Northeast Italy Wines
The northeast corner of Italy, surrounded by the Austrian, Slovenian, and Swiss borders, is home to three major wine producing regions: the Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Trentino-Alto Adige. In the Veneto, the majority of the reds consist of Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara. These versatile grapes help to produce the light and fruity early-consumption wines of Valpolicella and Bardolino. However when the grapes are dried using the passito method, they are used to produce the massive and robust wines of Amarone della Valpolicella, which consistently earn some of the highest ratings in our Northeast Italian Wine Reviews. The slopes and climate of Trentino-Alto Adige allow Pinot Grigio to thrive, but also have inspired the plantings of some alternate white varietals such as Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Bianco. The whites of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, especially the varietal wines from the Colli Orientali DOC, fare extremely well according to our Northeastern Italy Wine Ratings. Those created from Tocai Friulano and Pinot Grigio are some of the region’s best and offer fresh acidity with an abundance of orchard fruit flavors. To learn more about the wines of the region, reference our Northeastern Italy Buying Guide and our Italian white wine reviews.
Showing 1 thru -9 of 2,223
Livio Felluga 2007 Picolit (Colli Orientali del Friuli)
- Editors' Choice
- $90
Picolit is a precious and uniquely Italian dessert wines that relies on a variety of special conditions to produce overwhelming elegance and concentration. Livio Felluga does a wonderful job with this wine that opens with a luminous golden color and segues to luscious, creamy flavors of honey, white flower and almond paste.
— M.L.
(12/31/2010)
Livio Felluga 2006 Picolit (Colli Orientali del Friuli)
- Online Exclusive
- $90
Beauty and purity emerge from the nose of this highly complex and delicate dessert wine. Aromas include pressed flowers, honey, white peach and a touch of mustiness that adds depth and dimension at the back. It’s a smooth, succulent drink that delivers sweetness, but never too much of it. Gorgeous.
— M.L.
(12/31/2010)
Livio Felluga 2004 Picolit (Colli Orientali del Friuli)
- Online Exclusive
- $100
An intriguing, fabulous dessert wine. The aromas are complex, intense and balanced on a tightrope: mature peach, honey, wet stone, peppermint and delicate mineral nuances. Picolit is an indigenous grape that suffers from a unique disorder in which a good number of berries on each cluster never mature. The remaining berries become concentrated in rich flavor and…
— M.L.
(7/1/2008)
Lis Neris 2007 Tal Lùc White (Friuli)
- $88
Tal Lùc comes in an elegant little bottle that beautifully sets the stage for the fabulous dessert wine to follow. The color is deeply golden and saturated and aromas include toasted almond, dried yellow rose, candied fruit and apricot. The creamy texture would pair with something different than dessert, say a delicate sliver of duck liver pâté.
— M.L.
(12/31/2010)
Lis Neris 2008 Tal Lùc White (Friuli)
- Cellar Selection
- $88
This is made from Verduzzo grapes and a tiny percentage of Riesling; the former variety gives the wine depth, substance, bright yellow-gold color and pretty aromas of butterscotch and caramel. The Riesling adds a touch of floral fragrance.
— M.L.
(12/1/2012)
Jermann 2001 Pignacolusse Pignolo (Venezia Giulia)
- Editors' Choice
- $52
A stellar example of the potential of Italian indigenous grapes this is 100% Pignolo, a small-clustered variety that faced almost certain extinction. This robust, succulent single-vineyard wine has blackberry, prunes, cigar box and sticky melted milk chocolate aromas and flavors. Rich in soft tannins and fruity concentration. Delightful. Imported by Empson (USA) Ltd.
— M.L.
(9/1/2005)
Cavit 1997 Arèle Vino Santo Nosiola (Trentino)
- $47
This Vin Santo from Italy’s northern Trentino region is made with the little-known Nosiola grape and offers outstanding complexity and intensity of aromas. Almond skin, apricot, dried fruit, caramel, butterscotch and honey come forward layer after layer. This is a distinctive wine with round, opulent nuances and excellent length.
— M.L.
(5/1/2008)
Collavini 2003 Picolit (Colli Orientali del Friuli)
- $230
Here is a standout dessert wine from Italy’s Friuli region with a deep amber color and generous aromas of chestnut honey, apricot and almond paste. It’s a deeply fruity wine, layer after tasty layer, and gorgeous on all fronts. The texture is creamy but smooth and equally shaped by the wine’s natural sweetness and acidity.
— M.L.
(12/15/2008)
Showing 1 thru -9 of 2,223
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