Picolit

Picolit is a rare Italian white grape variety renowned for its intense aromas, delicate flavour and sweet, honeyed finish.

The grapes of Picolit are small, deep yellow-gold in colour. It has distinctive intense aromas of flowers, honey and dried fruits aromas. On the palate, they are characterised by a medium-high acidity and a sweet, honeyed finish.

Picolit is mostly grown in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of northern Italy, in the provinces of Gorizia, Udine and Trieste. Picolit is vigorous but low yielding, as they are prone to mildew and other diseases. Grapes usually ripen at the end of September, and picked much later. They are then dried on mats or in racks, or even being left on the vines. Some producers in recent years are aging the wine in small oak barrels to reach higher complexity. Picolit is almost exclusively used for sweet dessert wines. The wines of Picolit are complex, intensely aromatic with floweral, dry apricots and honey. Picolit wines are excellent when paired with fruit-based desserts, such as tarts and pies, or with cheeses such as Brie and Camembert.

Picolit is believed to have been planted in the Friuli region as early as the 16th century.