Join us this Saturday as we host Tamara Podversic from Friuli for a special tasting showcasing the region’s unique and expressive wines.
Saturday 15th March
2.00pm-5.00pm
Open on the day:
2.00pm-5.00pm
Open on the day:
'21 Pinot Grigio DOC Collio $128
'20 ‘Nekaj’ Friulano DOC Collio $128
20 Malvasia DOC Collio $128
'22 Fiegl Ribolla Gialla Macerata IGT Friuli-Venezia-Giulia $52
'20 Ribolla Gialla DOC Collio $128
'20 ‘Kaplja’ Bianco DOC Collio Chardonnay/Friulano/Malvasia $128
'20 ‘Prelit’ Rosso DOC Collio Merlot/Cabernet $128
'20 ‘Nekaj’ Friulano DOC Collio $128
20 Malvasia DOC Collio $128
'22 Fiegl Ribolla Gialla Macerata IGT Friuli-Venezia-Giulia $52
'20 Ribolla Gialla DOC Collio $128
'20 ‘Kaplja’ Bianco DOC Collio Chardonnay/Friulano/Malvasia $128
'20 ‘Prelit’ Rosso DOC Collio Merlot/Cabernet $128
Enjoy 10% discount when you purchase any three bottles on the day.
Hosted by Tamara Podversic, and free of charge.
Friuli
Friuli-Venezia Giulia is a fascinating region in northeastern Italy, bordering Austria and Slovenia, where diverse cultural influences have shaped its history and winemaking traditions. Positioned at the crossroads of Latin, Germanic, and Slavic cultures, the region has been a contested territory for centuries, with shifting borders and influences from the Roman Empire, the Republic of Venice, and the Habsburg monarchy. Its capital, Trieste, one of Europe’s key commercial ports, only became part of Italy in 1954 after years of disputes.
The landscape is marked by rolling hills and alpine foothills, where vineyards thrive in a unique climate influenced by the cool mountain air from the Alps and warm currents from the Adriatic Sea. Friuli is one of Italy’s wettest regions, receiving over 1,000 millimeters of rainfall annually, but its well-draining soils, including the prized ponca, help sustain high-quality viticulture. The region is renowned for its white wines, which make up the majority of production, and for its ability to cultivate both international grape varieties and rare native ones.
In the 1960s, new winemaking techniques modernized production, introducing stainless-steel fermentation and a focus on freshness and purity of fruit. Later, the region also became known for reviving ancient winemaking traditions, including extended skin-contact fermentation, which led to its reputation as a pioneer in orange wines. Vineyards in Friuli are spread across varied terroirs, from the cooler, rainier areas near the Alps to the warmer, drier plains closer to the coast.
Several designated wine regions within Friuli each have their own identity, with hillsides producing elegant and structured wines, while lower-lying areas contribute more fruit-forward expressions.
Friuli’s white wines are celebrated for their crisp acidity, floral aromatics, and mineral-driven profiles, while its reds, though less dominant, range from fresh and lively to structured and age-worthy.
Throughout its history, Friuli has demonstrated a commitment to preserving indigenous grape varieties, ensuring that local traditions remain alive alongside modern innovations. Vineyards in certain areas were once split by political borders, but today, winemaking continues on both sides, reflecting the region’s deep connection to its land and heritage. Its diverse soils, ranging from gravelly riverbeds to rich clay and limestone, contribute to the complexity of its wines. Friuli’s geographical diversity, combined with its blend of ancient and contemporary winemaking practices, has solidified its reputation as one of Italy’s most exciting wine regions.
Damijan & Tamara Podversic
Damijan Podversic is a legendary name in the natural wine movement worldwide, and those familiar with these wines have been lucky enough to experience their electricity and purity. These cuvees of indigenous Friulian grapes express the incredible time dedicated to fruit development in the field as well as flavour evolution in the cellar. The wines are fermented on skins with natural yeasts for at least 60 days, never bottled or released until they’ve had ample time to develop.
More than just a quaffable drop, Damijan Podversic’s wines are for the pensive drinker, those that seek an experience in a glass, or as he refers to these wines, “poetry”.
In Oslavia, in the far eastern corner of Collio, Damijan was exposed to winemaking from an early age as his father produced wine for the family tavern. However, the two separated ways when Damijan decided to make his own wine, intentionally focusing on small production, high quality wines of “greatness”, rather than volume.
