Our Friuli Wine Experience offers an intimate, in-depth exploration of Friuli Venezia Giulia (FVG) in Italy’s northeastern corner bordering Austria and Slovenia to the north and the Adriatic Sea to the south. This under-the-radar region boasts some of the finest Italian cuisine that you never knew existed along with a storied history of both ancient and high tech winemaking techniques. We’ll spend the first few days in the port city of Trieste, a literary hub and unofficial coffee capital ofItaly–and explore the great Coffee Houses and take in Austrian cafe culture along the way with plenty of shopping and beach time.

We’ll then head into the heart of Friuli, Cormons in the Collio region, to set up our home base for wine exploration. La Subida is a tiny resort and collection of homes tucked into the hills-where we’ll be immersed in nature.

From there, we’ll take a deep dive into Friuli’s native grape varieties (Friulano, Ribolla Gialla, Schioppetino, Pignolo, Refosco) and learn about the long history of international varieties like Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Sauvignon Blanc there as well. We’ll travel to Oslavia—the home of macerated wines—and learn about the history and importance of orange wines in the area. We’ll drive across the border intoSlovenia–into the Brda region for a glimpse into Slovenian wine culture.

We’ll meet grape farmers and winemakers, participate in guided tastings, explore regional culinary traditions, and discover why Friuli is the most underrated, hidden gem in Italy–one the Europeans have treasured and kept to themselves for ages. We’ll encounter very few Americans. See the wines and landscape through the eyes of pros and go far off-the-beaten path to gain a broader understanding and appreciation of what we consider the most exciting wine region in Italy.

Hosted by Kelly Boutwell of SERIOUS SIP and fellow wine pro and Italy native, Viviana Luison.