Italy off the beaten path: the Friulan Collio and the Rosazzo Abbey
The surroundings of Gorizia , in Friuli Venezia Giulia , offer an enchanting and relaxing landscape of rolling hills dotted with wineries and cellars where the best Italian white wines in the world and full-bodied reds are produced: it is the Collio , which has its main center in Cormons . Vineyards in the Collio Goriziano This area, geographically delimited by the Isonzo river and its tributary Iudrio, covers 150 square km divided between the province of Gorizia and Slovenia. Here, the location between mountains and sea creates a unique microclimate, in terms of ventilation and temperature range, that works perfectly with the characteristic terrain of the Collio (called ponca ), made up of stratified marl and sandstone, ideal for growing grapes. This is white wine land where the local Ribolla Gialla , Malvasia Istriana , Friulano and Picolit grow side by side with the international Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc to create whites that are amon...