We are in Piè di Monte in the Pié di Mont winery, the only winery in Friuli Venezia Giulia that produces exclusively classic method sparkling wines.
The History
The winery was founded in 1983 by Paolo Rizzi but at that time he did not produce wine but planted the vine cuttings by hand on the steep hills of this area of the Collio Friulano. This activity is still in existence but with the arrival of his son Roman in the company, he began an innovative path focused on the production of classic method sparkling wines, respecting biodiversity and the territory. Roman Rizzi is so innovative that at the beginning of 2024, he entered the top 100 Italian excellences decreed by Forbes magazine.
Il Piè di Mont
It is the winery’s flagship, the sparkling wine that represents the winery, and, not surprisingly, has the name of the winery itself. The work starts from the vineyard, where Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Ribolla Gialla vines grow in the percentages that you then find in the bottle, i.e. 20% Pinot Noir, 60% Chardonnay and 20% Ribolla Gialla.
The vineyard is located on the southeast; in the morning there is a morning breeze that dries the leaves and reduces diseases. Behind the vineyard, there is a beautiful woodland owned by the winery; Roman decided to leave it intact precisely because it protects the vineyard itself. In summer when the sun sets the temperature drops by 10 degrees and this allows the aromas of the grape skins to be preserved. and to harvest the grapes in September when the grapes are ripe. The ripe fruit is fundamental not only for the quality, but also for the digestibility of the wine.
The vines in the vineyard are very dense, about 80 centimeters apart, and the bunches are not thinned but all left on the vine to ripen peacefully. The harvest is manual and the three types of grapes are picked separately, first the Pinot Noir, then the Chardonnay, and finally the Ribolla Gialla.
As regards winemaking, the three grapes are wine-made separately. During refinement, the Chardonnay undergoes a quick three-month passage in barrique, 5% of which are new. Then the formation of the cuvée is assembled and the wine is bottled. The wine rests on the yeasts for at least 33 months and after disgorgement at least another year in the cellar.
The other labels
As mentioned above, the main wine of the winery is Piè di Mont but in the years when the vine produces grapes in abundance, after assembling the cuvée, if there is any “leftover” wine, the winery produces the other labels and reserves such as the Blanc de Blanc, the Blanc de Noir, the Fifty-Fifty or even the Ribolla Gialla, all sparkling with the classic method.
A new Pinot Noir vineyard has recently been planted to produce the Blanc de Noir sparkling wine but, it will still take at least 8 years before we can taste it… for now, let’s focus ourselves on the labels you find below, they are all excellent and deserve to be tasted!
