Appears in
Oxford Companion to Wine

By Jancis Robinson

Published 2006

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Verduzzo, wine made from verduzzo friulano and/or verduzzo trevigiano, principally in friuli and in the piave DOC in the bordering province of Treviso in Veneto in seven different DOC zones: aquileia, colli orientali, grave, isonzo, Latisana, friuli Annia, and lison-pramaggiore. Only the Grave and the Colli Orientali produce significant quantities and the latter is qualitatively far superior, the grape showing a decided preference for hillside vineyards. The wine exists in a dry, occasionally sparkling, and regularly sweet version, although the latter, obtained either by late harvesting or by raisining the grapes (see dried-grape wines), can frequently be more medium dry than lusciously sweet. Sweet Verduzzo, less common than dry Verduzzo, is the more interesting wine, golden in colour, and often with a delightful density and honeyed aromas, even if it lacks the complexity of an outstanding dessert wine. Dry Verduzzo is less characterful, and the grapes’ tannins often impart an odd astringency which is more noticeable when it has been fermented dry.