Our history

The roots of the noble house of the Porcía e Brugnera go back to the Middle Ages. The family is represented today by Principe Gherardo, with his son Guecello, and by his brother Paolo and his children Manfredo and Giulia, and their respective families. A document dating back in fact to 1181 attests to the family’s investiture as counts and to their ownership of feuds in western Friuli; at their center is the massive Castello di Porcía, which played a prominent role over the centuries in significant political and cultural events.

The Principi di Porcía e Brugnera family has resided in these lands for over eight centuries, and with each successive generation has succeeded in keeping its prestige highly burnished and in preserving its local traditions and its connections with history. It has thus created in times long past impressive agricultural operations, and over time has succeeded in growing them into a prestigious farming estate that is not only the pride of the family itself but an integral part of Friuli history.

One of the region’s most influential agricultural enterprises, with properties in Azzano Decimo, Porcìa, and Pramaggiore, the farming operation comprises 850 hectares, of which 143 are in vineyard. Consistently utilizing avant-garde equipment and cultivation practices, the estate has always focused on careful diversification of its products, and in so doing is able to reduce risks from adverse weather and to achieve sustainable development of its lands.

Friulano DOCG Lison Typology: White Wine Vineyard size: 15.23 hectares Growing area: Pramaggiore (loc. Salvarolo) Soil profile: Deep with loamy-silty texture; very calcareous and alkalin Grape variety: Tocai Italico Aspect: Northeast-Southwest Average age of vines: 24 years Number of vines per hectare: 2000 Production per hectare: 12000 bottles produced on average: 30000 Average altitude: 25 mt. asl Vinification: The de-stemmed grapes are very gently pressed (max –0.9 bar); the must is given enzymatic clarification and subsequent centrifugation; alcoholic fermentation is then started by inoculated yeasts at a controlled temperature of 17-19°C; this process produces wines with a fresh, tangy palate Maturation: In steel Bottle ageing: 4 months Appearance: Pale straw yellow with greenish hints Bouquet: Fruity, delicate, well-orchestrated Palate: Round, plush, slightly tart finish Note: Technical values for last harvest Alcohol: 12.80% Total acidity: 5.10 g/l pH: 3.36 Dry extract 19.20 g/L Total SO2: 92 mg/l (legal maximum: 200 mg/l) Serving suggestions: Perfect as an aperitif; with spaghetti in tomato and basil sauce; grilled chicken breast and lighter meats in general. In particular with: scallops and asparagus; steamed rock crab drizzled with cold olive oil and served with freshly-diced tomatoes; stewed cuttlefish with polenta; ham en croute with horseradish sauce; spinach and ricotta roulade

Prosecco Doc Millesimato DOC Prosecco (Vintage-dated) Typology: Sparkling Wine Vineyard size: 4.70 hectares Growing area: Azzano Decimo- (Pordenone) Soil profile: Deep soil with a silty-clay loam texture, sub-alkaline with moderate limestone Grape variety: Glera tondo Aspect: Northeast-Southwest Average age of vines: 8 years Number of vines per hectare: 3.500 Production per hectare: 18.000 bottles produced on average: 30.000 Average altitude: 25 mt. asl Vinification: The grapes are de-stemmed and pressed gently, then the juice macerates on the skins for 12 hours at 10°C. After this process the wine undergoes a second fermentation at 14°C in steel pressure fermenters and maturation of 30 days on the fine lees Maturation: In steel Bottle ageing: 2 months Appearance: A subtle straw yellow, with a long-lingering bead of pin-point bubbles. Bouquet: Delicate, fruity, with a refined impression of yeast Palate: Truly distinctive for its refined aromatics and exquisite balance. Note: Technical values for last harvest: Alcohol: 11.50% Total acidity: 6.00 g/l ph: 3.15 Pressure: 5.00 atm Dry extract: 22,00 g/l Total SO2: 100 mg/l (legal maximum: 200 mg/l) Residual sugar: 15,00 g/l Serving suggestions: Superb as aperitif, it partners perfectly with fish in general, although not with stews; it is delicious too with sweets, fruit and fruit crostate.

Verduzzo Friulano DOC Friuli Grave Typology: 8°-10° Vineyard size: 2.00 hectares Growing area: Porcia – Azzano Decimo (Pordenone) Soil profile: Deep soil with a silty-clay loam texture, sub-alkaline with moderate limestone Grape variety: Verduzzo Friulano Aspect: Northeast-Southwest Average age of vines: 30 years Number of vines per hectare: 2.700 Production per hectare: 9.000 bottles produced on average: 6.600 Average altitude: 25 mt. asl Vinification: The clusters are de-stemmed and pressed, then the juice macerates on the skins for 2 days; the must is given a temperature-controlled fermentation part in steel fermenters and part in oak barriques; the wine rests briefly on the fine lees and is then aged Maturation: in steel Bottle ageing: 6 months Appearance: Gold yellow Bouquet: Rich, emphatic, well-balanced Palate: Rich, emphatic, well-balanced Note: Technical values for last harvest: Alcohol: 12.50% Total acidity: 5.20 g/l pH: 3.35 Dry extract: 25.40 g/l Total SO2: 100 mg/l (legal maximum: 200 mg/l) Residual sugar: 40 g/l Serving suggestions: Traditional dessert wine, for serving with pinapple carpaccio, fruit salad and fancy biscuits; in particular with strawberry and white chocolate mousse and with walnut biscuits.

Cabernet Franc D.O.C. Friuli Typology: Red Wine Vineyard size: 10.00 hectares Growing area: Azzano Decimo (Pordenone) Soil profile: Deep soil with a silty-clay loam texture, sub-alkaline with moderate limestone Grape variety: Cabernet Franc Aspect: North-South Average age of vines: 10 years Number of vines per hectare: 3.125 Production per hectare: 9.000 bottles produced on average: 40.000 Average altitude: 15 mt asl Vinification: The grapes are gently de-stemmed and pressed, then fermented in steel for 9-11 days with cultured yeasts at a controlled temperature of 28-32°C, with regular pumpovers and délestage. The wine is then pressed off and racked into steel tanks for malolactic fermentation and maturation Maturation: In steel Bottle ageing: 3-4 months Appearance: Vivid ruby red, with purplish highlights Bouquet: Clean-edged, elegant, a subtly herbaceous Palate: Full-bodied, silky, with a slight note of grassiness Note: Technical values for last harverst: Alcohol: 12.80% Total acidity: 5.30 g/l pH: 3.42 Dry extract: 25.00 g/l Total SO2: 65 mg/l (legal maximum: 160mg/l) Serving suggestions: Perfect with roasts, stews and hard cheeses. In particular with “Bistecca alla Fiorentina” hare, barbecued suckling pig, traditional “Frico” made with potatoes and Montasio del Friuli cheese

“My farm has been operating now for over 800 harvests -says the owner, Guecello Count di Porcia e Brugnera- and therefore long before the current media barrage about the predictions of  oil crash catastrophes and the need to reduce harmful emissions from the extraction and combustion of gas and mineral fossils; we ourselves have long ago adopted practices that are today regularly referred to as “traditional agriculture,” precisely the system that, looking back, is now being re-evaluated, paradoxically enough, and being advanced as the most efficient and sustainable long-term. This centuries-long approach, which respected a Nature that gives and receives, and was applied above all to sustain and give work to the local farming families, was based on the only method possible, that of crop rotation. Which means that the relationship between sustainability, respect for nature, and agriculture is certainly no new theme”.