Italy's Great White Wine Producer in Thailand

Livio Felluga is one of the benchmarks for white wines in Italy. The 160-hectare winery in northeastern Italy is producing what James calls “world-class wines coming out of Fruili’s top white appellation, Colli Orientali.”

Maurizio Felluga, son of Livio Felluga and a winemaker at the winery, recently visited Bangkok and Phuket in Thailand, and showcased several of its prize-winning whites and reds at wine dinners organized by local importer Gfour – including Sauvignon Blanc 2013, Pinot Grigio 2013, and Sossó Riserva 2006 and 2011, to name a few. 

Its pinot grigio is a go-to white for many wine drinkers. It’s a great value and shows that Italian pinot grigio is not an insipid white. In fact, the wine is rich, complex and aromatic, and is – as James puts it – “a pinot grigio with real character.”

Perhaps its most famous high-end white wine is Terre Alte, a white blend of pinot bianco, friulano and sauvignon first introduced in the market in the early 1980s. The wine is a champion of flavorful and aromatic Italian whites. When asked about the reason why the wine managed to maintain its freshness as well as its complex aromas at a wine dinner in Bangkok, Maurizio said the use of stainless steel vats instead of French oak to prevent excessive oxidation helped preserve aromas. 

In addition to white wines, Livio Felluga’s reds are equally enticing but are unfortunately overlooked by many wine lovers. Its Vertigo, a blend of merlot and cabernet sauvignon, is an elegant red that is described by Maurizio as “lady’s favorite.” Another of its reds, Sossó, also performed consistently well with reviews. Blended from refosco, merlot and pignolo, the 2011 vintage is described by James as a “racy and pretty” wine, scoring more than 90 points. 

Below are some of the wines served in Bangkok at Gianni restaurant and Phuket at Nai Harn Resort that are reviewed by James. They are available for purchase at Gfour. Click on wine names to check scores and tasting notes. Make sure you have subscribed to our website to see everything. 

Livio Felluga Sauvignon Blanc Collio 2013 

Livio Felluga Pinot Grigio Collio 2013 

Livio Felluga Colli Orientali Del Friuli Sosso Rosazzo Rosso Riserva 2006

Livio Felluga Friuli Colli Orientali Rosazzo Sossó 2011 

Photos from top to bottom: Livio Felluga Sauvignon Blanc 2013; Marizio Felluga (second from right) in Nai Harn Resort; Livio Felluga Colli Orientali Del Friuli Sossó Rosazzo Sossó Riserva 2006

– Natalie Wang, Managing Editor, Bangkok