In this area, wine has played an important role since ancient times thanks to a favorable environment for growing grapes.
The region is characterized by some of the best wines in Italy, especially white ones.
The white grapes production is in effect around 70%, while red is the 30%, such as Terrano from Trieste Karst, the Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso and the Schioppettino, which are all native grape varieties.
The wine production of Friuli-Venezia Giulia is divided into 15 different areas: 3 DOCG (Picolit, Ramandolo and Rosazzo), 9 DOC (Collio, Carso, Friuli Colli Orientali, Friuli Isonzo, Friuli Grave, Friuli Aquileia, Friuli Latisana, Friuli Annia and Lison Pramaggiore) and 3 IGTs (Venezia Giulia, Delle Venezie and Alto Livenza).
Europalace Hotel, BW Signature Collection is located a few minutes drive from five of these areas, easily identifiable in two macro-areas: the Collio and the Carso, with their own Wine Routes.
The Collio (Cuei in Friulian, Brda in Slovenian) is a hilly border land, divided between the provinces of Gorizia and Nova Gorica (Slovenia), cultivated with vines, surrounded by woods, small villages, castles and churches.
Here you will find the fine white wines from Friuli: Pinot, Sauvignon, Friulano (until 2007 called Tocai), a DOC blend of Collio Bianco and the famous Ribolla Gialla, which in recent years had also an exploit with the sparkling version .
There are many renowned wineries, from Livio Felluga to Jerman, Venica or Russiz Superiore just to name a few. Often the wineries in the area have small restaurants inside, offering genuine and local food, as well as the direct sale of their wines.
The Karst (Carso in Italia, Kras in Slovenian or Croatian), unlike the Collio, is a rocky and limestone plateau that extends between the provinces of Gorizia and Trieste and crosses the Slovenian and the Croatian borders.
Its wines are characterized by their minerality, due to the calcareous groud of the Karst and its red and ferrous soil. On the Karst, in addition to the famous wineries such as Zidarich, Skerk, Kante, Lupinc or Gravner with its vinification in amphora, you can find the Osmize.
The Osmize are "taverns" created in private houses where you can taste wines and typical products such as cured meats and cheeses. Since the beginning of the last century they have been marked along the road with branches showing their direction.
A tradition of 1784, at the time of Emperor Joseph II of Habsburg-Lorraine, allowed the farmers to sell their wines and home made food for a maximum of 8 days. The Slovenian word "osem" means precisely eight. Now the openings are more frequent and prolonged, always in rotation, but for a couple of weeks each.
In the Karst wineries and Osmize there are mainly native wines, Malvasia, Vitovska and Terrano.
Starting from Europalace Hotel, BW Signature Collection, you can therefore taste and buy quality wines and eat local foods, but above all explore two of the most evocative areas of our Region.
Our staff advise you about the most suitable route and suggest you the best restaurants and the most prestigious wineries in our area.