Bortoluzzi

Founded in 1982, the Bortoluzzi winery is located in Gradisca d’Isonzo, Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Family-run, the owner, Giovanni Bortoluzzi, works alongside his wife Mireide, and their three children: Alessio, sales director and winery manager, Alberto, agricultural engineer and vineyard manager, and Angela who oversees the administration and marketing side of things. The family is supported by an extremely qualified team, whose standards are every bit as high as the proprietors’.

POINTS OF DIFFERENTIATION

• Ideally located vineyards planted to gravelly, mineral-rich soils near the Isonzo River
• Vintage-to-vintage consistency across the entire range
• Estate Owned and Bottled allowing the family complete control over quality
• The vines are sheltered by mountains from the wind, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly and evenly

THE HISTORY

The Bortoluzzi estate was founded in 1982 by Giovanni Bortoluzzi who had been working in the wine industry for nearly two decades. He graduated from the Scuola Enologica di Conegliano, the top enology school in Italy at the time, and began making his own wine at just twenty years old. But after seventeen years working as a consultant and bottler for other top wineries, even becoming a “wine ambassador” for Collio and Isonzo, he branched out on his own.

Giovanni’s long experience and in-depth knowledge of the region’s appellations helped him choose ideal vineyards around the winery in Gradisca d’Isonzo and a few in Collio and Isonzo. “I recall my first harvest when the children were still quite small,” says Giovanni with a smile. “There was a real sense of satisfaction in seeing that those vines, which had been cared for so painstakingly and so long, had rewarded my efforts.”

The impression you get when visiting the winery is one of clockwork synergy and simultaneously, warmth and hospitality. The Bortoluzzi philosophy is “Wine is not just any product: in it, we find the passion, love, and dedication of the people who crafted it. The more you love wine, the easier it is to transmit your message to the consumer: sensibility is very important, as is tradition. We strive to be forward-looking to improve. At the same time, we never forget what history and experience have taught us. Most important of all, we focus on the quality and naturalness of the product, from vineyard to bottle: healthy grapes, genuine wines.”

THE TERROIR

About half of the 50 hectares of land that are being used as a vineyard surround the Bortoluzzi company, in Borgo Tintor. The rest are divided between the nearby hills and plains, in two prestigious controlled denomination of origin (Doc) wine regions: Collio and Isonzo, two of the most sought-after wine-growing areas in the region.

The Collio vineyards are ideal for growing white wine vines. The soil in these vineyards, called “Ponca”, is composed of mineral-rich marl and sandstone. The vineyards here take advantage of a unique micro-climate. Sitting at a good altitude the vines are protected from cold air currents while having excellent exposure to the sun.

In contrast, the Isonzo vineyards are located in the southeastern part of the province of Gorizia.  The vineyards run along the Isonzo River. The Isontina plain, shaped by the river, boasts primarily gravelly soil. The soil provides an abundance of minerals that lends richness, extract, lush aromas, and especially helps the varietal character of the wines to shine. The vineyards are protected from the cold northern winds that come from the Alpi Giulie. As a result, the grapes gradually ripen through the often-mild fall season.