Varieties and winegrowing areas

Castello di Spessa wines are made from the grapes we grow on our estate, which stretches over the Collio DOC and Friuli Isonzo DOC appellations.

AN IDEAL CLIMATE FOR SUPERIOR GRAPES

Protected by the cold north-eastern winds by the Julian Prealps, and influenced by the beneficial breezes from the Adriatic Sea, the vines enjoy an ideal climate. The Sirocco winds blow from the sea, and the Bora, a cold wind that sweeps in from Russia, keep the vineyards constantly ventilated and prevent the stagnation of humidity, which allows to reduce vineyard treatments to a minimum.

THE COLLIO DOC AREA

The Collio hills have a soil, locally known as “ponca”, which consists in layers of marl and sandstone that formed over vast periods of time, rich in salts and microelements. This soil gives wines that age well, are creamy, and have an excellent backbone, with a nicely pronounced and wide bouquet.

THE ISONZO DOC AREA

The Isonzo area consists of an upper layer of red soil, rich in minerals such as iron and alluminium, on a clayey substrate that rests on a layer, about 6 metres deep, of pebbles and stones that accumulate heat during the day and release it during the night.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WINES FROM THE COLLIO AND FROM THE ISONZO

COLLIO

  • More velvety and caressing due to the marl and clay
  • More aromatic because of the altitude
  • More structured thanks to the lower yields
  • Very long-living due to the excellent structure

ISONZO

  • More minerals because of the mineral rich soil which contains iron and alluminium
  • More refreshing and dry
  • Very long-living due to the minerality
  • Red wines that are strong because of the pebbles that accumulate heat during the day and release it during the night