The tall solid-iron buildings housing grandiose lofts with huge casement windows surrounded by cobblestone streets transported us to another world, as they weren’t that far from the hustle and bustle of fast-paced activity. New York’s Tribeca community has long been a haven for a lucky few. who may live there and for many others who come to visit. It was a bloodless February day, yet the sunlight illuminated the golden reflections of the young woman’s long, silky locks of brown hair as she sat in an upscale Italian restaurant. There, Ilaria Felluga is tasting the wines of her family, a family known among Italian white wine connoisseurs as one of the best.
Ilaria hadn’t been back to New York since Covid and the city was just as full and electric as before, everything was very different on this tour. Her father, Roberto Felluga, was not with her; Sadly, he passed away from cancer in November 2021 at the age of 63.
Ilaria’s grandfather, Marco Felluga, founded the Marco Felluga family vineyard in the high-quality white wine region of Collio, a location in the Friuli Venezia Giulia (also known as Friuli) wine region in northeastern Italy, and today, the grandfather is in good health at his age. The Felluga family’s winemaking roots go back six generations, but it was Marco and his brother Livio who pioneered raising the bar for Friuli wines and winning the hearts of many excellent Italian red wine drinkers around the world through winemaking. They drink Italian and white wine as well. Livio established his vineyard in Rosazzo and then Marco, Ilaria’s grandfather, opened his own vineyard in the town of Gradisca d’Isonzo, in the prestigious white wine region of Collio.
If a wine drinker hasn’t yet tasted Pinot Grigio from a primary producer in Collio, then they have no idea of the grape’s true potential. Pinot Grigio is just a flavor wine when it comes to other places because it’s not taken seriously. But the Collio Pinot Grigio is beautiful, with a clever concentration balanced through lively acidity and enveloped in intense minerality. Marco Felluga, along with his son Roberto, would not only be among a handful of winemakers in the region who emphasize terroir-driven Pinot Grigio wines, but they would also highlight lesser-known local grape types, such as Ribolla Gialla, a white grape that provides sensitive white wines with fascinating aromas.
In the late 60s, Marco Felluga bought the Russiz Superiore estate, a plot with a long history and a privileged location that has become known as a fantastic old winery that has illustrated its wonderful nature with very good wines. The Russiz Superiore estate was already known for its sublime Cabernet Franc red wines, so instead of simply putting the winery under the name Marco Felluga Winery, he put it under his own name, knowing that it was “a distinct position without any other comparison”. Under Roberto’s leadership, Cabernet Franc’s purity of expression remained the same, even in the face of a market position that only sought heavy, over-extracted red wines. Today, wine is, despite everything, appreciated because fresher and finer red wines are preferred. Like his father, Roberto constantly advocated for greater respect for Italian white wines. He put his money behind his beliefs, as Roberto occasionally did not release reserve white wines until eight or ten years later, which some considered crazy given the difficulty of promoting such wines, and tied up capital that, as a small circle of relatives of the winery, it made them desperate. necessary. But Ilaria said his father firmly believed they produced world-class wines in the most productive wineries and therefore deserved to never give up presenting them in other ways.
As Ilaria served a 2017 antique of Marco Felluga Winery’s signature white blend, “Molamatta,” she talked about how fortunate her circle of relatives has been to have long-lasting relationships with the same importers in various countries, such as 50 years with one, and in the United States. They have been with Dalla Terra for at least 20 years; Considering how winemakers replace importers in the complicated U. S. wine market, it could well take a hundred years. Dalla Terra owner Brian Larky is well known in the industry for taking care of his winemakers and for having a good reputation through many wines. Shoppers in restaurants and retail stores: very few like him among the lots and lots of American wine importers.
Ilaria, her father Roberto and her grandfather Marco
As Ilaria smelled the six-year-old white aggregate in her glass, a faint smile appeared on her face and for a moment it seemed as if she had been transported to another time and place. Remember, she’s been on her father’s side, learning all about winemaking, viticulture, and the wine business, though some might say her father let his hobby cloud his monetary logic. And many of her wine importers knew her as a child, through her father’s side, seeing him as their hero, knowing that her conviction would keep her family safe even in the toughest of times.
But when his father became ill, he had to take over the warehouses, the business, and his father. Today, she goes to the market of the same importers from all over the world who did not forget her as a child. Now they are in awe of the woman who came here before them, as she has become the leader their father knew she would be.
Bottle of Russiz Superiore, Collio, Pinot Bianco
2021 Marco Felluga Winery “Maralba” Ribolla Gialla
2021 Marco Felluga Winery “Maralba” Ribolla Gialla: one hundred percent Ribolla Gialla. Floral nose with tangy lemon zest and clever weight in the frame with a fierce minerality.
2021 Marco Felluga “Mongris” Pinot Grigio Winery: one hundred percent Pinot Grigio. Juicy white peach flavors with hints of Brazil nuts and honeysuckle with rainy pits on the finish.
Domaine Russiz Superiore 2021, Collio Sauvignon
Domaine Russiz Superiore 2021, Collio Sauvignon: one hundred percent Sauvignon. Bright nose of citrus blossom, saline minerality with new sage and a touch of richness in the mouth that makes your mouth water.
2017 Marco Feluga Winery, Molamatta, Collio Bianco: Blend of Pinot Bianco, Ribolla Gialla and Friulano from the Molamatta plot. A complex nose of bay leaf, marzipan and white pepper with colorful flavors like quince paste and a long, expressive and seductive note. of smoky minerality.
Domaine Russiz Superiore 2019, Collio Cabernet Franc
Domaine Russiz Superiore 2019, Collio Cabernet Franc: one hundred percent Cabernet Franc. On the start, a lovely purity of blueberry fruit with a hint of pie crust, undergrowth and crushed stone with a honeyed texture and a long, expressive finish with notes of Violet.