Why Friuli Sets the Bar with Pinot Grigio - A Tasting Note on Ca' del Sarto

The warm weather is in full swing and I am personally reaching for many of my Italian white wines, rosé, sparkling wines.  This week I tasted the 2023 Ca’ del Sarto Pinot Grigio from the Friuli DOC of northeastern Italy.  If you’ve been following along my journey you already know that I love the white wines of northern Italy, but after my trip a few years back to the Friuli wine region I have a deeper respect for what the producers are doing in this tiny nook of Italy. 

Yes Pinot Grigio is probably one of Italy’s most popular white grapes, but Pinot Grigio isn’t just Pinot Grigio if you’ve had the quality and variety of Pinot Grigio produced in the northeastern part of Italy.  You can take a look back at my tasting of Pinot Grigio in Friuli and you’ll see just from the color of the Pinot Grigio in the glass that producers can produce many different styles of Pinot Grigio.  If you break outside the mold of the all mass marketed Pinot Grigio sold on the market and look for those sold in the wine regions of Friuli Venezia Giuglia and the Trentino Alto Adige you will be in for a treat. 

I didn’t find much in my research on Ca’ del Sarto other than the fact that it’s a collaboration with many of the top producers and Enotec Imports as the negociant since 1998.  They work with producers that producing hand-crafted and small batch productions with a focus on quality grapes.  The story began with two friends in Friuli who handpicked producers to work with and sourced Pinot Grigio from them where the wines resulted in “authentic expressions and modern wines”.   

The Wine 

The 2023 Ca’ del Sarto Pinot Grigio Friuli DOC was a brilliant straw color in the glass.  Floral, Tropical (pineapple) aromas along with lemon citrus and stone fruit.  This wine was dry, medium-bodied on the palate and refreshing with a puckering, acid backbone.  Tart citrus notes with small touches of stone fruit through the lingering finish.  I scooped this wine up on sale for $9, but online it ranges up to $16. ABV 12.5% 

Pairings with Pinot Grigio 

This wine will pair well with a both shellfish and seafood, pork or chicken and lighter fare including salads and appetizers. 

You can find many Pinot Grigio options on Wine.com and I may receive compensation for any wines purchased through the affiliate link in support of Vino Travels. 

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Where Italy's Largest Lake Meets the Vineyards: Discovering Garda DOC

As we welcome a new year it’s always important to think about what goals one has in mind to start the year.  I  myself am always looking ot broaden my horizon in the wine world and that includes exploring new wine regions, wineries and grape varieties.  That is exactly the theme of our wine writers group this month led by Lynn at Savor the Harvest this month.  Each one of us explores something new or different to share with all our readers as well as ourselves.   

For me personally, I decided to share some wines that I explored recently from the Garda DOC.  I recently attended a virtual tasting led by one of our writers Susannah and the VP of the Garda DOC Consorzio and owner of Perla del Garda, Giovanna Andrea.  Although visiting Lake Garda is not new to me as I have been fortunate to make it there once before, learning more about the Garda DOC and what it encompasses was newer to me.   

Copyright of Consorzio Garda DOC

The Wines of Lake Garda 

I’ve tried a number of wines through the years that I’ve shared with you from all around Lake Garda, lago di Garda, to include Bardolino, Chiaretto, Soave, Lugana, Custoza and nearby the wines of the Valpolicella wine region.   

Lake Garda is the biggest lake in Italy and actually the 2nd largest lake in Europe, along with being one of the deepest lakes that helps retain both the heat and the cold that influences the grapes.  Lake Garda was formed 5-6 million years ago due to a shift in the teutonic plates of Europe and Africa. 

Lake Garda encompasses 3 northernly regions including Trentino to the north, Lombardy to the west and the Veneto to the east.  The majority of the wines produced under the Garda DOC come from the Veneto side.  It has a unique microclimate due to situation between the Mediterranean and it’s close proximity to the Alpine mountain ranges that can provide intense winds.  The lake helps mitigate the weather pattern creating a sub-continental climate that is ideal for the vineyards.  Heck, they even are growing lemons and oranges.  

