Volpe Pasini Zuc di Volpe Pinot Bianco 2010
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The heart of the complex, with its offices and the cellar is comprised of a heritage villa, dating from 1596 and a complex of buildings which surround the villa. Inside the property of 20,000 square metres is found the centuries old park and a small vineyard of Ribolla Gialla, which recalls the wine vocation of Volpe Pasini. Dating from the seventeenth century there are documents which testify to the wine production on the property. The company since then has always expressed a purely agricultural vocation, and in the second half of the twentieth century it became exclusively wine producing. During the 70’s along with other “pioneering producers”, Volpe Pasini carried Fruilian winemaking into Italy and the world. Leaving behind the logic of wines in demijohns, they concentrated their energies into the research for excellence and into the close examination of new outlets in the international markets (above all USA and Germany). Now days Volpe Pasini sells 50% of its wines outside Italy, through a solid commercial network more than thirty years old. Today Volpe Pasini is more vital and competitive than before, having found once again the solid base and the innovative willingness which has made it, during the past decades, one of the most important wineries of Friuli Venezia Giulia.
Approachable, aromatic and pleasantly plush on the palate, Pinot Blanc is a white grape variety most associated with the Alsace region of France. Although its heritage is Burgundian, today it is rarely found there and instead thrives throughout central Europe, namely Germany and Austria, where it is known as Weissburgunder and Alto Adige where it is called Pinot Bianco. Interestingly, Pinot Blanc was born out of a mutation of the pink-skinned Pinot Gris. Somm Secret—Chardonnay fans looking to try something new would benefit from giving Pinot Blanc a try.
Viticulture has thrived in Colli Orientali del Friuli since the reign of ancient Rome and today its verdant, rolling hills support a long list of autochthonous varieties, each playing a unique and important role in the modern Colli Orientali wine scene.
The region is primarily recognized for its white wines. Its indigenous varieties of Ribolla Gialla, Verduzzo, Picolit and perhaps most importantly, Friulano are made into single varietal wines or blended, and often blended with the international varieties of Sauvignon blanc, Pinot grigio and Pinot bianco. The latter have been flourishing in the area since the 1800s. But it wasn’t until the 1970s when producers started using cold fermentation techniques to produce fresh, fruity, crisp and aromatic whites that this area began to attract international attention.
While reds only make up about a third of the area under vine, Colli Orientali is home to some of Italy’s most exciting and rare red wines. Refosco, Schioppettino, Tazzelenghe and Pignolo are among the autochthonous varieties while Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir also have a stronghold.
Colli Orientali holds much in common with its neighbor, Collio; the only thing dividing them is a political line. Both are influenced by the cooling effects of the Julian Alps and moderated by the Adriatic Sea. A unique soil of alternating marine layers called flysch also dominates Colli Orientali, providing a mineral-rich environment for vine roots and optimal water drainage.