Abbazia de Rosazzo -the Abbey of the Roses
Located in the town of Udine, at the top of Italy’s cuff of the boot, the Abbazia de Rosazzo has an ancient history as a powerful outpost for Rome that is centuries old.
Located at a crossroads of cultures just 10 kilometers from the curret Slovenian border, the Abbey is where ancient traditions are of prayer, wine and olive oil are observed. The first church was deciated in approximately 1070, and the cutlure of wine was brought by the Benadictines in the end of the 15th century.
This is the birthplace of some of the most famous Friulian varitals, including Ribolla, which was the favorite of the Venetian Doge. As such, this is one of the oldest wine cellars in Friuli.
While living in peace for centuries, the abbey fell out of power and was abandoned. However, due to it’s location, it became a military stronghold, while maintaining the strong culture of viticulture.
The current winemaking family arrived from Istria in the 20s, bringing with it five generations of winemaking tradition. Specializing in the white wines of Friuli, the Abbazia’s wine Rosazzo is a blend of Friulano, the regional varietal of Friuli, Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Malvasia, and Ribolla, The white wines of Friuli are full of citrus and floral notes, and are light and refreshing with a nice medium body. Even though it was raining and chilly, the white was refreshing and welcome.
The living history of the Abbazia is worth a stop, both for the history, and the wines!
