A few weeks ago we took a trip to Italy to visit with a few of our wine producers; our second stop was a planned stay at Villa Chiopris with our friends from Livon.  The weather had been particularly warm, so driving up to through the northern part of Italy was a welcome respite from the heat.  Villa Chiopris is located in the region of Friuli where the landscape is characterized by rocky river beds which make their way from the hills to the Adriatic sea.

Villa Chiopris
Bed and Breakfast

Villa Chiopris is an Azienda Agricola featuring beautiful vineyards of Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc as well as a full service Bed and Breakfast and event destination.  The property is located between the towns of Chiopris and Viscone and is an ideal grape growing location filled with iron rich and loose alluvial soil on the sixty-hectare property.  Livon purchased the property to extend their wine portfolio with variety of wines from the region of Friuli with an added benefit of an Azienda Agricola offering lovely accommodations greet guests from near and afar.

Upon our arrival, we spent some time by their beautiful pool, surrounded by gorgeous magnolia and large pine trees.  The accommodations were quite lovely and featured the Livon classic branding of the ‘Winged Woman’ throughout.  Later we took a ride into a nearby walled in town of Palmanova for dinner and a walk in the Piazza.

In the morning, we were greeted by Francesca Livon, of Villa Chiopris Azienda Agricola, who put on an incredible spread of danishes, fruits and meats to get us ready for a full day of vineyard and winery tours with Matteo Livon and Maurizio Dalmasson of Livon Wines.  First we explored the Villa Chiopris location and then we were off the original home and winery of Livon.

Tonino Livon, Julius Angelini, Valneo Livon, and Matteo Livon at the Livon Headquarters

Maurizio Dalmasson, International Sales Director, Livon

Later in the morning and early afternoon, we had the pleasure of driving up the mountainside to Braide Alte, where the most glorious pinot grigio grapes are grown along the hillsides of the mountains.  It is no surprise that the award winning Livon Pinot Grigio, Livon Braide Grande and Livon Braide Alte all stem from this well maintained and sun-ripened vineyard.  After a wine tasting outside on the deck, we stepped inside to view a special room filled with barrels of balsamic vinegars which are aging for future use.  We look forward to learning more about their plans for the vinegars, some have been aging in the barrels for almost 25 years.

Next, it was time for lunch, and where else to go but the restaurant located at the bottom of the Livon hillside called Vineria Venco.  We knew we were in for a treat when the chef invited us to enjoy a short cooking lesson on how to make Spaghetti Carbonara.  The meals we enjoyed were so tasty, that we decided to return later in the evening to enjoy a classic Italian pizza along with one of our favorite Livon red wines, the Livon Cru Eldoro Pignola DOC.

Livon Eldoro Pignolo

Visits like this to Livon and Villa Chiopris to meet with our wine producers is truly what makes our wine import business so special.  We work directly with small – medium size production vineyards to ensure the best quality of wine in your glass.  We look forward to sharing more with you about our trips and visits with many of our wine producers as they arise.  Til soon, Cin Cin.