This is an area in which we had struggled to find the wine we wanted, so decided to bring in Andrea Morlin to work alongside Alana McGettigan and Matt Thomson. The wines are made from fruit grown on the well-drained soils of Grave del Friuli and are fuller than those from Verona. The Ponte del Diavolo wines take their name from the spectacular medieval bridge in nearby Cividale. The story goes that the devil struck a bargain with the townspeople, promising to make them a bridge in return for the soul of the first living thing to cross it. The cunning citizens sent a dog or a cat across, depending on the variation of the story, thereby saving themselves and gaining a wonderful bridge. The Pinot Grigio is excellent, with more weight than cheaper examples of this variety but with a similarly quaffable character. The Sauvignon is restrained and mineral. Though made in exactly the same way as a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, it truly reflects the area in which it is grown. The Refosco is a typical example of this grape variety: rich and rounded, with enough structure to support the juicy, blackberry fruit character. The 2016 season saw many similarities to 2015, with a cooler winter and abundant rainfall. The beginning of the vegetative cycle saw alternate dry and rainy periods, which allowed the plants to develop perfectly. The hot and dry summer that followed led to an abundant harvest of high quality grapes. This Refosco is youthful ruby red in colour, with good depth of colour and violet lights. It has a spicy, brambley perfume on the nose giving way to rounded ripe fruit on the palate. Refosco produces rich, rounded wines, with enough structure to support the juicy, blackberry fruit character.