2023 San Lurins Vin Sclet Pinot Grigio Collio 750 ml

There are certain wines you can only get with boots on the ground—and our man Alex’s stylish footwear is firmly planted in Friuli. 

The inspiration for his import company was pure incredulity: Alex simply couldn’t believe how many phenomenal bottles from his native Friuli were nowhere to be found in the US. Instead of lamenting the dearth of wines, he decided to bring them in himself, and now he’s given Wine Access some of our biggest member-favorites. We certainly owe the fantastic 2023 San Lurins Pinot Grigio to his hyper-local credibility and influence.

“Guys, I gotta tell you, I love this wine so much,” he said, with the pride of a father. “Basically, it’s from a historic winery in Friuli—one that goes back to 1874. My friend Marco Pecorari’s great-grandfather Mario purchased it long ago. In 1970, it was divided up by the family.”

“At that time, the vines were really old, about 50 years. Mario decided to replant: Malvasia, Pinot Grigio, Tocai Friulano, and a little Sauvignon. In the 1990s, they decided to start doing everything organically—they are some of the pioneers of organic farming in Friuli.”

“All this time, they have been growing grapes for the co-op and making a little wine for their family. Marco, the grandson, is about the same age as me, 37. He’s been in charge since 2014, I’ve been friends with him for about four years. He’d been bottling and labeling only traditional-method sparkling wines, but when he poured me some of his Pinot Grigio, I was blown away. I said, ‘Marco, this is really really nice! I can’t believe you’ve never sold this!”

Alex took it from there.