🍇 Vitouska

Vitouska is a white grape from the Karst area near Trieste, in north-eastern Italy by the Slovenian border. The area is called Carso in Italian and Kras in Slovenian. The land is limestone with red clay soil, and a strong wind called the bora blows over the sea.

The grape has long grown in these places and is little known in the world. Its wine is usually dry and pale, with a bright mineral taste, a touch of salinity and good acidity. So-called orange wines are also made from Vitouska: the white grapes are left to ferment together with their skins. They turn amber in colour, with tannins and complex aromas.

Vitouska also grows in Friuli. It belongs to Italian wine and is linked to the Carso appellation. Another border grape, Ribolla Gialla, grows nearby. For lovers of unusual whites Vitouska is interesting as a local rarity: it is tried by those who look for the taste of a specific place.