Wine Bars & Restaurants on the Collio for Those Who Love Wine

The Collio is a wine-growing area of great interest. In the last decade, moreover, the tourist and gastronomic offering has also developed a lot. Goodness, especially the former: as often happens, the wide spaces of the countryside have offered many operators, often engaged also and primarily in the production of wines, the opportunity to have three or four rooms in splendid locations with which to attract guests interested in “slow” experiences.

Some of these operators have splendid intentions and turn out to be authentic (like the Picech family), others have banged a swimming pool in the middle of the vineyards, furnished a few rooms in a contemporary and anonymous way and there you go, the facility is done. This development of the Collio makes me a bit sorry. However, it is the sign of the times, good for them if they’re happy.

Where the Collio struggles to offer good alternatives, in my view, is at the level of restaurants and venues where one goes yes to eat something, but also to taste good wines. For me, as a consumer, this is a bit of an obsession: I want places where I can go discover local wines by the glass, without having to commit to a single bottle, favoring the horizontal exploration of the wine offering. Operations of this type, from the commercial point of view, are probably not simple to make profitable; for this reason I point out four that do it well.

Enoteca di Cormons

The Enoteca di Cormons is the alpha of any exploration of the Collio and has already been featured on this blog. When you arrive in Collio, you have to stop here. Very easy to reach, it is managed by the Cormons members of the Consorzio Collio (including Picech), so it focuses only on a well-localized slice of local production.

A little practical information before going on. The Enoteca di Cormòns is open from 11:00 to 21:00 and closed on Tuesdays. The address is Piazza XXIV Maggio 21, inside Palazzo Locatelli, and the phone number is +39 0481 630371. Hours run longer in summer and change on public holidays, so it is always worth checking before getting in the car.

Excellent for those: arriving in the Collio.

The story of the Enoteca di Cormòns, from 2016 to today

The first time I set foot in the Cormons wine shop, in 2016, I found more of a village bar than a sublime door onto the Collio. And I loved it. The big names of Cormons were there, in the bottle and in the flesh. Vosca senior telling you about his poems in Friulian, Dario Raccaro turning up all noise and mess on his little scooter, Sandro Princic sly and quiet, with his knack for being in the middle of everything while never saying a word. With no real wine list, the staff were free to pour whatever was open, and more often than not you drank Princic, Toros, Raccaro, Picech.

The look, as I said, was dated, more Friulian osteria than wine tourism – not that the “foresti” (the non-locals) were missing, quite the opposite, though perhaps they had few classic reference points in their experience. The staff’s passion made up for it: I have written this before, but the Enoteca runs on a matriarchy, and perhaps that is exactly why it never lacked a convivial atmosphere or good ideas, like the half-glass tastings marked with coloured clothes pegs. Small things, but lovely ones.

We liked the Enoteca so much that my wife and I held a small party there on our wedding day.

Then came the Revolution and the temporary Exile to a sad stopgap venue I have already described, a hiatus caused by the building work inside the enoteca.

Out of the chrysalis came a modern place, very beautiful (apart from the hideous screen installed near the back of the room), with an entirely contemporary and thoroughly pleasant look. In short, my eye likes it. The spirit, though, has shifted a little, and the Enoteca now seems almost to be at the service of wine tourism, as is perhaps only natural, rather than an ecosystem in its own right. The impromptu bottles are gone, replaced by a fairly rigid wine list that I have not seen change often: evidently, when print replaces the blackboard and the “let me show you what I have got open”, the penalty is having to keep those bottles available at all times, which, with all due respect to the producers who are on it, highlights the big names that are absent more than the ones that are there. The Enomatic has appeared, a genuinely splendid addition, especially if the wines rotate regularly – the one flaw is the rigid and unfair system whereby any credit left on the prepaid card cannot be refunded, small sums but annoying to lose precisely because they are taken by default. Some of the matriarchs are no longer there; those who have stayed have passion and a great deal of expertise, plus a real determination to make the Enoteca work.

I see no significant problems, especially for the casual visitor who wants to see what people mean when they talk about the wines of the Collio, Cormons side. If anything it is an upgrade (and note, the prices are always spot on, then as now) in a town that is certainly not being abused by tourism and is in fact often, and splendidly, empty. Long live the new Enoteca!

And yet…

And yet I miss watching the person behind the counter rummage among the bottles when you ask which Friulanos are open today. I miss playing briscola on a rough table like the ones in every village in Friuli, while drinking wines I could not find anywhere else in the world. And I miss that mad, wonderful village crowd that sat down in the evening, pushing a few of the outdoor tables together, and drank as a group: the grower, the optician, the drifter, the pensioner – a boozy Spoon River that was worth the visit on its own because it was profoundly authentic. A social terroir, which gave the wines a layer nothing else could.

But these are nostalgic complaints. If I walked into the Enoteca today for the first time, I would probably fall in love all over again. Who knows.