The Consorzio Garda DOC is a younger consortium started in 1996. It’s made up of a number of coops and about 250 producers.  It encompasses 10 historical denominations: Valtenesi, San Martino della Battaglia, Lugana, Colli Mantovani, Custoza, Bardolino, Valpolicella, Valdadige, Durello and Soave.  What’s unique about the Garda DOC is that it gives producers making wines in these previously mentioned appellations, to have flexibility to also produce wines with international grapes like the Pinot Grigio and Merlot wines that I’m sharing today that aren’t allowed under the other designations. 

The Garda DOC Wines 

I sampled a couple Pinot Grigio wines under the Garda DOC.  The requirement is that these wines are made with at least 85% Pinot Grigio, but many of the producers will produce these wines without blending.  Pinot Grigio is the leading grape in the Garda DOC wine production with Chardonnay being a close 2nd followed by the Garganega grape. 

 

My pick of the two Pinot Grigio was the 2024 Prendina Pinot Grigio Garda DOC.  Grown on morainic soils with clay and limestone, the juice of this wine was left on the lees to add complexity.  A pale, brilliant straw color, pretty floral aromas filled the glass with peach and citrus.  Light to medium bodied with lovely fruit flavors of citrus, pineapple and peach.  A lively palate with its bright acidity and lasting finish that lingered.  ABV 12.5% 

The 2024 Ca’ Vegar Pinot Grigio Garda DOC is grown in the morainic hills made of of calcareous soils and clay.  This 100% Pinot Grigio is aged 4 months in stainless steel, which helps to show the fruit. Pale straw colored, almost clear in the glass.  Floral aromas with lemon, apple and slight peach notes.  Light-bodied, with continuous mouthwatering acidity on the palate filled with notes of tart apple. ABV 12.5% 

The 2024 Cantina Collini Morenici Merlot Garda DOC is part of the cooperative, Cantina di Verona, that was esblished in 2021 which is made up of 550 members.  This winery is in the southern part of Lake Garda.  This wine is made from 100% Merlot.  The grapes are macerated for 10-12 days and refined in steel for freshness.  This Merlot may not be what many are used to when they think of Merlot.  This merlot was very pale in ruby color.  Aromas of ripe black cherry, blueberries and violet.  A lighter medium bodied Merlot, smooth with nice acidity.  Blackberry with a little spice and hint of cocoa.  ABV 13% 

Venturing to Lake Garda

With Lake Garda spanning three wine regions you'll get a variety of different cultures, cuisines and wines in a short span.  Choose which side of the lake you'd like to base yourself.  As a I suggestion you may want to consider the southern point as it's easier to maneuver all around and it's a higher concentration of wineries and vineyards. to the north of Lake Garda it's more mountainous.  

I suggest renting a car for more freedom, but there are ferries that connect some of the major points of the lake.  For those of you that are willing to take the physically fit challenge you can bike your way around and explore that way too. 

Follow along with the rest of our food and wine writers as they take you on an exploration of hopefully something new to you for the new year.

• Armenia: A Wine Story Spanning Six Thousand Years by Culinary Cam

• Explore the Wilds of Spain in Priorat by Food Wine Click!

• Exploring Garda Bianco from Poggio delle Grazie as we enter 2026 by A Day in the Life on the Farm

• Friuli Venezia Giulia: Rosazzo Discoveries by Avvinare

• New Wine Company in the Hills of the Ozarks (Missouri) by Our Good Life

• Something New: Visiting Wineries in Five States You Might Not Expect by Cooking Chat

• The Mystery of Korean Ginseng Wine Explored by Side Hustle Wino

• The Slovakian Princess Grape: Pesecká Leánka by Wineivore

• Wine Explorations 2026: regions, wineries and varieties, featuring négrette and Applegate Valley AVA by Savor the Harvest

You can find other wines from the Garda DOC on Wine.com to try.  I may receive compensation for any wines purchased through the affiliate link in support of the operations of Vino Travels.  

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*These wines were provided as samples, but opinions are always my own. 

