The Carso (which in Italian means Karst) is an area of the Friuli-Venezia-Giulia, constitute by a plateau, that give the name also at the red wine produced here. The areas that include the territories of the municipalities of Gorizia and Trieste, and as been the war zone between Italians and Austrians during the World War I. In fact, until the 1918, it as been for long time an Austrian region. The area is a border zone, and the viticulture is developed in the south-eastern part of the region, at the borders with Slovenia. Here the wines are namely Montefalcone, Ronchi dei Legionari and Doberdò del Lago, and they have the Denomination of Controlled Origin. The local law includes a series of rules for the production and protection of this wine.
Carso Red, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon
The Carso has the Denomination of Controlled Origin (D.O.C.) which includes different types and denominations fall into this wine. Each of those wines have its own organoleptic characteristics, its own color and its unmistakable taste.
The Carso Red has generally an intense ruby red color with a particularly vinous and dry scent on the palate. The alcohol content cannot be below 10% vol.
There are several grapes used for the production, like the Terrano, which is employed for about the 70% blended with other red grapes bred in the area.
The temperature of service is 17° C, and after the bottling you need wait at least 2 years before the producers can market this wine. It is well accompanied with the traditional dishes of the area, like soups, appetizers, white meat and potato gnocchi.
In the denomination we have also the Carso Cabernet Franc, made of course with Cabernet Franc grapes. His colour is a ruby red and has a herbaceous fragrance and a dry taste with an aftertaste of hints of herbs. Also here the minimum alcohol content must be at least the 10% vol, with the same temperature of service of the previous one. The wine is aged a year and it accompany the white meat dishes, salami starters and classic pastas.
There is also the Carso Cabernet Sauvignon, again with a ruby red color with garnet nuances. The smell is intense and pleasant, and in the mouth it is dry, harmonious and round. In this wine, the alcohol content must be a least 10.5% vol. Must be served between 16 and 17° C. The wine must be aged a year, to be served with white meat, mature cheeses and pasta.
Carso Merlot, Carso Refosco and Terrano
The Carso Merlot is clearly made with Merlot grapes, with a ruby red color and pleasant fragrance. It has a dry taste and must be served at 18° C. It has 12 months of aging, for accompany white or red meat and medium-aged cheeses.
The Refosco is made with the homonymous grapes, locals, with a ruby red colour particularly intense. It is pleasant and fruity, harmonious and dry, with a minimum alcohol content of 10.5% vol. The temperature of service is between 16 and 17° C. Also this wine has a maturation of 12 months and it is served with red and white meats, or pasta.
The Carso Terrano is made with the local grape Terrano, which has an intense ruby color and a smell of raspberries. In the mouth it is sapid and dry, with a minimum alcohol content of 10% vol.
The area
There are secular vines in the area where are bred the grapes and produced excellent quality wines with the vinification in the cellars. Companies are very serious and reputed. The area is very particular for the soil, and cellars are often entirely carved out of limestone, which is the tipical terrain here. The cellars carved in the soil guarantee to the wine the right temperature and humidity. All the grapes are well exposed on the sunshine to ripen at the best. That give a unique and unmistakable taste to the wines.
Zidarich is a farm located in the vineyards used for the production of wine. It produces 20.000 bottles per year of very good and rich wine, thanks a very high technological production.
