Italian Wine Tasting Between Venice and Trieste: The Friuli Region with Rachel Erdman
Regular price $36.50 Save $-36.50
This largely undiscovered wine-producing region overlooks the stunning setting of the northern Adriatic Sea and borders Austria and Slovenia. It is home to aromatic full-bodied white wines and robust reds. Discover the outstanding wines of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region and learn what makes them special in this interactive wine tasting seminar, guided by a certified Italian sommelier.
Friuli is gaining increasing international attention for the wide variety of quality wines made from native varietals and top international grapes. We will learn how local winemakers are highly skilled at using innovative techniques in the vineyard and cellar, without overlooking the strong traditions of the area. We will discuss the geography of the region to better understand the most important wine-producing areas, including the Collio and the Colli Orientali del Friuli (C.O.F.). These areas are especially well-suited for grape growing and wine production, thanks to their location between the Carnic Alps to the north and the Adriatic Sea to the south.
The primary focus of this seminar is wine tasting, and our expert will lead a guided tasting of six different wines – three white wines and three red wines (see Recommended Wines below for the full list). Our expert will include food pairing tips with each wine. We will also discuss how to select these wines at a restaurant or wine store with confidence, and which producers are worth seeking out. There will be time for questions at the end of this live seminar.
Led by a certified Italian sommelier, Rachel Erdman, this interactive seminar will provide an in-depth look at the wines of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region. Designed to inform curiosity as well as future travels, participants will come away with an increased understanding of the most important wines of this region, their characteristics and production methods, and tips for selecting these wines.
These are the wines that we will be learning about and tasting with your expert. Most of these wines are made from native grapes of Friuli.
White Wines:
- Pinot Grigio
- Friulano (formerly known as Tocai)
- Ribolla Gialla
Red Wines:
- Schioppettino
- Merlot (look for a wine that has been aged at least 3 years)
- Pignolo
Look for Friuli wines from the Colli Orientali del Friuli (sometimes abbreviated as C.O.F.) or the Collio wine areas. Participants may want to have a selection of cheeses of varying ages, along with bread or crackers, to pair with the wines.
Rachel is a wine and food expert based in the Veneto region of Italy, her home for more than twenty-five years, and a graduate of Boston University. She received her sommelier certification in Italy in 2009 through the Associazione Italiana Sommelier. Rachel continued her studies to become a cheese taster (ONAF) a few years—and many cheeses–later. She has led wine tastings and gourmet walks for Context Travel in Venice and Padova since 2007. She co-founded www.venicedaytrips.com, which specializes in wine and food tours in northern Italy, to share her passion for Italian wine and artisanal cheese with visitors from around the globe.
This conversation is not suitable for children under age 16
90 minutes, including a 30 minute Q&A.
An excellent presentation on the wines of this region. Rachel does a great job describing the region and its wines. Highly recommend any of her seminars.
Rachel's tastings are serious learning experiences about a fun and tasty subject. I bought the tasting package and it was worth the expense to have the exact same wines as Rachel...and that they are not available in California is exactly why I wanted to taste them...as if I would if I were actually in Italy. Rachel is obviously a professional, well prepared and organized and gifted at presenting with warmth and wit.
I learned so much about the wines from Friuli and it was fun along the way!! Rachel is a great presenter!
Rachel's seminars are models of preparation, engaging delivery, and fun. She arranged with a local winery to ship six bottles for us to try together (for a reasonable price), all wines that we could not find in the U.S. from this particular winery, and the coordination put all of us in the tasting on the same page. It was a lot of fun, and the group stayed on Zoom for an extra 15 minutes just to chat!