“Collio Evolution: future begins from present”, the showcase of one of Italy great territories

A white wine “enclave” among the most prestigious ones in Italy, the “half moon” of Collio is a territory covering 7,000 hectares in total, of which 1,300 hectares of vineyards which often serve as the “home gardens” of many small producers, in the hills lying on the “ponca”, the identitary soil of Collio, made up of stratified Eocene-era marl and sandstone. This land is capable of producing 6.6 million bottles claimed under the DOC designation in 2024 (with an average of 6.9 million bottles over the past 4 years, ed), and the focus is clearly on white wines (white grape varieties account for 88% of the denomination vineyard area, led by Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon, Friulano, Ribolla Gialla, and Chardonnay, followed by Pinot Bianco, Malvasia Istriana, Picolit, Traminer Aromatico, Riesling, and Müller Thurgau), and, which, not casually, is one of the most recognized regions for high-quality white wine production, as confirmed by a Nomisma Wine Monitor survey (based on 1,500 wine consumers), presented at “Collio Evolution”, the denomination first institutional event, starting on October, 25th in Cormòns with the conference “Collio Evolution: il futuro inizia dal presente” - “Collio Evolution: the future begins in the present” and the unveiling of the “Collio Experience” research (featuring Luciano Ferraro, deputy editor of Corriere della Sera, and Denis Pantini, head of Nomisma Wine Monitor). The event, organized by the Consortium headed by president Luca Raccaro and director Lavinia Zamaro (representing 288 wineries), will spotlight Friulano, the identity wine for excellence, interpreted by over 50 companies through a wide range of vintages, showcasing the evolution of a territory unique in history and vocation.
“The research  - explains Consortium president Luca Raccaro -  confirms the positive perception we have of our territory and its wines, which inspired us to create “Collio Evolution”, the denomination first institutional event, designed to tell the story of Collio and its ability to evolve, blending tradition and innovation”.
“Collio Evolution” continues on October, 26th and 27th with technical tastings, walk-around tastings, meetings with producers, and “Premio Collio” - “Collio Award” promoted by Consorzio dei Vini del Collio in collaboration with the Department of Agro-Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences of the University of Udine, Mib Trieste School of Management, and Arga Friuli Venezia Giulia, and dedicated to the memory of Count Sigismondo Douglas Attems of Petzenstein, a historic figure in Collio viticulture and the Consortium first president, which, among the winners, for “best digital storytelling”, sees also WineNews (thanks to its video story about the territory), with the award which will be given to WineNews director Alessandro Regoli, along with honors in other categories (best undergraduate or graduate thesis, best PhD research, best journalistic article published in Italian media, and best journalistic article published in foreign media), on October, 26th in Cormòns, in the heart of the territory.
Collio has long been one of the healthiest areas in Italian wine, now also thanks to the appeal of long-aging white wines, and it boasts a rich and complex history. A history in which the children of farmers have become agronomists and enologists with their eyes on Central Europe, seeing Italy and Slovenia as a single territory. From the ancient Romans, the first to cultivate vines, to the Republic of Venice and the Habsburgs, Collio wines have always crossed borders, appreciated in courts across Europe. Modern viticulture began in the 19th century, marked by five key dates: 1780, the year of the first cru classification in the County of Gorizia by Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, the oldest in the world (that of Bordeaux dates back to 1855); 1869, when Count Teodoro de La Tour introduced French and German grape varieties, revolutionizing viticulture; 1891, when the Austrian enological Congress in Gorizia decided to graft European varieties onto American rootstock to combat phylloxera; the founding of the Collio Consortium in 1964, which celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2024; and the recognition of the Collio DOC in 1968, one of the first in Italy.
A territory that, after the devastation of the bloody “Battles of the Isonzo” fought among its vineyards, focused entirely on quality viticulture, with a unique heritage of native varieties like Ribolla Gialla, Friulano, and Picolit, alongside a universe of international vineyards, among which Pinot Grigio stands out. A half moon between the Julian Alps and the Adriatic Sea, Collio is unique for many reasons: its distinctive layers of marl and sandstone on which it lies, ponca, ideal for vine cultivation and responsible for the wines’ typical minerality and salinity, and its border location in Italy’s far northeast. A crossroads of people and cultures, here Italian, Friulian, and Slovenian are spoken among ancient vineyards and small villages, from Cormòns - home to the Vigna del Mondo - Vineyard of the World, with grape varieties from many countries used by the Cormòns Winery to produce “il Vino della Pace” - “Wine of Peace” for many years, in Capriva del Friuli, from Dolegna del Collio to Farra d’Isonzo, from Mossa to San Floriano del Collio, from San Lorenzo Isontino to Gorizia, but also among castles and monumental trees, for which Friuli holds the national record. And where, thanks in part to wine, the future is always in sight.