After more then 170 years, the Monastery estate today spans 130 hectares only a few kilometers from the Carnic Alps and nearby the seaside. Alluvial clay, rich in salt minerals, caressed in the wintertime by cold mountain winds and by the salty sea winds coming from the Grado lagoon in the summer, make this area the ideal terroir to grow grapes with unparalleled characteristics.
Our method of working with grapevines – taking great care with every detail on each plot in order to take into account the different soil – allows us to obtain grapes with an exceptional ripeness and extremely elegant wines with intense flavors.
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Ever since the Holy Roman Empire, grapevines have been growing on these lands, which today are dedicated to the cultivation of an assortment of DOC vine varieties from Friuli-Venezia Giulia, including Ribolla Gialla, Refosco, Pinot Grigio, Merlot, Cabernet, Sauvignon and Prosecco.
It is worth mentioning that recently Guido Federico planted non-local vine varieties, including Carmenere, Rebo and Palava. The latter is in honor of the ancient Hungarian family properties.
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Thanks to various actions we have taken, such as alternating mowing between the rows to always guarantee the presence of "green corridors", or mechanical under-row cleaning, to support the local fauna and flora, and the general biodiversity in our vineyard, we have obtained the certification CEVIQ - Certificazione Vini Italiani di Qualità - symbol of our commitment as a company to contribute to a sustainable future for our land.
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The prosperity of this beautiful land early on catches the eyes of the Romans who found the city of Aquileia in 181 before Christ – today a UNESCO Heritage site – and who are the first to begin cultivating grapevines, aware of the natural potential of the area. Saying has it that empress Giulia Augusta, wife of Ottaviano, had such an appreciation for wine from Aquileia that she would have it sent to Rome.
In the 11th century, the Monastery, from which the village takes its name, sees vast acquisitions and takes on an increasingly important role in the history of the Aquileia territory, impacting the religious, economic, and social destiny of all the surrounding areas.
After being transformed from a monastery into a villa-farm by the Cassis-Faraone family, in 1850, the estate was bought by the family of Giulio Ettore Ritter de Záhony, originally from Frankfurt am Main. Giulio Ettore Ritter de Záhony and his son in law, Count Theodor de la Tour (a French oenologist) sensed how the farms of Collio Goriziano and Monastero di Aquileia, both of which belonged to them, were particularly fitted for cultivating grapevines and vine plants and introduced for the first time in the territory’s history a variety of French vines such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet and Pinot, refined grapes that till today are keeping their wine supremacy in the region.
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To find out more, visit the Pro Loco Aquileia website by clicking on the following link: www.prolocoaquileia.it
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