restrained oak influence. Production is small and visits are by appointment, so write ahead. Compare it with a co-op Friulano to taste what yield, site and patience add.

Marjan Simčič: Brda estate, half its vines in Italy; Opoka Rebula is the top wine.

Quality leader with Classic, Cru Selection and Opoka ranges. Nearly half its vineyards lie on the Italian side. Rebula Opoka ferments on skins around 18 days in concrete eggs.

Marjan Simčič is the reference estate for people who want serious Rebula without going fully orange. The estate makes about 11,000 cases a year, and nearly half of its vineyards sit on the Italian side of the border, so the glass is a living example of the shared hills. Wines come in three tiers. Classic is the fresh, everyday line. Cru Selection adds single-vineyard focus and a little oak. Opoka, named after the flysch soil, is the top range. The Rebula Opoka ferments on skins for about 18 days in egg-shaped concrete tanks, rests a year in them and a further year in used oak, giving structure without tipping into amber. Leonardo is the estate's sweet wine, made from dried Rebula and aged for several years in oak. The estate also makes Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay and Merlot.

Russiz Superiore: Capriva estate; Col Disôre is its flagship Collio Bianco.

Marco Felluga bought Russiz Superiore in 1967 and kept it a separate brand. Col Disôre is the white blend; Riserva degli Orzoni is the red. Visits are by appointment every day.

Russiz Superiore is the traditional heart of Collio's serious white wine. Marco Felluga, who died in 2024 aged 96, bought the Capriva del Friuli estate in 1967 and deliberately kept it separate from his own brand. His lasting idea was that Collio whites could age, in contrast to the crisp, quick-drinking northern-Italian style. Col Disôre is the estate's white blend, aged about a year in French oak and a year in bottle, and it is the one to buy if you want to understand a Collio Bianco. The Pinot Bianco Riserva sees longer oak and bottle ageing. The red Collio Rosso Riserva degli Orzoni is the estate's answer for those wanting a local red. The tasting room seats around 35 and visits are by appointment every day, so book ahead.

Jermann: Vintage Tunina, the field-blend white that made Friulian whites famous.

A Collio vineyard blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Ribolla Gialla, Malvasia and a little Picolit, sold as Venezia Giulia IGT. Jermann has also planted Rebula across the border in Brda.

Vintage Tunina is the wine that put a field-blend white at the centre of Friuli's story. Silvio Jermann, whose family has farmed since 1881, planted Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Ribolla Gialla, Malvasia and a small share of Picolit on the Ronco del Fortino hillside, picks them together late, presses whole clusters and ferments them together. In the 1997 vintage that meant roughly a quarter each of Chardonnay and Sauvignon, a little under a quarter each of Ribolla and Malvasia, and a splash of Picolit. It is sold as Venezia Giulia IGT, not Collio DOC, which tells you that tier is a poor guide to quality here. Jermann is also a cross-border story: the family has bought land in Brda, planted Rebula there in 2014 and released its first Brda-grown Ribolla in 2016. Expect a rich, layered white that rewards a few years in the cellar.

Gravner: Oslavia founder of the modern orange style; buried qvevri, seven-year cycle.

Joško Gravner switched to buried Georgian clay vessels and releases wines only after about seven years. The Ribolla is the flagship; the red Rosso Breg is made from Pignolo.

Joško Gravner is the founding figure of Friulian orange wine. After a 1987 trip to California made him doubt industrial winemaking, he tried a Georgian clay amphora in 1997, saw qvevri in Georgia and then moved his entire cellar to buried clay vessels. Today the Ribolla Gialla ferments on its skins for roughly three to six months with wild yeast, rests about six months off the skins in the qvevri, then spends around six years in large Slavonian oak before bottling, which makes a release cycle of roughly seven years. Only Ribolla Gialla and Pignolo are grown, biodynamically, on the Runk parcel in Oslavia and on land across the border. The wine is deep amber, with dried apricot, orange peel and persimmon, firm grip and a long salty finish. The wines are sold as Venezia Giulia IGT. Serve it cool rather than cold, with food.

