Mitja Sirk Bianco 2024
We have 9 in stock (Inventory is live and accurate)
The Land
Cormons lies one mile from the Slovenian border, in the horseshoe-shaped hills of Collio that make up the most distinctive white wine territory in northeastern Italy. The same ridge of ponca hills continues into Slovenia as Brda, divided by a border that moved twice in the 20th century but never disrupted the continuity of grape and soil. Ponca is Collio's characteristic material: compressed layers of sandstone and marl that crumble at the surface, mixing with clay and organic matter to create a growing environment of unusual minerality and drainage. The Mitja Sirk vineyards sit on these slopes at 100 to 300 meters elevation. Mediterranean warmth from the Adriatic and alpine cold from the Julian Alps to the north meet here, extending the growing season and keeping natural acidity in the grapes even in warm years.
The Wine
100% Friulano — once called Tocai Friulano until a Hungarian legal challenge forced the name change — cold-soaked overnight, then fermented in stainless steel with native and near-native yeasts. Long aging on fine lees with light batonnage; one filtration at bottling; no oak, no skin contact. Mitja describes the goal as "very clear and direct": the grape's almond, white peach, and fresh herb aromatics given full expression against the mineral backbone that ponca soils reliably deliver. Medium-bodied, with noticeable texture from the lees work, a characteristic bitter finish that is the Friulano signature, and a persistent mineral pull on the close. Vines range from 20 to 70 years old, trellised in the local doppio capovolto (double arch cane) style traditional to the region.
The People
Mitja Sirk is the son of Josko Sirk, who runs La Subida; the family's Michelin-starred agriturismo in Cormons, one of Friuli's most respected culinary destinations, founded in 1959 and built over decades into a resort anchored by the one-star Trattoria Al Cacciatore. Mitja's winemaking story starts at age 11, when Josko Gravner gave him a clay amphora and some grapes. He later staged at Dujac, Giacomo Conterno, and J.F. Roulot before restarting wine production from the family's own vineyards in 2016 with parcels that cousins had farmed for 30 years while Josko focused on the restaurant. The project is entirely focused on Friulano, farmed without pesticides or herbicides.
Food Pairing
The mineral bite and lees-driven texture of Friulano make it one of the more food-specific whites around. Sautéed sole with brown butter and capers, crab linguine, a simple fritto misto with lemon. It also works alongside fresh cow's milk cheeses — bufala or a soft robiola — and the bitter finish and mineral spine make it a natural aperitivo. Enough body to carry a whole meal, focused enough to start one.
We ship wine to most states with a $100 minimum order for shipping. We don't ship spirits nor beer.
Weather shipping advisory: Orders placed during times of extreme heat or extreme cold will be held for no charge until more favorable weather returns.
Friulano is a native white grape of northeastern Italy, especially tied to Friuli-Venezia Giulia, where it’s been grown for centuries under various names. Once called Tocai Friulano, it was renamed after a legal dispute with Hungary over Tokaji. The grape thrives in the region’s marl and sandstone soils, producing wines with notes of almond, pear, and fresh herbs, often with a gentle, bitter finish. Depending on site and winemaking, Friulano can range from crisp and lean to broader, more full-bodied styles with texture and depth.
