An interview with Richard Baudains, expert wine writer and long-term resident of Friuli Venezia Giulia
Richard Baudains is originally from the Channel Islands and has lived in Friuli Venezia Giulia since the late 1980s. He is on the editorial team for the Friuli Venezia Giulia section of the Slow Wine Guide and has lectured at the Università di Scienze Gastronomiche and the Wine Scholar Guild. He is a regular columnist for Decanter magazine and a regional chair for the DWWA.
What changes have you seen in Friuli Venezia Giulia wines since you moved here in 1989?
The most radical change is in the climate. It’s become much more Mediterranean with mild winters, wet springs and hot summers. Recent years have seen more extreme weather events than ever before. Hail damage has increased, there are higher summer temperature peaks and in the last four years long periods of drought alternated with incessant rain. Red wines in general have benefited to a certain extent from the climate change, but with summers that send alcohol shooting up and acidity plummeting, many producers are asking themselves whether the traditional hillside sites are still the best places to grow white grapes. Another big change has been in the varieties that the region grows. Friulano used to dominate in the Collio and the Colli Orientali, but it is losing ground in the former and just about holding on in the latter. In the quality triangle of the Collio, Collio Orientali and Upper Isonzo, Pinot Grigio has become by far the most planted grape. There has been a surge in planting of Ribolla in the hills in recent years and Glera has completely taken over the plains in the west of the region.
Have Friuli Venezia Giulia’s wine producers showed any signs of following recent world trends with a move towards lower alcohol contents and sparkling wines?
Friuli’s natural vocation is for rich full-bodied whites, but it is a style which is losing market appeal and so yes, producers are aiming for lighter wines. This is one of reasons for the popularity of Ribolla, which is naturally low in alcohol and high in acidity and can be made into bubbles. For other varieties, getting alcohol levels down is a battle against climate change, which is forcing producers to pick early, at the expense of full aromatic development.
The international popularity of skin-contact whites – the orange wines that some of the region’s wineries are famous for – has waned in Europe at least. Will there still be a place for them in the future do you think?
Yes, definitely. Orange wines are not a fashion here in Friuli Venezia Giulia, they have a long tradition. If you speak to producers on the Carso they will tell you that they’ve always macerated their white wines. It is a niche market but good wines will always be in demand, and the producers themselves are very much committed. And the wines have improved a lot. They are so much better, so much cleaner, than even a few years ago.
The Friuli Venezia Giulia region is seeing a surge in tourism in general. Is this reflected in wine tourism and are the wineries ready to welcome more visitors?
No, not really. Although some wineries do have accommodation, and cater for tourists, Friuli is a region of predominantly small scale family wineries, and they’re not geared up for wine tourism. Unless you book a visit, you won’t always find someone for a tasting or to buy wine at the cellar. Having said that, if a producer is available, they’ll be extremely hospitable. But let’s say we’re never going to run the risk of overtourism!
How do you perceive the future for the wine scene in Friuli Venezia Giulia?
The wine industry is heading in two different directions: on one hand the exponential growth of Prosecco DOC production on the plains, and on the other the small-scale artisan wineries of the Collio, Colli Orientali, Carso and Isonzo – two diverse trends with nothing in common. My hope is that the reputation of the region will continue to lie with the latter.
And lastly, which of Friuli Venezia Giulia’s varieties or styles do you think deserves to be better known than it is?
One is certainly Picolit. There are only about 40ha left for this exquisite sweet (and in rare cases also dry) wine. Another is Pignolo, a difficult variety to work because it needs very long barrel ageing, but a great red wine. Schioppettino is making a come back. It’s a more contemporary wine and one that deserves to be better known. Then there is Pinot Bianco, a beautiful grape which grows magnificently in Friuli. If only more producers believed in it! And finally Collio Bianco da Uve Autoctone, from the traditional blend of Friulano, Malvasia and Ribolla Gialla. This could be the focus wine of the future in the Collio. Time will tell!
