Carso DOC

DOC area for red and white wines in the Italian region Friuli Venezia Giulia on the border with Slovenia. The zone includes the municipalities of Duino-Aurisina, Monrupino, Muggia, San Dorligo della Valle, Sgonico and Trieste in the province of Trieste, and the municipalities of Doberdò del Lago, Fogliano Redipuglia, Monfalcone, Ronchi dei Legionari, Sagrado and Savogna d'Isonzo in the province of Goriziano (Gorizia). It stretches along the Adriatic coast on the Gulf of Trieste, from the north bordering DOC area Collio Goriziano to the Croatian peninsula of Istria in the south. The name Carso is derived from the hilly, karstic high plateau. The climate is characterised by mild summers and cold winds from the dreaded east wind Bora.

The label can state Carso (Italian) or Carso-Kras (Slovenian). The single-varietal wines must contain at least 85% of the respective variety, a maximum of 15% can be other authorised varieties. The red wines are Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso and (for the latter 70%) Terrano. The white wines are Chardonnay, Glera, Malvasia (Malvasia Istriana = Malvazija Istarska), Pinot Grigio (Pinot Gris), Sauvignon (Sauvignon Blanc), Traminer and Vitovska. A Riserva with a longer maturing period before marketing is available from the wine types Malvasia, Sauvignon, Vitovska, Rosso, Merlot, Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, Terrano and Terrano Clascico.

The wine type Terrano Classico is made from at least 70% Terrano. It may only be produced in the Classico area (parts of the municipalities of Duino-Aurisiana, Monrupino, Sgonico and Trieste), where there is the iron-rich soil type Terra Rossa. This soil, called Teran in Slovenian, extends across the border into Slovenia, where the similar red wine Kras Teran is produced from the variety named Refošk there. According to one hypothesis, Terrano/Refošk could be a descendant of the variety used for the ancient wine Pucinum mentioned by Pliny the Elder (23-79).