Lynn of Savor the Harvest, invited the members of our Combined Wine Groups to Explore Wine Regions, Wineries, and Varietals that were new to us to start out our year, I began thinking about which regions I wanted to write about and thought about many regions that I know little about. Then I realized that I learned a lot about a country that I am extremely familiar with in the Fall – Italy, and specifically the region of Friuli Venezia Giulia and one of its top wine areas called Rosazzo. There is something amazing about studying a country’s wines for almost 30 years and continually discovering new areas. While I have spent some time in Friuli, visiting a few wineries, traveling to the Roman city of Aquileia, and the capital city of Trieste, I have never been to Rosazzo and seen its famed Abbey. At a recent tasting in New York, I did get the chance to taste some wines from the area. Rosazzo became a DOCG or a denominazione d’Origine Controllata e Garantita wine region in 2011, although the wines from the Abbey of Rosazzo have been well known for centuries. These white wines are mineral and focused on the Friulano grape. According to their rules, to make a Rosazzo Bianco it must include
50–60% Friulano; 20–30% Sauvignon Blanc; 20–30% Chardonnay and/or Pinot Bianco; maximum 10% Ribolla Gialla; maximum 5% other authorized white grapes. Like many other Abbeys the world over, the Abbey of Rosazzo was a cultural and intellectual center for centuries and the hub of winemaking in this area. These wines can be made between the municipalities of Manzano and San Giovanni al Natisone, also in the Corno di Rosazzo, These municipalities are all in the province of Udine, in Friuli Colli Orientali” DOC area.

I had the pleasure of meeting the owner of owner of the Cantarutti Alfieri winery and chatting with her about Rosazzo. Apparently it has been famous for centuries and much of the wine is exported. The wines were fresh and minerally with a slight bitter finish I expect of an Italian white. Some of the reds really stood out too such as indigenous grape Pignolo. I loved this grape that reminded me of Pinot Noir grapes.

Apparently people go nuts for the Pignolo grape. I loved it. Here is a recent book written about this gem. I was impressed with the owner’s stamina and fortitude. https://www.colliorientali.com/en/designations/rosazzo/

Fellow travelers are exploring parts of the world through their glasses. Read on and join the conversation:

• Camilla at Culinary Cam is sharing “Armenia: A Wine Story Spanning Six Thousand Years.”
• David from Cooking Chat shares “Something New: Visiting Wineries in Five States You Might Not Expect.”
• Terri from Our Good Life discovers a “New Wine Company in the Hills of the Ozarks (Missouri).”
• Evelyn at Fine Wines Buzz 
• Susannah at Avvinare  shares “Friuli Venezia Giulia: Rosazzo Discoveries”
• Katarina from Grapevine Adventures 
• Cathie at Side Hustle Wino talks about The Mystery of Korean Ginseng Wine Explored.
• Deanna from Wineivore shares “The Slovakian Princess Grape: Pesecká Leánka
• Lynn at Savor the Harvest
• Jeff of Food Wine Click invites us to “Explore the Wilds of Spain in Priorat.”
• Jennifer of Vino Travels explores “Where Italy’s Largest Lake Meets the Vineyards: Discovering Garda DOC.”