The typical wines of Cormòns

If you are wondering what the typical wine of Cormòns is, the answer is Friulano, the grape that was called Tocai until 2007 and had to change its name after the dispute with Hungary over Tokaj. In the Enoteca it is every producer’s test piece: deep straw yellow, full body, restrained acidity and that bitter almond on the finish that gives it away.

Alongside Friulano, the typical wines of Cormòns are three more whites: Ribolla Gialla, Malvasia Istriana and Collio Bianco, a blend of the three native grapes. Then come the international varieties brought here in the nineteenth century and long since at home, Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco and Chardonnay. Reds are a minority: mostly Merlot and Cabernet Franc, less often Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso and Pignolo.

What holds all these wines together is the ponca, the layered marl and sandstone that forms the hills around the town and crumbles between your fingers. It is what gives the whites of Cormòns their characteristic acid backbone and savouriness.

The Sauvignon of Cormòns

The Sauvignon of Cormòns is a dry still white made from Sauvignon Blanc, almost always within the Collio DOC, with alcohol settling between 13 and 13.5 degrees. Compared with the Loire or New Zealand it pushes less on aggressive green notes and more on ripe yellow fruit, elderflower and sage, with a broad body and a salty finish that comes from the ponca. It is not a fixed rule though: the Franco Toros Sauvignon I drank at the Enoteca goes the other way, all gooseberry and tomato leaf, and you will find it described below.

What I drank at the Enoteca di Cormòns

These are the wines from my last visit, in the order I tasted them. The verdict in brackets runs from fair to exceptional.

• Collio Bianco by Magnàs (good): A big nose of petrol, lemon pith and dried herbs. The body is not there. A balloon that bursts, leaving behind a splendid trail of bitter almond. A shame about the fruit concentration.
• Malvasia by Tenuta Baron del Mestri (fair): A full pâtisserie nose: tarte au citron, apricot skin, honey. It promises a great deal, but the body is flat and monotonous. It feels like a yellow wave picked up only at high frequency. In short: incomplete. Good acidity wrapped in fruit that drips off the tongue at the end of the sip.
• Sauvignon Blanc by Franco Toros (good): Very Sauvignon, not much Collio. Gooseberry, tomato leaf and dill recall Styria or New Zealand. The palate confirms the nose and finds again the splendid fruit concentration and material density of Toros. A precise direction, with a balloon-like acidity beautifully integrated. It is a green ball inflated to perfection.
• Pinot Bianco by Franco Toros (excellent): What a masterpiece. A nose of melted butter, cream and crisp bread crust. Wonderfully elegant fruit and a densely woven body carry the juicy palate. Slightly saline, it shouts while staying in perfect balance. Among the best Pinot Biancos.
• Fuart 2021 by Subida di Monte (excellent): A deep, ambitious Friulano that shows elegant oak toast, yellow flowers and plums, very intense, fuart (“strong”, in dialect), indeed. Full-bodied and dense, held up by fine acidity and a slightly balsamic finish, with no shortcuts. Long and satisfying. A well that draws from as deep as Friulano can reach.
• Abbazia di Rosazzo 2021 by Livio Felluga (good): Extremely elegant, but too much elegance can kill you. The aromas are not especially precise, though they recall dried flowers, bread crust and dehydrated apple. A soft body, like an old yellowed cushion, but with no grip. Perhaps it needs revisiting in another context.
• Andritz Bianco by Sturm (very good): I do not love natural, musty wines, but this one has its dignity. It is alive in its overripe notes, plums well past their best, mushrooms and, yes, mould. The body kicks at the palate, where the overripe white fruit still seems to need settling. A persistent, intrusive finish. A difficult character.
• Merlot Riserva 2020 by Franco Toros (very good): The price is insane, but the wine is there, at least up to a point. The aromas are not especially playful, with a nose recalling dusty gravel (a Friulian Bolgheri?), dried blueberries and withered blackberries. Excellent body, taut and austere. A finish with notes of bark. Through all of this the tannins are splendidly handled. A gravel road that goes a long way.
• Re Franc Rosso 2017 by Vosca (good): A red of good quality, red berry fruit on the nose, light leather notes. A riserva that stays playful and balanced, without much identity but perfectly at home at the table.
• Plagnis 2021 by Renzo Sgubin (very good): So much blood and so much iron. A blade dripping blood. The palate is wild and confirms the raw, rough notes of the nose. The finish is in line. Fascinating.
• Zegla 2019 by Blazic (fair): Of little interest, with notes of pear and white and yellow fruit that are very poorly defined. A flat body.
• Zegla Friulano Riserva 2019 by Renato Keber (good): Better than the Blazic. Here the nose is tropical fruit, almost pineapple, fleshy yellow fruit, passion fruit. A dense, soft, resolved body. A golden magma that shows all the less visited shades of Friulano and the terroir it comes from.
• Ruben Riserva by Roberto Picech (good): A blob with dark outlines, but not very dense inside. Dried dates, sultanas and walnuts give the nose its display. Then the warm, tannic, peppery body seems a little switched off and the finish is ethereal. I will have to see it again.
• La Veronica by Paolo Caccese (exceptional): The best of the day. A nose of sugared hazelnuts and salted hazelnuts. Little pastries and preserved apricots. Nothing heavy or cloying. The body is a dancer too, sweet of course, but always ethereal, held up by a brilliant acidity. It lingers for a long time, unexpectedly saline. What a find!

