Storia
The viticultural heritage of Valeriano
The land now associated with Terre di Plovia occupies a hillside above the Tagliamento at Valeriano, in the municipality of Pinzano al Tagliamento. Its name recalls an ancient Friulian feudal dynasty. Around a thousand years ago, Ermanno da Pinzano was identified with the guardianship of these lands and the castle overlooking the Valeriano plateau.
The area once sustained a flourishing local viticulture. Among its grapes were Sciaglin, Cividin, Cjanorie, Forgiarin, Ucelut and Piculit Neri. Cultivation subsequently declined as emigration affected the Friulian foothills and much of this viticultural patrimony was abandoned. Emilio Bulfon later recovered numerous local varieties from oblivion near the woods of Valeriano, demonstrating the survival and potential of this genetic heritage.
Acquisition and recovery
After learning about this work, Albino Armani acquired an estate and the cellar of the former Azienda Agricola Vicentini-Orgnani when the opportunity arose. He expanded the presence of the old local varieties, seeking to contribute to the revival of Valeriano through research and territorial interpretation. The existing agricultural structure became the basis of the Terre di Plovia winery.
The project joined Albino Armani’s longer-standing interest in recovering varieties at risk of extinction with a specifically Friulian setting. Writer and Friulian viticulture specialist Walter Filiputti collaborated on its development.
The first Terre di Plovia wines
Terre di Plovia was publicly introduced in 2022 as a project devoted to ancient grapes of the Grave. Its initial range comprised Flum, a white combining Chardonnay, Friulano and Sciaglin, and Piligrin, a red based on Merlot and Piculit Neri. The combination of internationally established cultivars and little-known local grapes was intended to explore the old genetic material through contemporary winemaking.
Flum takes its name from the Friulian word for “river” and pays tribute to the Tagliamento, an important element in the geography and microclimate of the area. Piligrin means “pilgrim” in Friulian. It recalls the travellers who followed the Cammino del Tagliamento from northern Europe toward Aquileia, Venice and the Holy Land; their path ran beside the vineyards before descending into the Tagliamento valley.
The project’s emblem was adapted from the seal of the founder of Castello di Pinzano, which overlooks the Valeriano plateau and vineyards. Its inscription reads “S (sigillum) Armanni de Pinzano,” an incidental historical echo of the Armani name.
Expansion of the range
The recovery programme later gave Sciaglin and Ucelut their own varietal expressions. Both grapes are historic Friulian cultivars that had come close to disappearing. Their cultivation at Valeriano extends Terre di Plovia’s work beyond its original two-wine range while retaining the project’s focus on local genetic heritage.
Terroir
Terre di Plovia lies at Valeriano in the municipality of Pinzano al Tagliamento, in the Alta Grave Friulana at the foot of the Carnic Alps. The vineyards occupy a hilly, elevated position described as a balcony over the Tagliamento. Across the river, the hill of San Daniele del Friuli is visible.
Mountains and woodland shelter the vineyards from the north. They provide constant breezes and pronounced differences between daytime and nighttime temperatures, conditions considered particularly valuable as harvest approaches. The broader setting is windy, experiences considerable temperature variation and receives significant rainfall. The cooling interaction of Adriatic air with the mountains also contributes to the marked thermal shifts.
The soils at Valeriano differ from the predominantly stony magredi found elsewhere in the Grave. They are characterised by silt, sand and clay, with clay especially associated with the Valeriano site. The Tagliamento is a defining element of the vineyards’ geography and microclimate as well as the source of the name Flum.
Vinificazione
Terre di Plovia’s viticultural work centres on recovering and cultivating Friulian varieties that had become rare or nearly disappeared. Sciaglin, Ucelut and Piculit Neri are treated as living records of the area’s rural history and as material for renewed experimentation rather than museum specimens.
Sciaglin, Ucelut and Piculit Neri are Guyot-trained, while Merlot is trained to spurred cordon. Grapes are harvested by hand at full ripeness. Mountains and woods moderate the site from the north, and the combination of steady air movement and strong day–night temperature variation is particularly important in the approach to harvest.
The project combines separate vinification by grape variety with vessel choices tailored to each component. Fully ripe grapes are harvested manually. For the white varieties, whole bunches are pressed.
Sciaglin and Ucelut can each ferment and mature in tonneaux for approximately six months, with regular bâtonnage. In the original white blend, Chardonnay is vinified in barriques, Friulano between large oak casks and stainless steel, and Sciaglin in tonneaux. The components subsequently remain on fine lees for more than 12 months with periodic bâtonnage, followed by at least one year of bottle ageing before release.
For the red blend, Merlot and Piculit Neri are vinified separately to preserve their individual characteristics. The high-acid, deeply coloured Piculit Neri spends more than 12 months in barriques. Merlot also matures for 12 months in wood, divided between barriques and 1,000-litre casks. After blending, the wine rests for several months in stainless-steel tanks and completes its maturation in bottle.
Filosofia
Albino Armani defines a memorable wine through its ability to convey an identifiable place whose culture, traditions and physical character cannot be reproduced elsewhere. Within this philosophy, indigenous grapes provide the clearest testimony to the authentic identity of a territory and therefore merit recovery, protection and renewed value.
Terre di Plovia applies that principle to Valeriano. Its ancient grapes are given contemporary expressions, sometimes alone and sometimes alongside internationally established varieties. Albino Armani has characterised the project as a journey through time, connecting the past with the future of wine experimentation.
The programme also reflects a broader ethic of custodianship: acquiring and working the land carries a responsibility to preserve its genetic, historical and cultural patrimony for the future. The old varieties are consequently treated both as agricultural resources and as witnesses to a rural Friuli shaped by the Tagliamento, the Carnic foothills and historic routes of travel.