Via Alpina Pinot Grigio 2025

The Land

Most Pinot Grigio is grown on flat, high-yield plains and tastes like it. Via Alpina comes from the Colli Orientali del Friuli, the eastern hills of Friuli on the Slovenian border, where vineyards climb rolling slopes and are often terraced. The soil is ponca, the local name for layered marl and sandstone, which breaks down into a lean, mineral ground that gives Friulian whites their structure. The Julian Alps shelter the hills from the north while the Adriatic sits to the south, and the swing between warm days and crisp nights holds acidity and aroma in the grapes. The name means "Alpine Way," a nod to the route through Friuli toward the mountains. Pinot Grigio from Friuli's hill sites is a different wine from the supermarket version, and this is a clear example.

The Wine

The Via Alpina Pinot Grigio 2025 is 100% Pinot Grigio from vines 12 to 25 years old. The grapes are destemmed and pressed gently with no skin maceration, which keeps the wine pale and clean rather than copper-tinted. It then spends eight months in stainless steel on its fine lees with regular stirring, which adds texture and a rounder mouthfeel while steel keeps the fruit fresh. The 2025 season in Friuli started with a wet May, then a very hot June, and by early July vineyards were running up to ten days ahead of normal, pointing to an early harvest. The style is pineapple, passion fruit, mango skin and honeysuckle, with a clean, focused, mineral palate and a crisp finish.

The People

Via Alpina is the everyday label of Giampaolo Venica, the fourth generation of the family behind Venica & Venica, one of Friuli's most historic estates. Giampaolo spent several harvests with Jean-Louis Chave in the northern Rhône, and that time convinced him that white wine could carry terroir with real depth. In 2020 he launched his own serious project, Dalia Maris, named for his grandmother Dalia and for Stella Maris, the north star. Via Alpina runs alongside it with a different goal: fresh, honest Friulian whites at an everyday price. He buys from small vineyards in cooler Colli Orientali sites, chosen for trustworthy growers, good vines and organic farming, and the range also includes Sauvignon Blanc and Ribolla Gialla.

Food Pairing

This is a white for real cooking, not just the porch. Try prosciutto di San Daniele with ripe melon, the salt and fat set off by the wine's tropical fruit and acidity. A shrimp and zucchini risotto finished with lemon zest meets the lees-driven texture. Pan-fried trout with brown butter, almonds and parsley works for the same reason. Or make frico, Friuli's crisp fried cheese and potato cake, and let the acidity cut through the richness. This is the bottle to open while you cook, and the one that ends up on the table when dinner is ready.