 

National Pinot Grigio Day with Villa Sandi

Annually on May 17th the world celebrates National Pinot Grigio Day. Since my allergies have been kicking in this week and my taste buds haven’t been the best, I wanted to share a bottle of Pinot Grigio that I tried from Villa Sandi at Easter. With the warm days creeping upon us in the northeast I couldn’t think of a reason not to suggest this refreshing white wine to celebrate not only today, but the start to the weekend. 

Since today is all about the Pinot Grigio grape let’s take a look at the grape itself. You may ask yourself, is Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris the same grape? The answer is yes! You will hear it called Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris depending on the country or parts within the country in which you find this grape. Pinot Grigio is typically found in Italy, specifically the northeastern part of Italy in the regions of the Veneto, Friuli, and Trentino-Alto Adige. You will find Pinot Gris in France where it originated, along with Oregon, and New Zealand. In California you may see it called either Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris. 

Pinot Grigio is a grayish grape, hence the name Grigio in Italian that translates to graw. As the grape ripens it becomes pinkish with some slight purple huesd It is not actually a grape variety itself, but it is a clone of Pinot Noir. Although it is difficult to generalize this grape across the world as it has a range of flavor profiles and textures depending on where Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris is grown. Overall, it produces white wines that are dry with a lower acidity that display fruity aromas and notes of citrus, stone fruit, tropical fruits, apple and pear. I fell in love with the many styles of Pinot Grigio in Collio upon my trip last summer. Such a wide variety of styles including their unique orange wines which are a must try!

Copyright of Consorzio Vini DOC delle Venezie

The Wine 

Villa Sandi is owned by Giancarlo Moretti Polegato and the winery’s headquarters in a 1622 Palladian style villa are found in the heart of the Prosecco wine region. You can read more about the winery in my previous feature on Villa Sandi.  

Copyright of Consorzio Vini DOC delle Venezie

The 2021 Villa Sandi Pinot Grigio delle Venezie DOC is grown in one of the 20 territorial DOC’s that fall under the Pinot Grigio from the delle Venezie designation. This was a bright pale straw color in the glass. Not heavy on the aromatics, but very light and crisp on the palate. Notes of citrus and tart green apple. A pleasant, easy drinking wine to pop open on any occasion and only priced at $10-12. ABV 11.5%

Enjoy your Friday and start it off by popping a bottle of your favorite Pinot Grigio this National Pinot Grigio Day!

You can shop on Wine.com in support of Vino Travels and find a variety of Pinot Grigio wines to try for yourself.

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*This wine was provided as a sample, but opinions are always my own.

Great Whites of Collio with Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon

For part 3 of my tour of the Collio wine region I’m highlighting the Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon grapes from this region.  My last day of touring the Collio region started at Borgo Conventi in Farra d’Isonzo with a focus tasting on the Pinot Grigio Collio DOC.   

Borgo Conventi Winery 

Borgo Conventi was established back in 1975.  In 2001 it was bought by Ruffino and then in 2019 Giancarlo Moretti Polegato bought it, whom is owner of the known Villa Sandi estate of the Veneto region.  We were given a tour by winemaker, Paolo Corso, whom has been making wines at Borgo Conventi since 1989.  He explained the different terraces and the way in which they make 3 harvests due to the location of the vineyards on those terraces with different expositions with Ribolla Gialla on top and Friulano all around.    They start on the lower terraces due to humidity in the rocks working their way to the top of the terraces.   

Paolo Corso

Pinot Grigio in Collio 

Pinot Grigio is the most planted grape of Collio, but has been losing acreage as it has been replaced slowly by Malvasia and Ribolla Gialla.  Our guide, Richard Baudains, through the tasting explained that Pinot Grigio is less sensitive to soils than it is to climate.  I really enjoyed this tasting as it showed the many styles in which Pinot Grigio can be produced.  It’s more than many of the simple, quaffable Pinot Grigio on the market.  Not only does Collio show a high quality standard in their wines, but also a stylistic approach in their wines and Pinot Grigio is another one of those grapes to explore in this region.   

I’ll start with my favorite wines from the Pinot Grigio Collio DOC tasting and highlight some tidbits on the wineries I have yet to share in this series. 

