2022 Tiare Pinot Grigio Collio 750 ml

Friuli, the Northern Italian region edged between the Alps and the Adriatic sea, produces some of the “most complex and full-bodied whites to be found anywhere in the world,” according to Vino Italiano authors David Lynch and Joseph Bastianich.

Collio is Friuli’s most dramatic sub-zone, and if you were going to design an ideal growing region for dramatic white wine, you’d end up with something a lot like it. The rolling region is nestled at the base of the Julian Alps, and named for the Italian word for hills. Those hills are warmed every morning with warm air that spills inland from the nearby Adriatic sea, and then cooled every evening with cold air coming off the mountains.

Plus, Collio is blessed with unique ponca soils, made up of a mixture of marl and sandstone. The high-pH soil helps preserve vibrant acidity and brightness in the wines that come from it. This allows winegrowers like Tiare to allow their grapes to ripen fully, confident that their richness and power will be balanced by electric freshness and drive.

Tiare is one of Collio's most decorated producers: They’ve won TEN Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri awards, Italy’s highest wine honor. They sit in the Dolegna commune, which is the coolest part of Collio, perfect for retaining freshness and aromatic intrigue in Pinot Grigio. Winemaker Roberto Snidarcig preserves that by vinifying and aging the wines entirely in stainless steel. 

The result is a wine that competes with the category’s absolute best at a price that encourages second, third, and fourth glasses.