Picolit is one of Friuli’s most fascinating and prestigious indigenous grape varieties. Highly prized for its delicate aromatic profile, Picolit has been the favored wine of royalty for centuries.
In high-quality vineyards, farmers do whatever they can to reduce the fruit yields so that the vines concentrate all of their energy into a smaller number of grapes. Picolit, however, has its own unique process of slimming down yields. The vine undergoes a spontaneous flower abortion that results in a grape cluster that does not have all of its berries. Its name, in fact, comes from the Italian word piccolo, meaning small, a reference to the yields and also the size of the grapes. The fruit that does grow on these sparsely populated clusters is much more concentrated and, in the end, creates a wine of unparalleled complexity.
Picolit saw the height of its popularity in the royal courts of the 18th century. Count Fabio Asquini is credited with helping the variety reach international fame. He recorded his methods of successful farming of the difficult grape, but production went into decline nonetheless due to the high cost of cultivation. The worldwide Philoxera epidemic was also a factor.
High levels of acidity and sugar make Picolit ideal for dessert wine. The most common styles are passito (drying of the grapes in ventilated rooms) and late-harvest (allowing the grapes to dry slowly on the vines). Picolit is produced under the designation of Colli Orientali del Friuli DOCG.
you can pick a guitar, but I hear you cant picolit. Is that correct?
By: Sgt. Sassafras on March 27, 2012
at 12:42 am
I gotta say, you made me LOL with this one…
By: Do Bianchi on March 27, 2012
at 6:03 am
[...] Solder’s D’Oro presents a dry, honeyed rich wine made of two local varieties–Picolit and [...]
By: Lunch and Wine Tasting at Agriturismo Solder: Friulano, Cabernet, and D’Oro | Hawk Wakawaka Wine Reviews on April 2, 2012
at 2:03 am
[...] family. They were so generous as to pull two different wines right from the barrel for us–a Picolit we closed dinner with (something sweet for last), and a Pinot Grigio Ramato that had been on skins [...]
By: For the Friends: Wonderful Wines with Specogna and Toblar | Hawk Wakawaka Wine Reviews on April 12, 2012
at 8:42 pm
[...] family. They were so generous as to pull two different wines right from the barrel for us–a Picolit we closed dinner with (something sweet for last), and a Pinot Grigio Ramato that had been on skins [...]
By: For the Friends: Wonderful Wines with Specogna and Toblar « Colli Orientali del Friuli 2012 on April 12, 2012
at 9:16 pm
[...] Picolit has been shown to be an incredibly old variety with information showing it reaching back all the way to the Roman empire. In its history Picolit has celebrated distinction at the tables of emperors and popes, as well as leaders from countries throughout Europe. It has also nearly faced extinction only to be saved again through its offering as a gift to kings through Europe. [...]
By: White Grape Varieties of Colli Orientali del Friuli: Regional Varietal Characteristics Cards | Hawk Wakawaka Wine Reviews on May 3, 2012
at 12:27 am
[...] like 2001. Ronchi di Cialla doesn’t even list this wine on their website. It is made from 100% Picolit grapes, which are usually vinified in a sweeter style. The “Sol” however, is bone [...]
By: Ronchi di Cialla “Sol” Picolit, 2001 | Italian Wine Geek on December 13, 2012
at 5:40 pm