Wine from the Frontier Hills of Collio
Franco Terpin is a pioneering natural winemaker based in San Floriano del Collio, a hamlet in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region of northeastern Italy, right on the border with Slovenia. [^31^] In 1994, Franco and his wife established their winery, focusing on producing wines that authentically express the local terroir. [^31^] The estate spans approximately 10 hectares, with vineyards situated on both the Italian and Slovenian sides of the border, notably on the slopes of Monte Calvario near the Isonzo River. [^31^] [^33^] For over 30 years, Franco has worked with natural methods, listening to nature's messages, waiting patiently for the perfect season. [^51^] He is a cheerful, hard-working farmer who knows that self-irony is the spice of life — and that the wine, like life, must not be domesticated, but understood, welcomed, and lived. [^42^]
Born in the Collio Hills — A Life in Symbiosis with Nature
Franco Terpin was born and raised in the charming Collio Goriziano, a small frontier territory where grapes and cherries grow in abundance and the rolling hills have been the constant scenery of his life. [^51^] As a child, he learned to work as a farmer alongside his numerous brothers, taught by his father and grandfather to love the land he finally inherited in San Floriano del Collio, right on the wild border between Italy and Slovenia. [^51^] This is a region historically linked to wine production since the 3rd century BC, when Romans appreciated the exquisite wines from this area; later recognised as a prestigious product by the Serenissima Republic of Venice and the Tsar of Russia, among others. [^51^]
Franco grew up in full symbiosis with the environment, watching the seasons change and listening to the surrounding nature's messages. [^51^] This extraordinary sensitivity brought him to focus, in the 1990s, on natural methods — producing wines with none or very little sulphite, macerated for long periods using only natural yeast. [^51^] Given the possibility to adjust the product with chemical interventions, choosing this challenging path at that time must have seemed very strange to most winemakers. But Terpin, who aimed at quality rather than quantity, kept thinning the bunches, favouring spontaneous grassing, generating biological diversity. After all, in a small frontier territory, diversity is richness. [^51^]
In 1994, Franco and his wife officially established the winery, planting vineyards on several plots and growing them with patience and care. [^31^] He decided to help his vines grow by planting them close to the woods so that they would be protected, and by not using any insecticides, herbicides, or fertilisers. [^27^] The Terpin family now cultivates approximately 10 hectares in Italy and 6 hectares in Slovenia, with their winery located in the hamlet of Valerisce, not far from the Slovenian border. [^33^] The vineyards are completely surrounded by forests and immersed in nature, producing the grapes that represent the great tradition of this zone. [^48^]
"For us, making wine means letting the wine follow its course, without forcing, without masks. In the cellar we do not correct, we do not chase perfection: we let the wine be alive, imperfect, true."
— Franco Terpin
Organic & Biodynamic, Ponka Soils & Indigenous Varieties
Franco Terpin transitioned from traditional farming to organic and biodynamic viticulture, emphasising soil health and the natural expression of the vine. [^31^] The vineyards are cultivated without synthetic chemicals — no insecticides, no herbicides, no artificial fertilisers. [^27^] The farming is hands-on and meticulous: Franco tends his vines with the same care that his grandfather did, observing the seasons, responding to the weather, and making decisions based on experience rather than algorithms. The result is a vineyard that is healthy, balanced, and expressive — a living ecosystem that produces grapes of genuine character and complexity.
The estate's vineyards are planted on rich clay soils known as "ponka," composed of marl and sandstone — the typical geological formation of the Collio region. [^31^] [^34^] This unique terroir imparts a distinctive minerality to the wines, contributing to their complexity and depth. The ponka soils are stratified, with layers of marine deposits that date back millions of years, providing both excellent drainage and a mineral richness that is unmistakable in the glass. The vineyards are situated on the slopes of Monte Calvario near the Isonzo River, benefiting from the temperate climate of the borderlands and the protection of the surrounding woods. [^31^]
Franco cultivates the indigenous varieties that define Collio: Ribolla Gialla, Tocai Friulano (now Jakot), Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. [^29^] [^38^] The focus is on grapes that have grown in this region for centuries. Ribolla Gialla, with its crisp acidity and floral notes, is the signature white of Collio. Tocai Friulano — renamed Jakot after a European naming dispute — provides the mineral, almond-scented backbone that defines great Friulian white wine. Pinot Grigio, when handled with extended maceration, reveals a depth and complexity that transcends the bland commercial stereotype.