He recovered and enhanced old abandoned vineyards on Monte Calvario, an area that he noticed could be particularly suited to viticulture, at an altitude 110-140 meters above sea level with a southern exposure. He cleared the land, rebuilt terraces, and replanted vines. These first small plots of land are part of the now 10 hectares of densely planted vineyards the company harvests from today. They are farmed organically on the ponca soils — a mixture of marl and sandstone — unique to Gorizia.
Damijan was influenced from several greats in the natural winemaking world, learning a lot from his time under the great Friulian producer Josko Gravner. Like Gravner, his relationship with nature deeply defines the uniqueness of his wines and he has passed along this passion to his daughter. Tamara now thoroughly heads production, under Damijan’s close watch.
In Oslavia, in the far eastern corner of Collio, Damijan was exposed to winemaking from an early age as his father produced wine for the family tavern. However, the two separated ways when Damijan decided to make his own wine, intentionally focusing on small production, high quality wines of “greatness”, rather than volume.
He recovered and enhanced old abandoned vineyards on Monte Calvario, an area that he noticed could be particularly suited to viticulture, at an altitude 110-140 meters above sea level with a southern exposure. He cleared the land, rebuilt terraces, and replanted vines. These first small plots of land are part of the now 10 hectares of densely planted vineyards the company harvests from today. They are farmed organically on the ponca soils — a mixture of marl and sandstone — unique to Gorizia.
Damijan was influenced from several greats in the natural winemaking world, learning a lot from his time under the great Friulian producer Josko Gravner. Like Gravner, his relationship with nature deeply defines the uniqueness of his wines and he has passed along this passion to his daughter. Tamara now thoroughly heads production, under Damijan’s close watch.
The family works primarily with grapes indigenous to the Friulian area, including Ribolla Gialla, Friulano, and Malvasia Istriana. Their wines are fermented on skins with natural yeasts in large neutral oak, never bottled or released until they’ve had ample time to develop. The harvest is painstaking, the aging thorough, the volumes limited, but the unique, quality results are worth it.
Tamara Podversic now leads the small-production winery, continuing the legacy that her father, Damijan, built as a benchmark producer of skin contact and Friulian wines. She works fervently with biodynamic viticulture in their family-run vineyards in Collio, Friulia-Venezia Giulia. Tamara’s breadth of experience — from her time working extensively with her father in the cellar, a year winemaking abroad in Burgundy, and her studies in engineering economics — has helped her develop as a key member of the next generation of Friulian winemakers.
The Wines
”The new releases from Damijan Podversic are as compelling as ever, yet with the 2020s, patience is recommended. This warm vintage cooled off closer to harvest, resulting in a small amount of botrytis, around 20%. As a result, the wines have more of a slender and vertical feel, yet that’s not to say they lack depth. Instead, they are long-distance runners.” - Eric Guido, Vinous
2021 Pinot Grigio DOC Collio
Variety: Pinot Grigio
Soil type: Ponca - Opoka Sandstone/Marl
Vineyards: Monte Calvario Vineyard (since 2003); 110/140 m a.s.l., east-facing
Soil type: Ponca - Opoka Sandstone/Marl
Vineyards: Monte Calvario Vineyard (since 2003); 110/140 m a.s.l., east-facing
Vinification: The maceration begin in big barrels of oak for 30 days. Finished the fermentation it gets aged in 5 hl barrels for 2 years and rest for 1 year in the bottles. 0% Botrytis.
Tasting Notes: “A gorgeous platinum pink with orange hues, the 2021 Pinot Grigio is exotic with a spiced grapefruit, tangerine, incense and hints of sweet smoke that add lovely balance. This soothes with its juicy acidity and soft textures as ripe orchard fruits and melon tones swirl and candied ginger notes slowly saturate…” - Eric Guido, Vinous
2020 Friulano Nekaj DOC Collio
Variety: Friulano
Soil type: Ponca - Opoka Sandstone/Marl
Vineyards: Gradiscutta since 1991,
Monte Calvario since 2003; 110/140 m a.s.l., south, south-west facing
Soil type: Ponca - Opoka Sandstone/Marl
Vineyards: Gradiscutta since 1991,
Monte Calvario since 2003; 110/140 m a.s.l., south, south-west facing
Vinification: The maceration begin in big barrels of oak for 60 to 90 days. Following fermentation it gets aged in 20 or 30 hl barrels for 3 years and rests for 1 year in bottle.
