A 2024 harvest that announces a year on the Eastern Hills of Friuli that promises to be excellent from a qualitative point of view, revealing great freshness and balance despite lower than average yields. This is the photograph taken by Zorzettig, a historic company that has stood out for over 150 years for the enhancement of native Friulian vines. And it is precisely one of the characteristics that differentiates the territory, the element, together with a virtuous ecosystem that Zorzettig has protected for years, that has played a decisive role throughout the season: the Ponca, the typical soil present at these latitudes, has in fact retained the spring and summer rains, favoring a grape harvest that is declining in quantity but of great quality.
The 2024 harvest continues in the vineyards of the Eastern Hills of Friuli by Annalisa Zorzettig
“We have great expectations for this 2024 harvest,” explains producer Annalisa Zorzettig. “This year the bunches of grapes are crunchy, full, rich and tasty: one leads to another. Our grapes show great varietal correspondence in the mouth and the balance in the musts is excellent, with a very fresh note and a great balance between sugars and acidity.”
“In numerical terms we expect a decline from the harvest, but in terms of quality we are very positive, I feel like saying that for the Colli Orientali del Friuli it will be one of the best years. We can’t wait to have it in the bottle and present it to the public.”
2024 was characterized by mild temperatures between March and April that favored the budding of early varieties, alternating with northerly winds such as Bora and Tramontana that particularly – and positively – influence the winery’s vineyards between the Colli di Spessa, Ipplis and Novacuzzo.
The beginning of summer was not promising: from a very rainy first period and with temperatures lower than average, we moved on to very high temperatures and low rainfall.
The company’s agronomist Antonio Noacco explains:
“Fortunately, the Ponca that characterizes these territories came to our aid: it acted like a sponge, retaining water and allowing the vines not to suffer excessively from the water crisis. Our plants are an integral part of a virtuous ecosystem, which we have protected and respected for years and also in this year they have managed to develop bunches that reflect not only the territory, but also the seasonality.”
The history of Zorzettig began 150 years ago in Spessa di Cividale and today the winery is in the hands of Annalisa, a winemaker who has taken up her father’s legacy by renewing the company and acquiring new vineyards until reaching the current 120 hectares.
The vineyards extend in the Colli Orientali del Friuli between the areas of Spessa, Ipplis and Prepotto: three unique terroirs particularly suited to viticulture, protected by the Alps from the cold northern currents and kissed by the breeze of the Adriatic Sea.
The flagship line of Zorzettig is Myò: wines that are born mainly from native vines and want to be a celebration of the Colli Orientali del Friuli and their biodiversity, history and culture.
