S4E7 The Boot in 20: Friuli-Venezia Giulia, with Paul Balke

The sheer exuberance of Paul Balke's devotion to Italian wine regions bubbles up like a glass of prosecco—which, we learn in this episode, did not originate in Veneto, but rather in the village of Prosek, near Trieste.

This special, double-size installment of The Boot in 20 is a true deep dive. Even diehard fans of Friulian wines will learn indigenous grapes they've never heard of before. Those who listen to the end will get the skinny on the world's most exciting slices of ham!

Note: Paul Balke currently lives in rural Calabria and we struggled with our connection and other technical issues. While the audio quality does not quite match our usual standards, we think Paul's incredibly educational perspective is worth it. The Boot in 20 series features an interview with an expert on the wines of Italy's 20 regions, including grapes, wines, climate, history, culture, and advice for planning a visit.

After hearing this episode, you'll understand the geopolitical history that leads Paul to insist on discussing the wines of Friuli-Venezia Giulia in context with the wines of western Slovenia and the Croatian part of the Istrian peninsula.

Inspired to plan a trip to this region? You must consult Paul's beautiful book, North Adriatic. You can order it from Paul directly at his website, where you can also learn about Paul's winemaking and piano music! Paul's website: paulbalke.com Follow Paul on Instagram: instagram.com/paulbalke

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Modo di Bere is a multiplatform publication by Rose Thomas Bannister. In addition to this podcast, Rose Thomas also makes:

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This episode was produced and recorded by Rose Thomas Bannister Video and audio edited by Giulia Àlvarez-Katz Audio assistance by Steve Silverstein