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© 1999 – Mosaic work by
Rino Pastorutti,
former Director at the Mosaic School of Spilimbergo

OUR RESEARCH

At the heart of the winery philosophy is the rediscovery and selection of ancient native Friulan vines cultivated for centuries on the hills of West Friuli. Ancient vines that, up to thirty years ago, seemed to have disappeared, but that the passion of Emilio Bulfon, helped by Noemi and children Lorenzo and Alberta, has brought to new life, carefully identifying, selecting and replanting them in collaboration with the expert ampelographers from the Experimental Institute for Viticulture in Conegliano.

At the heart of the work of Emilio Bulfon, discoverer of these native varieties is the will to persevere in the enhancement and protection of these vines, along with the basis of his wine-producing activity: constant care for vineyards, improvement and refinement of wines quality and reception of visitors at the cellar. In 1987, the Province of Pordenone, rewarding the work of recovery and improvement done, awarded him the gold medal and, after having started in one of his farms the experimental planting of 24 native Friulan vines, promoted, with the support of the Agricultural Initiatives Committee of the Pordenone Trade Fair and the Oenology Institute of Conegliano, the historical and scientific book “Dalle colline spilimberghesi nuove viti e nuovi vini”, by Emilio Bulfon, Ruggero Forti and Gianni Zuliani (1987, p. 83), where the ampelographic description sheets of the varieties recovered have been published for the first time:

Ucelut, Piculit-Neri, Sciaglin and Forgiarin.

A research that is continued later recovering other cultivars, once present in Pordenone area and now almost disappeared, selected and cultivated for decades in the vineyards of the winery in Valeriano, thanks to the concession granted by the Agricultural Inspectorate of the Province of Pordenone and to the authorization given by the Region. All three vine varieties were entered in the “National Catalogue of Grape Varieties”.

In 2010 Emilio Bulfon, at the 43rd edition of Vinitaly, the international Exhibition of European wines held every year in Verona, was honoured with the  “Benemerito della vitivinicoltura italiana 2010”, Gran Medaglia di Cangrande della Scala. A prestigious recognition that every year, since 1973, the VeronaFiere autonomous Authority gives to only one person from each Italian Region, to reward those who have made outstanding contributions in the enhancement of the wine culture of a territory, and with their professional and entrepreneurial activity have contributed to the advancement of vine cultivation and wine production quality of their own region or Country.