Country: Italy  Region: Friuli-Venezia Giulia   Category: White Wine  Color:  White Producer: Specogna "The Specogna family now has 20 hectares of vineyard on the hill of Rocca Bernarda in the heart of the Colli Orientali DOC zone. Their vineyards are beautifully tended by Michele and Cristian Specogna, so the quality of the fruit they bring to the winery is impeccable. As a result, they are keen to get as much flavour as possible from the grapes. Due to the quality of the fruit, they are able to macerate the skins in the must for 18 to 24 hours prior to fermentation. This gives a Pinot Grigio that is 'ramato' (coppery) in colour and a wine that displays a remarkable intensity of flavour. For the Friulano, the grapes are very ripe before picking, to maximise fruit character. Twenty percent of the must was fermented in barrel, with lees stirring every 20 days to add complexity and mouthfeel." Winemaker: Cristiano & Michele Specogna Vineyards: "The family has 16 hectares of vineyard on the hill of Rocca Bernarda in the heart of the Colli Orientali DOC zone. Grapes for the Pinot Grigio are grown on a small vineyard at 170 metres above sea level on a north-east facing slope. The soil is marl, sandstone and clay and planting density is 4,000 vines per hectare. The vineyards were planted in 1987." Vinification: The grapes were crushed and cooled immediately to 7-8ºC. Cool maceration on the skins took place for 48 hours prior to fermentation on the skins for six days in stainless steel tanks. 80% of the wine was aged in stainless steel tanks with lees stirring every 20 days, while 20% was aged in 1,500 litre oak barrels, with lees stirring every 10 days. After eight months, the components are blended together and bottled. Tasting Notes: Soft pink colour with copper highlights, a characteristic of this varietal. It is fresh and floral on the nose, with aromas of apples, pears and elderflower. On the palate it has an apple and pineapple character with a lively, lifted finish and hints of freshly-baked bread. Food Suggestion: With spider crab, scampi or prawns, which are best steamed so that their sweet taste meets the fleshiness of the wine. It is enhanced by stewed cuttlefish, razor clams and scallops, with pasta and fish risotto in general. Closure: DIAM Cork  ABV:13%