You could be forgiven for never having heard of the Verduzzo grape, a white variety grown in Friuli that produces largely forgettable dry wines. But try the sweet wines of the Ramandolo DOCG just to the north of Colli Orientali and you won’t soon forget Verduzzo.
Giovanni Dri produces three sweet wines from this grape. Ramandolo and Il Roncat are passito-style wines (made from dried grapes), and Uve Decembrine is a single-vineyard, late-harvest wine. All three are remarkable for their gentle sweetness, well balanced with acidity, that allows the straw and apricot flavors of the grape to shine. There’s no Botrytis intensity here. Il Roncat, in particular, medium-sweet with a year of oak on it and beautiful balance, would pair well with nuts and cheese, or with a lightly sweet walnut or almond cake with orange zest flavors.
Contact Dolce Sarde for retailers.
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