Vitovska is a white grape of the Carso (Karst), the limestone plateau above Trieste in Friuli Venezia Giulia. It makes dry, mineral whites with pear, citrus, herbs and a salty finish, often made with skin contact or in amphora.
Vitovska is grown on both sides of the Italian-Slovenian border, in the Italian Carso and the Slovenian Kras. DNA studies suggest it is a natural cross of Malvasia Bianca Lunga and Prosecco Tondo, a form of Glera. For a long time it was a local wine for the farmhouses and osmizze (seasonal farm taverns) of the Carso. From the 1990s a small group of growers began making serious wines from it, with long maceration on the skins and ageing in large casks or clay amphorae. Their work made Vitovska known well beyond Trieste.
Vitovska grows almost only on the Carso plateau, around Trieste, Duino-Aurisina, Sgonico and Monrupino, and in the Slovenian Kras across the border. The vineyards are small and stony, with thin red soil over limestone. Growers often had to break the rock to plant vines. The strong, cold bora wind and the nearby sea shape the climate.
There are two broad styles. Fresh, white versions from steel are delicate and best young. Skin-contact versions are golden or amber, with more texture and dried-fruit notes, and can age for ten years or more.
Start with a fresh Carso Vitovska, then try a skin-contact version to see the other side of the grape. Producers worth knowing include Zidarich, Vodopivec, Skerk, Kante, Skerlj, Castelvecchio, Parovel and Cacovich.
Vitovska grows in the Carso beside Malvasia Istriana and the red Terrano, and is related to Glera. Read our best Friuli wines, the best orange wines from Italy, or browse the grape varieties index.