The Venica & Venica winery celebrated its 90th anniversary in Dolegna del Collio, Friuli, in 2020: the Venica family is now in its third generation, the fourth is on the starting blocks.

Gianni and Giorgio Venica look after 40 hectares of vineyards in the unique hills of Collio in the north-east of Italy - planted with the most important grape varieties of the area: from the white Tocai Friulano (the basis of Collio DOC Friulano) to Sauvignon and from Pinot Bianco to red varieties: the members of the Venica family are down-to-earth winegrowers who, despite constant research and further development, value tradition and work to ensure its preservation.
The vineyards are located on the typical Ronchi, the hills of Collio, characterised by a wide variety of microclimates. All they have in common is the subsoil, which is often dominated by 'Ponka': it is made up of layers of marl and sandstone; the sometimes rocky layers degrade slightly under the influence of atmospheric influences, creating coarse elements that lead initially to a granular soil and later to a very fine soil. This creates an ideal substrate for viticulture that gives the wines minerality and intense taste nuances.

Giorgio & Gianni Venica gathered around the stone celebrating the company's founding date: 6 February 1930.

The 'Ronco delle Mele', on the other hand, is a precise interpretation of a Friulian Sauvignon voted by critics as the best Italian white wine in 2001: the grapes grow at about 150 metres above sea level and are harvested at the beginning of September. The wine matures for five months, partly in large wood and mainly in steel, which adds to its finesse.

Ornella Venica is also particularly interested in 'Tàlis', a single-varietal Pinot Bianco: the variety has been at home in Friuli for over 150 years. The wine's name derives from the Friulian word for dandelion and is symbolic of this wine that is 'elegant both on the nose and in the mouth, a wine that is told a little at a time, like the elegance of the bearing of European women that you appreciate gradually.' (Ornella Venica). Here too, the grapes are harvested in mid-September, and 40 per cent of the wine remains in large wooden barrels for five months.

'Sustainability serves above all to preserve the biodiversity of our land'.

Ornella Venica