Radikon: Oslavia family estate; long-skin Ribolla with no added sulphur, 1-litre bottles.

Stanko Radikon began skin-contact Ribolla in 1995. His wife Suzana and children Saša and Ivana now run the 17-hectare estate, bottling without added sulphur since 2002.

Radikon is the other half of the Oslavia story. Stanko Radikon made his first half-batch of skin-fermented Ribolla in 1995, tested a no-sulphur bottling in 2001 and has bottled without added sulphur since 2002. After his death in 2016, his wife Suzana and children Saša and Ivana took over the 17-hectare estate, about 300 metres from the Slovenian border. Fermentation uses no added yeast, is not temperature-controlled and takes place in large old Slavonian oak. The Ribolla Gialla is the flagship, with about three months on its skins, while a lighter wine sees around ten days. Many of the wines come in one-litre bottles and are held for years before release. The result is amber, pure and savoury, with dried fruit, tea and a dry finish. Open them cool and slowly, with food.

Movia: Ceglo biodynamic pioneer; Lunar is 100% Rebula on skins, no added sulphur.

The Kristančič family has farmed here since 1820, and Aleš Kristančič is Brda's best-known natural-wine voice. The estate has been organic-certified since 2004 and takes visitors for tastings.

Movia sits at Ceglo, within sight of the Italian border. The Kristančič family has farmed here since 1820, and Aleš Kristančič, an eighth-generation winemaker, made the estate Brda's most visible voice for biodynamic, natural-leaning winemaking. Organic certification dates from 2004, wines are fermented without added yeast, unfiltered and with very low sulphur. Lunar is the one to know: a 100% Rebula left on its skins, with no added sulphites, amber in the glass and savoury on the palate. The same estate's Puro sparkling wine is made without sugar or yeast additions and is traditionally never disgorged at the winery; the sediment is removed at your table. The tasting area has room for around 100 guests, and tastings, cellar visits and sales are on offer. Treat Movia as the Brda counterpart to Gravner and Radikon: same idea, different accent.

Kabaj: Šlovrenc homestead; Amfora ferments Rebula blend in clay, with rooms and a restaurant.

Frenchman Jean-Michel Morel married into the Kabaj family and built an estate around Rebula. Amfora is its famous clay-aged blend; the homestead has rooms and an organic restaurant.

Kabaj began when Paris-born Jean-Michel Morel, trained in Perpignan, Bordeaux and Friuli, married Katja Kabaj and settled in Šlovrenc, near Dobrovo. The family farms about 12 hectares, two-thirds white, and all wines spend at least a year in French oak. The wine that made the name is Amfora: Ribolla (Rebula) blended with Malvasia and Sauvignon Vert (Tokaj), fermented and macerated in large Georgian-style clay vessels, then spending about a year in oak. The result is amber and deeply savoury. Morel is often linked to the early Brda interest in Georgian methods in the 1990s. The estate also serves local food drawing on Slovenian, Friulian and Habsburg tastes, and has a handful of rooms, which makes it a natural place to stay a night and taste across the whole range.

Marl-and-sandstone flysch soil gives these whites their salty, savoury edge.

The hills are layered marl and sandstone, called ponca in Collio and opoka in Brda. It slows ripening, keeps acidity high and adds a stony, saline note, which is why wines on both sides taste related.

The hills are layered marl and sandstone, called ponca in Collio and opoka in Brda. It slows ripening, keeps acidity high and adds a stony, saline note, which is why wines on both sides taste related.

In the glass: Freshness, texture and a salty mineral finish in the whites

Alps to the north, Adriatic to the south: warm days, cool nights.

The Julian Alps shelter the hills from cold northern air while sea breezes warm and dry the vineyards. Big gaps between day and night temperatures keep whites aromatic and fresh in a place that is still fairly rainy.

The Julian Alps shelter the hills from cold northern air while sea breezes warm and dry the vineyards. Big gaps between day and night temperatures keep whites aromatic and fresh in a place that is still fairly rainy.

