You’ve probably never heard of Picolit, a native variety from the northern region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. Aquila Del Torre, owned by the Ciani family, uses it to make an organic, dry wine, Oasi, instead of the traditional sweet wine.
Their vineyards are in the northernmost corner of the Colli Orientali (Eastern Hills) region that backs up to the Julian Alps. The wine has a mountain freshness with minerality from the unusual flysch soil but a gentle roundness from aging in wood. I served it to friends, who were visiting for a lunch of prosciutto and melon.
That evening, we went to the Enoteca La Bossa,, one of my favorite spots in Camogli for platters of peace crude (raw fish).
The ideal pairing was a biodynamic metodo classico sparkling wine Haderburg “Pas Dosé” (meaning no sugar added after the second fermentation in the bottle). From the mountainous northern region of Alto Adige, the wine is made with a mix of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes: crisp, very dry, elegant champagne style wine.
