#Italy #Italian Wine Podcast #Borgo del Tiglio #Friuli winery #Brazzano

Community Unites: Italian Wine Podcast Supports Friuli Winery After Devastating Landslide

On November 16, 2025, northeastern Italy was rocked by a devastating landslide, particularly affecting the Friuli region. Heavy rains, exceeding 300mm in just a few hours, caused a perilous collapse on the slopes where the family-owned Borgo del Tiglio winery is situated. The tragedy struck with the collapse of a house, resulting in the loss of two lives and creating widespread destruction across the area. The inner courtyard of the winery became a treacherous landscape filled with mud, debris, and historical ruins.

In response to these harrowing events, the Italian Wine Podcast hosted a special edition where Stevie Kim chatted with Mattia Manferrari, a representative of Borgo del Tiglio winery, to uncover the extent of the damage and discuss how the global wine community can lend support.

A Legacy at Risk

Borgo del Tiglio winery, nestled in Brazzano within the Collio region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, has been a cornerstone of winemaking tradition since the 1970s. Renowned for signature wines such as Collio Ronco della Chiesa Friulano and Studio di Bianco, this artisanal winery produces approximately 50,000 bottles per year. The disaster took a heavy toll, demolishing three historic properties and partially devastating the vineyards, including the cherished Ronco della Chiesa vineyard. This vineyard is regarded as a central element of the winery's identity, and efforts to salvage it are underway amid ongoing cleanup operations.

Mattia elaborated on the traumatic events of the landslide, highlighting the proactive rescue efforts made by the winery’s oenologist, who was involved in attempting to save victims as the landslide surged through the property. While currently recovering in the hospital, the oenologist's condition is stable, offering hope amidst the chaos.

Resilience and Recovery

As the Mud Coat the Winery
The scale of the destruction was immense; the winery's inner courtyard was buried in dirt, and it visually resembled a mountain that reached up to the first floor. Fortunately, the initial evaluation of the storage facilities revealed that the winery's bottle storage area remained intact, safeguarding the 2025 vintage currently sitting in the underground cellar under tons of mud. Unfortunately, the landslide resulted in the loss of around 10,000 bottles from the winery's historical archive. Despite the devastation, the Manferrari family expresses optimism for a swift recovery, hoping to resume shipments soon.

The Importance of Solidarity

Amidst the mourning of lives lost and homes destroyed, Mattia wants to emphasize the importance of recognizing the sustainable practices that Borgo del Tiglio embodies. He aims to use this moment as a platform to shed light on the pressing issue of climate change and its disastrous implications for fragile ecosystems, small businesses, and the fabric of rural life.

In the podcast, several recommendations were made for the international wine community on ways to support wineries in Friuli, struggling in the wake of this disaster:

• - Acknowledge the rapid and disastrous impact of climate change on environmental stability.
• - Advocate for sustainability by supporting traditional winemaking practices like those at Borgo del Tiglio.
• - Directly order from small independent wineries, such as Borgo del Tiglio, to provide them with necessary resources for recovery.
• - Engage with US importers, including Grand Cru Selections, Lyra Wine from California, Vineyard Road of Massachusetts, and Volio in Colorado.

Moving Forward

Listeners can delve deeper into the full conversation with Mattia Manferrari on the Italian Wine Podcast platform or through various podcast streaming services. The Italian Wine Podcast, launched in 2017, has established itself as the world's only daily wine podcast, dedicated to uncovering the unique narratives embedded within Italian wine culture. With over 2,500 episodes, it bridges the gap between the wine industry and enthusiasts. Mattia hopes that while it is crucial to support the victims of the landslide, this moment offers a significant opportunity to fortify the future of sustainable winemaking and foster resilience in communities affected by climate change.