In the glass: Ripe fruit with high acidity and clear aromatics

One landscape, cut by a border: estates and vineyards cross the line.

The border was drawn after World War I and runs through the vineyards. Some wineries own land on both sides, and Slovenia's EU entry in 2004 ended the hard border. A winery visit can take you across it in minutes.

The border was drawn after World War I and runs through the vineyards. Some wineries own land on both sides, and Slovenia's EU entry in 2004 ended the hard border. A winery visit can take you across it in minutes.

In the glass: Wines from the two sides taste closely related; the grape names differ

Oslavia: a hamlet of estates a stone's throw from Slovenia that made Ribolla famous.

The Italian edge of Collio concentrates a generation of growers who treated Ribolla Gialla as a grape that could stand months on its skins. Hence amber, tannic Ribolla here and pale, citrusy Ribolla a few kilometres away.

Oslavia is a hamlet on the eastern edge of Collio, and it explains why orange-wine drinkers care about this border. Radikon's 17-hectare estate sits about 300 metres from the Slovenian line. Gravner farms the Runk parcel in Oslavia and also holds land across the border in Slovenia. Primosic, La Castellada, Fiegl, Princic and Podversic are neighbours. The soil is the same marl and sandstone found across Collio, but the village gathered growers who saw Ribolla Gialla, with its thick skins, high acid and modest sugar, as a grape built to macerate. That local habit is why a Ribolla from Oslavia can be amber and gripping while one from a few kilometres away is pale and lemony. If you only have time for one village on the Italian side, this is the one for the Ribolla story.

In the glass: Fuller, amber, tannic Ribolla with a long saline finish

Most whites ferment in steel: fresh, clean and aromatic.

The mainstream Collio and Brda style is cool, steel fermentation with little or no oak, which keeps lemon, herb and almond notes in front.

The mainstream Collio and Brda style is cool, steel fermentation with little or no oak, which keeps lemon, herb and almond notes in front.

In the glass: Crisp, clean and aromatic whites

Skin contact runs from days to months - ask how long.

From a light copper tint after a short soak to fully amber wines after months, the length of time on the skins sets the style and tannin. Ramato is the gentle end; Gravner and Radikon the other.

From a light copper tint after a short soak to fully amber wines after months, the length of time on the skins sets the style and tannin. Ramato is the gentle end; Gravner and Radikon the other.

In the glass: More colour, texture, dried fruit and tannin

Clay vessels: qvevri and amphora, buried or not.

Gravner uses buried Georgian qvevri, Kabaj and Erzetič use clay, and Marjan Simčič ferments in concrete eggs. Clay adds texture without oak flavour.

Gravner uses buried Georgian qvevri, Kabaj and Erzetič use clay, and Marjan Simčič ferments in concrete eggs. Clay adds texture without oak flavour.

In the glass: Round texture, savoury depth, no wood flavour

Long cask ageing and late release at the top orange estates.

Gravner holds wines roughly seven years before release; Radikon keeps them for years in large old oak. Expect cellar-ready wines that open slowly.

Gravner holds wines roughly seven years before release; Radikon keeps them for years in large old oak. Expect cellar-ready wines that open slowly.

In the glass: Soft tannin, tea, nuts and dried fruit

Lees and oak for Collio Bianco and Friulano.

Several top whites spend months on the lees or a year in French oak or oval casks, which adds texture and depth without hiding the fruit.

Several top whites spend months on the lees or a year in French oak or oval casks, which adds texture and depth without hiding the fruit.

In the glass: Creamier, nutty and longer-lived

Sparkling Rebula: bottle-fermented, dry and often sulphur-free.

Brda's producers make dry fizz from Rebula, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir; Movia makes Puro without added sugar or yeast and disgorges it at the table.

Brda's producers make dry fizz from Rebula, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir; Movia makes Puro without added sugar or yeast and disgorges it at the table.

In the glass: Crisp, savoury and bone-dry bubbles