Full organic and biodynamic farming since the 1990s. No synthetic chemicals, no herbicides, no insecticides, no artificial fertilisers. Spontaneous grassing and biological diversity. [^31^] [^27^]
Rich clay soils composed of marl and sandstone — the typical "ponka" of Collio. Stratified marine deposits providing drainage, minerality, and complexity. [^31^] [^34^]
Ribolla Gialla, Tocai Friulano (Jakot), Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon. Grapes that belong to this frontier land. [^29^] [^38^]
Vineyards on both Italian and Slovenian sides of the border. Slopes of Monte Calvario near the Isonzo River. Protected by surrounding forests. [^31^] [^33^]
Skin-Contact Maceration, Indigenous Yeasts & No Filtration
Franco Terpin's winemaking is characterised by minimal intervention and maximum respect for the raw material. In the cellar, the grapes undergo a short fermentation process on the skins, followed by a year-long fermentation with yeasts in small oak barrels. [^27^] Fermentation occurs with indigenous yeasts in open-top vats, and ageing takes place in large oak barrels. [^31^] The winemaking carries out the rules of Collio — the long macerations that change according to the year, without any standardisation for wines that reflect the seasons from which they were fed. [^34^]
There is no fining and no filtration. [^31^] Franco believes that removing the natural sediments and proteins from wine strips it of its character, its texture, and its ability to age. The wines are bottled with their natural cloudiness, their living yeasts, and their full complement of polyphenols. This approach demands patience from the drinker — the wines may throw a sediment, they may evolve unpredictably in the bottle — but it rewards with authenticity and depth. The wine is then poured into steel casks without filtering or clarification, preserving its pure character. [^27^]
Franco's aim is to bring out of his grapes their natural talents and their expressive power by following his personal philosophy. [^27^] He produces three pure varietals — the Yellow Ribolla, the Friulano (Tocai, now Jakot), and the Pinot Grigio, also known as Sialis Grigio — and three blends: the white and red Stamas and the white Sialis. [^27^] The maceration lengths vary by vintage and variety, creating wines that are unmistakably tied to the season that produced them. In the glass, one finds a pulp that cannot be confused — full and round, deep and profound, matching Franco's large hands and his personality. [^34^]
The result is a range of wines that are elegant, authentic, and unmistakably of Collio. They are not wines that shout; they are wines that whisper, that reveal themselves gradually, that demand attention and repay it with layers of flavour and a sense of place that is rare in the modern wine world. Franco doesn't care much about awards and prestigious guides' mentions. When it's harvesting time he gathers family, relatives and friends. They work together with no rush, as the work has to be a pleasure: the vineyard listens, the vineyard understands. [^51^]
Jakot — "Full and Round, Deep and Profound"
The Jakot is Franco Terpin's most celebrated orange wine — a skin-contact maceration of Tocai Friulano that has become a benchmark for the style. [^31^] [^34^]
Named after the European naming dispute that forced Friulano producers to abandon the "Tocai" name, Jakot is a defiant reclamation of identity — "Jakot" is "Tocai" spelled backwards. The wine is made from 100% Friulano grown on the ponka soils of San Floriano del Collio, hand-harvested and fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts in open-top vats with extended skin contact. It is then aged in large oak barrels for a year, bottled without filtration or clarification. [^27^] [^31^]
In the glass, it is amber and luminous, with a pulp that cannot be confused — full and round, deep and profound like Franco's personality. The nose offers dried apricot, wild herbs, and a distinct mineral salinity from the marl soils. The palate is textured and tannic, with layers of almond, citrus peel, and a long, savoury finish that speaks of the Collio frontier. It is a wine of absolute permeance between winemaker, territory, fruit, and wine. ~€28–€38 / ~$30–$42.
The Franco Terpin Range
Franco Terpin produces a focused range of natural wines from approximately 10 hectares of organically and biodynamically farmed vineyards in San Floriano del Collio, with additional vineyards across the border in Slovenia. [^31^] [^33^] All wines are spontaneously fermented with indigenous yeasts, unfiltered, and bottled with minimal or no sulphur. The portfolio is built around indigenous Collio varieties and reflects the seasons from which they were fed. Prices are approximate and in EUR/USD.