Collio
Edi
Keber
Terroir
In the 19th century, Collio was known as COGLIO, in Slovene as BRDA and in the Friulian language as CUEI. During the Austro-Hungarian era, it was named “In den Ecken”. Collio means hill and according to the wine regulation, the vineyards must be on a hilly area and planted on the soil called “ponka”.
Our family has been cultivating 12 hectares of vineyards on this land for more than 300 years.
COLLIO “WINE FROM INDIGENOUS VARIETIES”
Collio, “wine from native grapes”, is the oldest wine of this territory and, in the past, it was also the most widely produced. Today, with a group of fellow producers and through an ambitious project, we are trying to preserve the tradition of the blend produced solely with native varieties, with Tocai Friulano as the dominant sort, accompanied by Ribolla Gialla and Malvasia.
Tocai Friulano provides the structure for the wine, Ribolla Gialla adds acidity, and Malvasia contributes the aromatic part.
Before the two World Wars and for hundreds of years, this wine was composed of many more indigenous varieties that grew together mixed in the vineyards.
GRAPE VARIETY BLEND = BIODIVERSITY
Historically, in all wine-growing areas of the world, the varieties grew intermixed in the vineyards. This happened not because the farmer was ignorant, but because of a deep understanding of the terroir, which is hard to achieve today. The selection of grape varietals was not made for the entire vineyard, not even for each row of vines but rather on a plant-to-plant basis, according to the levels of humidity, soil fertility, exposure to light and wind. This knowledge was passed down from generation to generation.
Today, and going forward, what I aim to achieve in our vineyards is to recreate a true farmers field in the same style of my ancestors. Therefore, in addition of planting dozens of local varieties, I am also incorporating many cultivars of fruit trees, maintaining spontaneous herbs and allowing animals to grazing.
CERTIFICATIONS RULES
Our winery was the first in Friuli V.G. to obtain the biodynamic certification Demeter, in addition to organic certification, but not because we care about the acronyms on the label.
The reason why I started is very simple and reasonable. As a teenager, I experienced severe headaches after every treatment. Therefore, the change was made primarily for my personal health, the wellbeing of all the people around me, and, last but not least, for the environment.
During winery visits, I always try to explain to our customers how a farm that respects nature operates, since every certification is always susceptible to fraud but an informed consumer is the best customer for us farmers.
BIODYNAMICS AND PERMACULTURE
Biodynamic agriculture was developed in 1924 by Rudolf Steiner aiming to give vitality to the soil that industrial agriculture was destroying.
And this is why, beyond organic treatments, the impulses of biodynamic preparations increase the soil fertility. In addition to the classic horn manure and horn silica, I apply heaps and green manures in younger or weaker soils. To reduce copper and sulphur treatments in the vineyards, I use nettle and horsetail herbal tea. Currently, I use less than 2 kg per ha of pure copper, which is a significant achievement for FVG. In some vineyards, I have already managed to eliminate treatments altogether.
Permaculture, on the other hand, taught me to observe the environment that surrounds me and organize it. The vegetable garden, animals, houses, the orchard, the pond, and the woods are all positioned with a logic that respects coexistence and the natural environment.
CEMENT TANKS
The varieties are harvested together, pressed, and categorized by area (Zegla, Plessiva, Quarin, Cormons). This happens because there is greater coherence in the maturity of our native varieties compared to their area of origin.
Strictly spontaneous fermentation allows us not to influence the territoriality. The fermentation and the aging take place in the traditional cement tanks, bought by our grandfather Pepi in the 60s. Only two decantings are made from the lees and the sulphur dioxide is added primarily before bottling and does not exceed 40 mg/h of total SO2. Spontaneous malolactic fermentation takes place during or immediately after the alcoholic fermentation. This way, the wine becomes naturally stable and is bottled after at least 18 months, thus spending two winters in the cellar and allowing it to be bottled without filtration.
GENERATIONS IN COMPARISON
Our wines are great for aging. Grandfather Pepi was one of the first bottlers in the Collio area, with his first bottled vintage dating back to 1957.
In the 90s, Edi decided to remove the international varieties and, in 2008, to switch to the production of only one white, the blend Collio.
Since 2013, I have implemented organic and biodynamic agriculture practices.
Today, the company is managed by Veronika, who runs the office and hospitality, and Kristian, who oversees the vineyards and cellar.