Tasting Notes: “The 2020 Nekaj is savory and perfumed with a delicate bouquet of dried flowers and ginger-tinged pears. Luxuriously round, nearly oil in feel…it finishes remarkably clean yet long and spicy with a pleasantly bitter tinge…”
- Eric Guido, Vinous
2020 Bianco Kaplja DOC Collio
- Eric Guido, Vinous
2020 Bianco Kaplja DOC Collio
Variety: Chardonnay, Malvasia, Friulano
Soil type: Ponca – Opoka Sandstone/Marl
Vineyards: Gradiscutta since 1991,
Monte Calvario since 2003, Piedimonte since 2008, San Floriano since 1993; 110/140 m a.s.l., south, south-west facing
Soil type: Ponca – Opoka Sandstone/Marl
Vineyards: Gradiscutta since 1991,
Monte Calvario since 2003, Piedimonte since 2008, San Floriano since 1993; 110/140 m a.s.l., south, south-west facing
Vinification: The maceration begins in large barrels of oak for 60 to 90 days. Following fermentation it ages in 20 or 30 hl barrels for 3 years and rest for 1 year in bottle.
Tasting Notes: “…it lifts from the glass with a nuanced blend of dried flowers, incense, and lemon zest. This is texturally thrilling and soothing, enveloping the palate with ripe orchard fruits and savory herbal tones that resonate throughout…ending with a spicy ginger hint.”
- Eric Guido, Vinous
- Eric Guido, Vinous
2020 Malvasia Istriana DOC Collio
Variety: Malvasia
Soil type: Ponca - Opoka Sandstone/Marl
Vineyards: Gradiscutta since 1991,
Monte Calvario since 2003; 110/140 m a.s.l., south, south-west facing
Soil type: Ponca - Opoka Sandstone/Marl
Vineyards: Gradiscutta since 1991,
Monte Calvario since 2003; 110/140 m a.s.l., south, south-west facing
Vinification: The maceration begins in large barrels of oak for 60 to 90 days. Following fermentation it ages in 20 or 30 hl barrels for 3 years and rest for 1 year in bottle.
Tasting Notes: “Sweetly floral and understated, with a dusty blend of young peach and pear lifted by mint and crushed stone. This is round and supple with ripe orchard fruits and fresh acidity. Saline minerals add a more tactile feel toward the close…”
- Eric Guido, Vinous
- Eric Guido, Vinous
2020 Ribolla Gialla DOC Collio
Variety: Ribolla Gialla
Soil type: Ponca - Opoka Sandstone/Marl
Vineyards: Monte Calvario (since 1994, 2002, 2004); 140/180 m a.s.l., south-facing
Variety: Ribolla Gialla
Soil type: Ponca - Opoka Sandstone/Marl
Vineyards: Monte Calvario (since 1994, 2002, 2004); 140/180 m a.s.l., south-facing
Vinification: The maceration begin in big barrels of oak for 60 to 90 days. Following fermentation it gets aged in 20 or 30 hl barrels for 3 years and rests for 1 year in bottle.
Tasting Notes: “Entices with a pretty air of white flowers, chalk dust, and freshly sliced nectarines. This sweeps across the palate with sleek textures and mineral-intense orchard fruit, taking on an almost crunchy sensation as a lemon-rind tartness setlltes in. …a refined interpretation of Damijan’s Ribolla that I could sit with for hours watching it slowly unwind.” - Eric Guido, Vinous
2020 Rosso Prelit DOC Collio
Variety: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon
Soil type: Ponca - Opoka Sandstone/Marl
Vineyards: Monte Calvario since 1994, Piedimonte since 1967; 110/140 m a.s.l., south-facing
Variety: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon
Soil type: Ponca - Opoka Sandstone/Marl
Vineyards: Monte Calvario since 1994, Piedimonte since 1967; 110/140 m a.s.l., south-facing
Vinification: The maceration begin in big barrels of oak for 40 days. Following fermentation it gets aged in 20 or 30 hl barrels for 3 years and rests for 1 year in bottle.
Tasting Notes: “Decidedly savory with a dusty bouquet that blends rose petals with steeped plums, sage and a lifting hint of pine. Silky yet racy in style, this flows across the palate with a wave of tart wild berry fruits and zesty acidity. …the experience remains fresh as salted licorice and dried blueberry notes taper off…”
- Eric Guido, Vinous
- Eric Guido, Vinous
