Native grape varieties from the border region between Italy, Slovenia, and Austria

Before the current borders were established, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Slovenia, and Austria shared trade routes, languages, and winemaking traditions within the Habsburg Empire.

The wars and political upheavals of the 20th century redrew the borders, but in this region, the grapevine has continued to symbolize a history shaped by connections and cultural influences. Thus, Ribolla Gialla became Rebula in Slovenia, while Friulano is known across the border as Jakot.

Talking about native grape varieties from the border region therefore means telling a story in which borders change, but the varieties remain.

Border wines: what does that mean?

When we talk about border wines, we naturally think of territories near a border. But in this part of Europe, the border has always also been a place of passage. People, goods, knowledge, and even grapevines have followed this flow.

Varieties have been brought from one territory to another, cultivated in similar environments, selected by winegrowers, and often given different names depending on the language.

For this reason, the concept of “autochthonous” does not necessarily coincide with that of “national.” A grape variety can be deeply rooted in a territory without belonging to a single country. Its history can cross a border and continue on the other side.

This is the case with Ribolla Gialla, which becomes Rebula in Slovenia, or Friulano, known across the border as Jakot. And it is also the case with Furmint, called Sipon in Slovenia, which carries this history all the way to Styria and the Austrian world.

Friuli: Italy's frontier

The journey begins in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, one of the regions where the convergence of the Mediterranean world and Central Europe is most evident.

To the east, especially in the Collio and Colli Orientali regions, the landscape flows naturally toward Slovenia. The hills do not stop at the border, nor does their geology. Ponca, composed of marl and sandstone, characterizes both regions and helps give the wines a distinctive combination of freshness and savory depth.

Here, Ribolla Gialla is one of the grape varieties that best illustrates this continuity. It is a variety historically linked to eastern Friuli that, just across the border, is known as Rebula.

The same is true of Friulano, another variety emblematic of the region, which in Slovenia is known as Jakot.

This focus on local varieties is exemplified by Casella, a winery in the Colli Orientali region founded in 1960. The winery, which has just three hectares of vineyards, has devoted particular attention over the years to native grape varieties, preserving vines that are about fifty years old. Its work focuses specifically on Ribolla Gialla and Friulano, along with other historic Friulian varieties such as Schioppettino and Tazzaleghe.

Slovenia: when a grapea variety changes its name

Crossing the Friuli border brings you to Slovenia. But, at least in this part of the country, the wine-growing landscape doesn’t change abruptly.

Goriška Brda is the natural extension of Italy’s Collio region. The hills, the ponca soil, and the Mediterranean influence create a landscape that stretches continuously from one side of the border to the other.

Here, Ribolla Gialla becomes Rebula.

The name change is perhaps the simplest way to understand what it means to talk about border grape varieties. The variety is the same, but the history, language, and tradition through which it is told are Slovenian. Rebula can be interpreted in different ways: fresh and crisp, more structured, or through longer macerations and aging. The grape variety remains the same, while the way it is expressed changes.

The same is true for Friulano, which is known as Jakot in Slovenia.

It is precisely this dual identity that characterizes the work of Princic, a producer from Goriška Brda whose portfolio includes both Rebula and Jakot Friulano. These two wines, even in their names, reflect the relationship between the two sides of the border.

Heading north, however, into Slovenian Styria, the border takes on yet another meaning.

A particularly significant example is Jarenina, a former estate of Admont Abbey. The Austrian Benedictine monastery acquired the farmstead in 1130, when the current border between Austria and Slovenia did not yet exist. Viticulture has remained part of this place’s history for centuries.

Stift Admont: when history crosses the border

Admont Abbey, founded by the Benedictines in Styria in 1074, became the owner of the Jarenina Farm in 1130. It was here that Furmint—known as Šipon in Slovenian—was rediscovered, a variety that has been present in the region for over a thousand years and is now also used in the production of method classique.

The history of Admont is perhaps one of the best examples for understanding the significance of a “border wine”: an Austrian abbey, a vineyard in Slovenia, a grape variety rooted in Central European tradition, and a winemaking history spanning nearly nine centuries.

AUSTRIA: BEYOND THE BORDER

It is upon arriving in Austria that one can truly understand the winemaking history of the entire region. For centuries, Friuli, Slovenia, and Austria were part of the same political and commercial sphere. Trieste was the major port of the Habsburg Empire, the point where the Mediterranean met Central Europe. Goods, people, and cultures passed through here on their way north and east.

Viticulture, too, developed within this network.

Slovenian Styria still represents a sort of transitional zone between two worlds: on one side, the more Mediterranean character of Collio and Brda; on the other, the landscape and wine-growing culture of Austria.

It is a border that, when viewed through the lens of wine, becomes difficult to define.

This is demonstrated by the story of Stift Admont: an Austrian estate, a vineyard in Slovenia, a grape variety that goes by a different name in this region, and a tradition that continues to this day.

The journey through Friuli, Slovenia, and Austria thus returns to its starting point. Ribolla Gialla becomes Rebula, Friulano becomes Jakot, and Furmint becomes Šipon. These are not merely synonyms: they are traces of the history of a region that, over time, has seen its borders, languages, and affiliations change.