It is obvious that the story of Livio Felluga and his wines is bound up with the history of this very special land in the north east corner of the Adriatic, where the Mediterranean meets central Europe.

It is a history of ever-shifting frontiers, vanished empires, passing wars and people who have chosen to remain.

It is the story of a family that endured two world wars, living first in the Austro-Hungarian Empire and then in the young Kingdom of Italy, on the rocky coast of the Istrian peninsula and the lagoon of Grado, before finally settling in the gently rolling hills of Friuli.

The return to Italy was far from easy for veterans of the Second World War, especially for those who had left their families in this long-suffering corner of the Adriatic.

The survivors came back to find it was no longer a proud bridgehead into Europe. The physical, political and ethnic frontiers had changed irremediably, as had the agricultural and social panorama of the hill country itself.

The rural population was moving away, leaving the land the poorer, and abandoning the crops, values and traditions that are indivisible from the soil.

Livio Felluga had to face another battle to revive the hills, convinced that only high-quality viticulture could breathe new life into the Friulian countryside.

With great courage, he began to restore old vineyards and plant new ones, introducing innovative ideas and techniques.

It was hard work, but Livio Felluga set to it with the tenacity and passion that would help him in the coming years to create one of Friuli's most impressive wineries, earning his universally acknowledged reputation as the man who re-established Friuli's winemaking heritage.

In Friuli, and far beyond this special land of very special people and wines, the name Livio Felluga is synonymous with all that is best in the oenological heritage.

The long family tradition extends over five generations, back to the days when the Fellugas were making Refosco and Malvasia in their native Isola d'Istria.

Seventy years ago, the family's skills were transferred to Friuli by the eldest son of the fourth generation, Livio, whose great privilege it is to be regarded as the patriarch of viticulture and winemaking in the region.

In the 1950s, Livio set up the cellar at Brazzano, sealing his love for the hill country with the far-sighted purchase of the first Felluga vineyards at Rosazzo.

It was a success destined to endure, thanks to Livio's absolute, and at times obstinate, dedication to the land.

He knows every step of his estate. He lives and breathes the land, because over the years his patience and determination have shaped it with a gentle hand, shunning aggressive intervention to coax out the best the soil can give. Rosazzo bears witness to this.

Today, the Livio Felluga estate extends over more than 160 hectares of hill country in the Collio and Colli Orientali del Friuli, with 135 hectares planted to vine.

The vineyards yield exclusively great wines with instantly recognisable fragrances and aromas. These are the map label wines.