"La Viarte" - "Springtime" in Friulian - is a winery that extends over a total surface of 101 acres (41 hectares). 64 acres (26 hectares) are of productive vineyard and the remaining part has been preserved as woodland for the natural balance of the environment and microclimate.
We are located in the districts of Prepotto and Corno di Rosazzo (DOC Friuli Colli Orientali), at a medium height of 400 feet above sea level a few hundred yards from the Slovenian Border. It took more than 10 years to carve the terraces and plant all the vineyards, and in 1986 we could release to the market the whole range.
Alberto Piovan and his staff focus on local heirloom varieties, such as Friulano, Ribolla Gialla, Refosco dalPeduncolo Rosso and Schioppettino di Prepotto, and has embraced the passion, perfectionism, and technical capabilities to guarantee healthy vines and balanced wines. We also produce Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay and Ròi (Merlot and Cabernet), and also rare varieties as Pignolo and Tazzelenghe.
Additionally the indigenous grape, we also produce Sauvignon, Cabernet, Merlot and Siùm, a dessert wine blend of Picolit and Verduzzo Friulano: "vino passito" of great finesse and concentration. Its name stays for "dream".
Only in the best vintages, we present two special wines, which we call Friulano Liende and SauvignonLiende. "Liende" means Legend and these wines bound to become legend, as are made with select fruit from more than one of our oldest and finest varieties. The different maturation periods and winemaking processes allow us to craft a wine which is both the expression of tradition and innovation.
Arteus (Riesling Renano, Chardonnay and Tocai Friulano) is originated from a desire to stand out of the crowd and truly display the terroir, in which we strongly believe.
Recently, besides the still wines, we presented La Viarte Rosè, a sparkling brut rosè from Schioppettino grape, a wonderful native variety of Friuli Venezia Giulia, and a Grappa, from the Sauvignon Liende.
The soil is made of the Friulian "Ponca", a friable rock of marine origin with good clay and sand content, not very fertile but with a balanced content in nutritional elements and for this reason ideal for vine growing.
The plantings have densities from 1200 to 2800 stocks per acre (3.000 to 7.000stocks per hectare) for the most recent parcels. We scrupulously follow the EEC programme aimed at drastically reducing the use of pesticides and fertilizers in agriculture. What is more, all the products we use to guarantee healthy vines and a balanced wine are the most ecological on the market and are administered in minimal doses using carefully controlled distribution methods. In the vineyards there is a careful control and all stages are monitored, to obtain high quality grapes and to be able to work with a minimum environmental impact.
The average production is 38 hectolitres per hectare with hand harvest, in small boxes of 15-18 kg and with bunch selection in the field; this allows us to work with perfectly sane and concentrated fruit even in difficult vintages.
This important part of the job gives us the opportunity to vinify in a very "natural" and simple way, that aims to control but not "interfere" in the wine making process. We leave to the time and seasons the task to complete the work.
The wines have to be the reflected image of the territory, we believe, and we are working in this direction.