Vinoteka Brda

I don’t know if this wine shop in Smartno, on the Slovenian side of the border, is managed by those who were in the past behind the counter of a wine shop with the same name (of which I have excellent memories) in Dobrovo. In any case, it is an interesting stop. First of all, because to reach it you have to drive along some of the most scenic roads of the Collio.

Moreover, what is often missing in Brda (the Slovenian name for Collio) is precisely the by-the-glass offer. Not here: Vinoteka Brda is an excellent place to get to know the wines of Slovenian producers, and the range is impressive, going from entry-level to mid-high-range bottles. It’s clear that whoever curates this selection knows the local producers and has secured a truly enviable wine list — producers like Scurek Winery, one of the Slovenian producers whose bottles turn up on this side of the border.

The prices reflect those of the bottles: Brda is generally more expensive than its Italian counterpart, but also offers fewer low-level wines. The reviews you find online are rather merciless about another aspect: the courtesy of the staff. It’s true that the host I met was not at all kind, little collaborative, and decidedly gruff. If it weren’t for all those beautiful wines, he would just be an irritating character.

I also suspect, having lived in the area, that the problem might be Italian-speaking customers, not always loved by Slovenians. In any case, the glasses used for service are appropriate and the view is delightful; moreover, Smartno is a lovely little town where it’s relaxing to take a walk. Vinoteka Brda is a nice addition to the range of local options.

Excellent for those: who want to better get to know the wines of Brda while also enjoying a nice drive.

And the wine shops end here. Incredible to say, but the “pure” wine shops of Collio are already over. So I’ll mention two restaurants that offer a lot to us wine enthusiasts.

Vino@Modana

The first restaurant is located in Medana, in Brda. This small village has at least two reasons to be visited: the great meat feasts at Domacija Belica and the wine (accompanied by fish) at Vino@Modana. The food in this latter restaurant is very good (the mussels alla busara are outstanding), but wine is the real reason to go there.

It’s understandable: the manager is the husband of the owner of the Šibav winery, but the offer—even by the glass—does not stop at the “family” bottles. The selection is not huge, but interesting, and hats off to restaurateurs who, besides the wine and the price, also include the producer on the chalkboard: those who don’t are not serious about wine. The restaurant is not flashy, but well kept, and is generally a good option for a break between one winery and another (it’s open all day, so you can always find something to eat) in what might otherwise become an overly alcoholic tour of the area.

Excellent for those: who want to take a break from wine with more wine, and love fish.

Locanda Orologio

The other restaurant is located in Brazzano, near Cormons, on the main road leading to Corno di Rosazzo and Prepotto. The food has never particularly thrilled me, but the owner is a great wine enthusiast. It’s worth stopping and asking if it’s possible to have a small tasting: you won’t be disappointed.

The bottles are often from big names and can also be purchased to take away, so yes, you could almost say it’s a wine bar. I have very positive memories of a tasting that ended with a Terre Alte by Livio Felluga and many anecdotes about local characters. The restaurant is not in a particularly charming location, but the inner courtyard is used to its fullest. As said, a restaurant for wine lovers.

Excellent for those: who want to eat well and drink even better, also with by-the-glass tastings.

So, these are the main options for those looking for good places to drink wines, even by the glass, in the Collio. And now, the guidebook for those visiting Collio.

The 10 Rules for a Visit to the Collio

1. Beware of wine bars or restaurants that are an offshoot of a producer. Sure, the wines may also be good (like those of Collavini at Osteria della Ribolla), but they remain the expression of a single winery. A bit limiting, don’t you think?
2. Every proper tour begins, ends, or passes through (or all three) the Enoteca di Cormons.
3. Often where you eat well you don’t drink excellently (see Domacija Belica), and vice versa.
4. You can easily visit three wineries in a single day, but a break in a local restaurant or agriturismo is a must to avoid ending up in a ditch with the car.
5. The car, in fact, is the only means that really makes sense to visit these hills; public transport is not widespread, and the bike or scooter does not allow you to take home crates of wine (I tried once with a Vespa—not advisable).
6. The producers, if not the best at least the most fascinating, are those who don’t have a proper hospitality system made of business cards and anonymous tastings—the most charming producers are those who invite you into the cellar and let you taste their wines. There’s no entrance fee, but it would be rude to leave without having purchased at least six bottles.
7. When visiting the producers mentioned above, calling before showing up is good manners.
8. The best season to visit the Collio is spring (there are cherry trees in bloom, perfect for a slightly tipsy Sakura) or late spring when everything turns green but it’s not yet too hot.
9. The best view of the Collio is on the road that goes from Smartno to Dobrovo and the one that goes from Cormons to Valerisce.
10. When in the area, Gorizia is a fascinating stop, offering good glasses and dishes, along with plenty of character.

Also read our article about the enoteche in Pordenone.