Livio Felluga

"Terre Alte nel Mondo” (The World’s High Lands). That was the theme for the event organised at Gambero Rosso Città del Gusto in Rome to celebrate the 20th birthday of Terre Alte, one of the flagship wines of the prestigious Friulian Livio Felluga wine estate. Terre Alte has always been noted as an outstanding product by the most authoritative wine guides. Recently, it was awarded Three Glasses by Gambero Rosso Slow Food and Five Bunches by AIS.
For the anniversary celebrations, Daniele Cernilli, Stefano Bonilli and Maurizio Felluga presented a vertical tasting of eight of Terre Alte’s finest vintages, from the ’91 to a preview of the 2002. Attending the event were many distinguished guests, journalists and celebrities, such as actors Ricky and Gian Marco Tognazzi, Simona Izzo, Andrea Pezzi, saxophonist Amedeo Bianchi and the director of television’s Canale 5 news, Enrico Mentana, accompanied by his wife, Michela Rocca di Torrepadula. Welcoming the guests was the family patriarch, Livio Felluga, founder of the estate more than half a century ago. Today, he is 89 years old and a living legend in Friulian quality winemaking. Accompanying Livio were his wife, Bruna, and their children Elda, Maurizio, Andrea and Filippo.
The vertical tasting was followed by a lively and very enjoyable party, during which Terre Alte was complemented by the astonishingly imaginative setting specially created in the Città del Gusto wine bar by Wine Art, thanks to the creativity of Andrea Pezzi, Filippo Polidori and Giorgio Meszely. One entire wall of the wine bar was covered with bottles of Terre Alte, and a soft, yet bright and informal, atmosphere was created by constantly changing lights, shapes and sounds. Another wall served as a giant screen for a series of glittering images. Tradition and innovation. Delightful views of the Friulian countryside, the vineyards and the cellars were presented with portraits of the Fellugas and images from various countries around the world. These “high lands” inspired the dishes specially created for the occasion by the celebrated Naples-based chef, Alfonso Montefusco, the originator of the Food Context philosophy, in which food and space enhance each other. Montefusco took his cue from Terre Alte’s great versatility to prepare en place a “Menù dei Tre” (Menu of Threes): the same ingredients were interpreted in three different ways according to different culinary traditions, to achieve a well-balanced meeting of Mediterranean cooking and strong exotic influences. The ancient savours of the Orient, the caressing sensations of the South Pacific and the intense flavours of South America fused with authentic Mediterranean cuisine.
The international atmosphere was supported by music from Visual DJ Joey Skye and percussionist Antonio Testa.
The thread linking all the parts of this world tour of flavours was Terre Alte, a wine whose elegance, structure and endless nuances make it a perfect partner for very diverse culinary traditions, which may be far removed from Italy’s. Created in 1981, Terre Alte immediately captured the attention of wine professionals, and is now regarded as one of Italy’s most prestigious whites. The superbly balanced blend of Tocai Friulano, Pinot Bianco and Sauvignon grapes, estate-grown at Rosazzo in the historic Terre Alte vineyards, yields a wonderfully elegant wine with a profusion of intense fruit and flower aromas. A wine of outstanding structure, Terre Alte acquires a complex bouquet of tertiary aromas with bottle age.