Nicola Manferrari was originally trained in pharmacology, though that was a decision bred from family tradition more than from passion. In 1981, Nicola’s father died, and he was put in charge of his father’s ‘hobby’ – 5 hectares of land, 3 of which were planted with vines. It was there that he found his calling.
He felt his way through winemaking by following his instincts, only to find many of the techniques he ‘invented’ in Friuli were in fact quite common in other parts of Europe (he was the first in Friuli to use bilateral Guyot pruning, only to find the method common practice in the Loire). He then taught himself French so he could read volumes like ‘Phisiologie de la Vigne’ by F. Champagnol. This combined with his training in chemistry and biology allowed him to listen to his palate and let that dictate how to get the wines where he wanted them to go.
“Borgo del Tiglio is one of the world’s greatest estates. Proprietor Nicola Manferrari crafts brilliant, chiseled whites built on saline-infused minerality and energy that capture the essence of some of Friuli’s most compelling terroirs.” – Antonio Galloni of Vinous Media
