From the heights of the snowcapped Dolomites to the verdant Valle del Cibo, I recently had the delicious pleasure of visiting a number of the finest food and drink producers in northern Italy, taking in lots of pretty countryside along the way and getting to known some of the friendliest people I’ve ever met.
With the charming Udine as my base for a couple of days, I spent an afternoon in the nearby wine country of Collio Goriziano visiting a wine producer and a cheese maker, both of whom had been recommended to me … as well as finding out about a local ham maker whom I wish I’d had the chance to meet. Here’s the scoop on what makes this little nook of northern Italy such a yummy destination for me.
Ronco dei Tassi
A short and rather scenic drive from Udine and just outside the town of Cormòns is the vineyard and winery of Ronco dei Tassi. Founded in 1989 by Fabio Coser and his wife Daniela and run today by the couple and their two sons, the name of the vineyard roughly translates to mean “terraced vineyard of the badgers” and is a reference to the several colonies of these critters living throughout the family’s property.
The Cosers make four wines: a mineral and peppery Friulano; a fresh and light Fosarin; Cjarandon, a blended red; and a leggy dessert wine called Picolit. All are delish, the Friulano especially so which makes a lot of sense considering that it’s this white wine that Collio Goriziano is best known for producing.
It’s not too difficult to find Ronco dei Tassi wines outside of Italy. They’re pretty reasonably priced too and are solid representatives of the Friuli region’s fantastic wines (particularly Ronco’s Friulano). Look for the bottle with the badgers on the label.
Visit the winery online at roncodeitassi.it.
Formaggi Zoff
Just down the road from Ronco dei Tassi is Agriturismo Borg da Ocjs in the farming village of Borgnano. In addition to offering farm house accommodations, the Zoff family runs a small dairy of ancient Friulian breed cattle where they make their own raw milk cheese and yoghurt. The cheeses I sampled there were so damn good. And the yoghurt! Oh the yoghurt! Fermented in the jar, Zoff’s yoghurt was without doubt the best I’ve ever eaten.
By the way, I snuck a peak at the guest rooms while visiting the farm. They were super clean and really cosy. I would have loved the chance to spend more time there. If you’re looking for an authentic farm stay and you adore good cheese (and yoghurt!) give Borg da Ocjs strong consideration. And if you’re ever anywhere near the farm do not hesitate to visit their shop!
Go to formaggizoff.it for more information.
Lorenzo d’Osvaldo
The folks at both Ronco dei Tassi and Formaggi Zoff suggested I visit nearby prosciutto producer, Lorenzo d’Osvaldo. Indeed, they were practically insistant about it and were rather disappointed to hear I didn’t have the time to go by d’Osvaldo. Luckily, I was able to try this locally cured ham later that evening during my dinner at Hosteria Alla Tavernetta in Udine. One bite into my antipasta and I could see why they had made such a big deal about d’Osvaldo’s prosciutto. Mildly smoky and a little sweeter than typical Italian ham, it was gorgeous stuff. Now back in London and reading about the producer, I sorely wish could have dropped in to see (and taste) a bit of the action. Beyond the excellent prosciutto, D’Osvaldo pancetta looks out of this world! Oh well, next time.
Find out more at dosvaldo.it.
For more about Collio and other Friuli Venezia Giulia destinations go to turismofvg.it.
I would like to thank the fine folks at boutique digital agency, The 7th Chamber, for helping sponsor this trip.
