A book to celebrate the 90th birthday of Marco Felluga
A book and a wine to celebrate the 90th birthday of Marco Felluga, patriarch of the Friuli Venezia Giulia enology
“A History of Intuition”: so could be defined the story of Marco Felluga, patriarch of the Friulian enology, a prestigious vinemaker in Collio, a leading figure in the national oenological world, that on October 28th, 2017, has reached 90 years.
To celebrate him, the son Roberto has decided to dedicate him a book, written by Walter Filiputti with Tiziano Scaffai’s images, and a wine: the Collio Bianco Gran Selezione 50/90, presented on the occasion of the birthday party held in the scenic Russiz Superiore winecellar in Capriva del Friuli. A label that contains the experience, the passion and the creativity of Marco Felluga and Russiz Superiore wineries – for the first time together – and that contrains also the values transmitted by Marco to Roberto. It will take some time before the winelovers can taste it, since the DOCG Collio will come into effect with the 2018 harvest.
50/90: the book tells the story of Marco Felluga, interwoven with Collio’s story – having decisively contributed to the value of an entrepreneurial life entirely devoted to wine – and the 50 years that the whole family has dedicated to Russiz Superiore, his “masterpiece”. Marco understood as just a few did – and among the very first ones – how to make these eocenic North East hills extraordinarily dedicated to viticulture become “the Collio”. In this special area for the oenological history of Italy and thanks to the emergence of a new and successful winemaking business generation, is born a new style for the white wine that would become – from the 1970s onwards the Renaissance of Italian wine.
A pragmatic man, very demanding at work, with great intelligence and supported by an intuition out of the common and a wide culture, has devoted his life as a producer, as well as his wineries, to the common cause of the territory, is which, for two terms, he has been engaged as President of the Collio’s Consorzio. “This path of Marco Felluga – Russiz Superiore has nourished Italian art and style, which is not just fashion and design, but a way of living where components of the concept of beauty, food and cooking come into play – writes Walter Filiputti in the preface of the volume – together represent and exalt a real, concrete wealth that the world envies us”.
An epoch that still lasts, thanks to a family continuity ensured by Roberto Felluga (fifth generation of this Istrian viticulturist dynasty, who arrived in Friuli Venezia Giulia in the 1920s), continues on the path of absolute quality marked by his father: knowledge and dedication that will pass to his daughter Ilaria. Roberto leads the two prestigious companies in the Collio (Marco Felluga in Gradisca d’Isonzo and Russiz Superiore in Capriva del Friuli). Together, Marco and Roberto have reached more than 60 harvests, which have rippled the time of their work and their lives. The result of this commitment is, symbolically, embodied in the bottle of Collio Bianco Gran Selezione 50/90, which will bring in the label, interwoven with each other, the names of the two family wineries.
To celebrate Marco Felluga on October 28th came many friends from Italy and from abroad, as well as many autorities like Mayor of Capriva del Friuli Daniele Sergon, who honored Marco with the Honorary Citizenship. “In the face of a recurrence like this one can only brag, thankful – commented Cristiano Shaurli, Regional Council Member of the Agricultural and Forestry Resources, – Marco Felluga is a patriarch who has made the history of the Friulian and Italian wine. A model for everybody.”
