Venica & Venica: Four Generations of White Wine in Dolegna del Collio
Visits and tastings at a family winery in the northern Collio, between the Judrio valley and the Slovenian border
Dolegna del Collio, Gorizia
The Venica family has farmed vines in Dolegna, at the northern tip of the Collio, since 1930. Today the estate makes mostly white wine and welcomes visitors for guided tastings and stays among the vineyards.
Dolegna is the northernmost corner of the Collio, a scattering of hamlets among wooded hills and terraced vineyards a few kilometres from the Slovenian border. In 1930 Daniele Venica bought the core of the estate that his family still runs today, now in its fourth generation.
For decades the Venicas sold their wine in bulk to the taverns and trattorias between Gorizia and Cividale. Things changed in the 1970s: from 1972 the family began selling directly from the cellar, and in 1977 they bottled their wine for the first time. In the 1980s the first part of the guest accommodation opened alongside the winery.
The estate now covers around 40 hectares, all within the Collio DOC, and more than 85% of what it makes is white: Ribolla Gialla, Friulano, Malvasia, Sauvignon and the Pinots, with a few reds from Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Schioppettino and Refosco. Its best-known labels include Ronco delle Cime, a Friulano, and Ronco delle Mele.
Visits are guided and end in a small tasting room designed for small groups. Those who want to stay can sleep on the estate, which has rooms among the vines: a convenient base for exploring the Collio and neighbouring Brda across the border.
This is an independent editorial feature.
Photo ©venica.it
Practical Information
Location: Dolegna del Collio, Gorizia
Duration: To be defined
Estimated price: Tastings from around €30 to €50