One of Italy's least known but most intriquing dessert wines come from Friuli.
Verduzzo di Ramandolo, a sweet wine, is quite unique for a number of reasons: the zone of Ramandolo is in Friuli's only DOCG (denominazione di origine controllata e garantita) area. The grape variety used in the wine is verduzzo giallo, a variety not grown anywhere else in the world other than in the north-eastern part of Italy. In fact, Friuli has eight unique grape varietals.
The area for Ramandolo wine is small consisting of about 60 hectares. Many of the vineyards are situated on the slopes which form an amphitheatre above the town of Nimis. Many of the vineyards are too steep to be worked by machine. Verduzzo giallo has acclimatised itself to the area, the most northern part of Friuli Venezia Giulia, and no wine is made further north than this in the eastern part of Italy.
Some of the best producers of Verduzzo di Ramandolo are:
Amazing with crusty desserts W il Verduzzo di Ramandolo!