The 2022 Fruscalzo Pinot Grigio Collio DOC comes from a cooler site in Ruttars at the bottom of the valley heading north in Collio.  This Pinot Grigio is a ramato style where the juice is in contact with the skins showing a deeper straw color with copper highlights.  An aromatic nose of orange and spice.  Light-bodied, but textured with with rounder fruit than a typical Pinot Grigio showing more citrus, orange notes and a touch of tannin, I’m assuming from the skin contact.  I typically enjoy sipping on a Pinot Grigio, but this wine I would pair with some food. 

The Pighin winery is a known winery in Friuli located in Capriva within Collio with vineyards both in Collio, but primarily in Friuli Grave with southern exposure hillsides.  This winery has been family run since 1963 when the brothers Luigi, Fernando and Ercole bought 500 acres in the Grace del Friuli DOC from a wealthy family.  The land they acquired was originally farmed by 25 families.  Pighin likes to lower their yields than what is required by the DOC in order to increase quality and character in their wines.  The 2022 Pighin Pinot Grigio Collio DOC is fermented and matured in stainless steel with the fine lees for at least 4 months.  Aromas of green apple.  Delicate in body with a nice balance of fruit and acidity on the palate.  A fresh, clean wine with notes of pears and apples persistent through the lingering finish.  A nicely done Pinot Grigio, more typical in style. 

The Muzic winery started when the great grandparents originally settled in 1927 in San Floriano.  Today the winery is run by the 4th generation with Ivan and his wife Orieta along with their two sons, Elija and Fabijan run the winery.  The winery has 44 acres in the Collio DOC with about 5 acres in the Isonzo DOC.  They’re working with native vineyards and no external clones so that when they do replant vineyards they keep the same vineyards that have been growing on the land since the beginning.  The 2022 Muszic Pinot Grigio Collio DOC comes from a warm site in San Floriano.  A more textured Pinot Grigio and roundness of the fruit showing notes of baked pears and nutmeg.  Tingling acidity with a touch of spice on the finish.  Not your average Pinot Grigio, but that’s what I’ve enjoyed about the style of Collio’s wines.   

Look at the color in these wines!

The 2021 Tenuta Borgo Conventi Pinot Grigio Collio DOC had an enticing floral nose with pears and rose petals.  Nice structure on this wine with notes of baked pear and spice with a considerable amount of salinity. 

The 2021 Castello di Spesssa Pinot Grigio “Joy” Collio DOC was another ramato style Pinot Grigio whose juice also shows some skin contact.  Another warmer site produced Pinot Grigio with some complexity showing notes of pears and apple with spice and custard. 

Here are the rest of the Pinot Grigio that were all enjoyable depending on the style you prefer. 

• 2022 Tenuta Villanova Pinot Grigio Collio DOC 
• 2022 Ascevi Luwa Pinot Grigio “Grappoli” Collio DOC 
• 2022 Gradis’ciutta Pinot Grigio Collio DOC 
• 2022 Sturm Pinot Grigio Collio DOC 
• 2020 Primosic Pinot Grigio “Skin” Collio DOC 
  

Food pairing with Collio Pinot Grigio 

When we think of food and wine pairings many look towards the main course, but what about the appetizers? At Ristorante Trattoria Al Cacciatore in Cormons our first dish was an egg from a local farm, Fattoria Sant’Eliseo, that was fried and crispy with bacon and a zucchini cream. We paired this particular dish delightfully with the 2020 Gradis’ciutta Bio Pinot Grigio Collio DOC. Think outside the box! 

Pascolo Winery 

My last focus tasting was on the Sauvignon grape hosted at the Pascolo Winery in the town of Ruttars in the Dolegna del Collio municipal.  I was hoping I could catch a shot of the stunning, eyecatching vineyards as we were driving and low and behold we were there at the Pascolo winery.  Lucky me!   

We were taken on a tour by Alessandro Pascolo, the winemaker and 3rd generation of the Pascolo family that runs the winery today.  Located in a very sunny part of Collio, Pascolo occupies 17 acres with great southern exposure.  They take pride in their white wines and it showed in the quality tasted a number of times throughout my journey and the passion that Alessandro displayed from our meeting with him.  They believe in producing white wines that have the potential to be aged and I think with their “Riserva” that I’m sharing today I too see the potential in their wines.   

