he Isonzo denomination is applied to wines produced in the eastern part of the Grave of Friuli in the basin drained by the river Isonzo.The Grave district extends from the border between the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia as far as the lower slopes of the Colli Orientali and along the basin of the Isonzo.
The terrain was formed over the course of millennia by riverine and glacial erosion and the accumulation of debris of fairly large size, gravel and sand.
The Isonzo has a considerable history and especially in the field of winemaking. In 237, for example, the Emperor Maximinian succeeded in crossing the Isonzo on a floating bridge made with empty wine containers, known as arnasi, after the people of Aquileia destroyed the only permanent span across the river.
Today, the growing of vines and the making of wine hold third place in terms of the region's gross salable output. Average annual production of the wines of the Isonzo amounts to about 60,000 hectoliters.
In the area, practically all of the principal varieties characteristic of the region are cultivated, including Merlot, Tocai Friulano, Pinot Bianco and Grigio, Verduzzo and Cabernet.
