Collio: The Great Italian White Wines with Attems Winery

In this episode of Another Bottle Down, Jessica shares a conversation over lunch with Friulian winemaker Daniele Vuerich of Attems winery in Collio and Master Sommelier Craig Collins of Vintus wine importers. The two share about the unique elements of the region and the elegant wines it produces.  

Located in the far northeastern corner of Italy, the hills of the Collio DOC are home to some of Northern Italy’s most prestigious vineyards and distinctive grape varieties. The region stretches from the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region along the Slovenian border in the east, to the southern mountains close to Corno di Rosazzo and Buttrio. 

Defined by the Colli Orientali mountains and mineral-rich soils resulting from shifting alpine tectonics, the region is known for a particular rock, Ponca, which is a unique marl-standstone formed by repeated sedimentary processes. Vineyards are generally at higher altitudes along rolling hills with the Julian Pre-Alps that protect the vineyards from the cold winds of the north and are also influenced by the warmer sea breezes of the Adriatic Sea.

Attems is a name rooted in the history of wine in Friuli Venezia Giulia with documentation confirming ownership of land dedicated to viticulture in Collio by the Attems dynasty dating as far back as 1106. Production of Ribolla Gialla and Refosco can be seen listed in the 1764 general ledgers. The estate extends over 44 hectares of south-facing terraced slopes to the west of Gorizia, protected both from the cold northern winds and the characteristic “bora” wind of Trieste. 

Attems promotes both native grapes such as Ribolla Gialla and Friulano, as well as other noble varieties including Sauvignon Banc, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay and Merlot. Given the particularly idyllic environmental conditions, the vineyards flourish and yield their fruits in an ecosystem in which biodiversity reigns.