Colutta.
Food Pairing
Intense ruby red with purple highlights and a fresh aroma, reminiscent of blackberries, raspberries and blackcurrants. The taste offers a slight hint of oak, autumn leaves, moss and fruit.
- Country
- Italy
- Region
- Friuli Grave DOC
- Grapes
- Schioppettino
- Vintage
- 2014
- ABV
- 12
- Code
- 11055
- Style
- Red

The land in Colli Orientali is considered the best in Italy for Pinot Grigio, because of the climate and the (argile) soil. Giorgio Colutta’s vineyards are in three different locations, all within 5 minutes of each other. Each has the same overall conditions but some are more hilly. Also local weather like hail, for example, may not affect all 3 equally, thus preventing widespread damage to the crop.
The area of Coli Orientali del Friuli has a particular climate shaped by the geography of the region - the Adriatic sea on one side, the Alps on the other. The mountains protect it from the cold winds from the north, and its proximity to the sea tempers the summer heat. There is a big demand for land here with some of the bigger producers anxious to snap up any plots that become available.
Giorgio rents some land in the hills near Manzano from a retired winemaker. When a friend of his got wind this land was available he immediately phoned Giorgio, arranged a meeting half an hour later, and the contract was signed on a scrap of paper out in the field! This vineyard is particularly beautiful with small rolling hills from which villages in Slovenia can be seen.
"Schioppettino, a red grape traditional to the Friuli region of the north-east, is so fickle that only 15 producers bother to coax wine from it at all. Giorgio Colutta, the man behind this impressive version, believes in green-harvesting – ruthlessly cutting off a high proportion of grapes before they ripen – in order to concentrate the flavours in those that remain. It seems to work. Earthy but suave with enticing aromas of violets, dark cherries and herbs, this Schioppettino tastes intense without being overwhelming. Friuli’s situation wedged between the Alps and the Adriatic seals freshness into the wine. Only 3,000 bottles are produced, making it a limited edition gem."
Colutta
The wine is made primarily in the vineyard! We put the utmost care to get a quality grape with agriculture that respects the environment and the health of the consumer in accordance with the directions of the EU. The harvest is for us a time of extreme importance and joy: the labours of a year's work in the country must find the ultimate expression in this delicate phase, carried out exclusively by hand, in which our "harvesters", who will select the best grapes in the cellar