Alessandro Pascolo showing us his Sauvignon vineyards

Sauvignon in Collio 

Sauvignon is the second most planted grape in Collio holding about 23% of the share.   This grape does well in Collio because of the diurnal swings that is perfect for aromatic wines like Sauvignon.  One of the challenges with Sauvignon is picking it on just the right day for that perfect balance.  A common clone of Sauvignon you will find in Collio is clone R3, which results in wines that are aromatic and peppery.   

My favorite Sauvignon wines from the tasting were the following shared below. 

The 2022 Humar Sauvignon Collio DOC carried citrus aromas with a dry, light to medium-body.  A well-balanced wine with a nice mouthfeel of lemon rind notes.   

The 2021 Castello di Spessa Sauvignon “Segre” Collio DOC wasn’t heavy on the aromatics, but had mouthwatering acidity with tangy citrus notes.  I picked up a little heat on this one with nice minerality and was juicy through to the lasting finish.  Richard Baudains claimed that this wine was a benchmark of the region. 

When it came to the Pascolo Sauvignon wines I enjoyed both of them in their own right, but had a slight preference towards their “Anteprima” Sauvignon.  The 2021 Pascolo Sauvignon Collio DOC is a blend of two  of Pascolo’s vineyard sites.  This wine does not see any oak and spends 3 months in the bottle.  A refreshing light bodied wine, nicely balanced with bright acidity and citrus flavors with a touch of minerality on the finish.   

On the other hand is the 2021 Pascolo Sauvignon “Anteprima” Collio DOC that is Pascolo’s small project that they’re experimenting with.  Only a few hundred bottles have been made.  I regret not scooping one up to take home!  The wine is fermented and aged in wood until June after harvest and spends 2 years in the bottle.  This is considered their riserva.  Great juicy acidity on this one with citrus notes.  With 15.3% alcohol I was surprised I didn’t pick up the heat on this one.  Pascolo is experimenting aging some of these wines for 10 years and aren’t seeing any lack of freshness on these wines with age.  It’s fascinating to see the longevity of these white wines in Collio. 

The 2020 Colmello di Grotta Sauvignon Collio DOC was different than most from the tasting, partially because it was the only 2020 sampled, which was a warm vintage.  Different is ok if it’s your style.  There was a hint of vanilla on the aromatics.  On the palate this wine had a creamy texture with some citrus, orange notes showing nice fruit definition with a softer acidity.   

Here are the rest of the Sauvignon also found enjoyable during the tasting. 

• 2022 Ascevi Luwa Sauvignon “Rondo dei Sassi” Collio DOC 

• 2022 Tenuta Villanova Sauvignon Collio DOC 

• 2022 Conti Formentini Sauvignon Collio DOC 

• 2022 Bolzicco Sauvignon Collio DOC 

• 2022 Skok Sauvignon Collio DOC 

Food pairings with Collio Sauvignon 

My last evening we dined at Locanda all’Orologio in Cormons and enjoyed sea bream in crazy water with vegetables caponata. Crazy water was a new one for me, but learned that in Italian it translates to “acqua pazza”, which is used in cooking Italian cuisine for poaching fish. This was paired with the 2020 Colmello di Grotta Sauvignon DOC. I’m many times a proponent of white wine with fish, but what matters is the way in which it is prepared along with any types of sauces or seasonings used.  

I hope you enjoyed my three part series of my visit to the Collio wine region of Friuli in Italy and I urge you to venture there for yourself and to experience the high quality of white wines coming from this region. If you missed the first two parts I hope you find the time to check them out. 

• An Exploration of Collio Part 1 
• A Visit to Collio Diving into the Native Grapes: Friulano and Ribolla Gialla
  

My deepest gratitude and thanks to the Collio Consorzio, the producers that took their time to share their wines and expertise, and Federica for organizing everything.  I look forward to my next Italian adventure left to be determined. 

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*This was a sponsored trip, but opinions are always my own.