Orzan Ivaldo

The Orzan winery bears the last name of its founder, Ivaldo, who began producing bulk wine as a hobby in 1964 from a vineyard that had once belonged to his grandfather. The first wines were made in a small cellar located in his home in the center of Capriva del Friuli, less than ten miles from the Slovenian border. What began as a small family project was later carried forward by his sons, Dario and Renato, who shared the same commitment to preserving Friulian traditions and built the current cellar in 1992.

As was customary among Friulian farming families, wine production was historically accompanied by the making of cured meats for household consumption, and the Orzan family continues this tradition today. Renato produces artisanal cured meats using traditional recipes passed down through generations, while Dario focuses on the vineyards and cellar.

Over the years, the estate expanded to its current size of 5 hectares (~12.5 acres), divided between the rolling hills of Collio and the Isonzo river basin. In the flysch-rich soils of Collio, the family cultivates primarily Ribolla Gialla and Friulano, while the clay-rich Isonzo vineyards are planted with Chardonnay, Friulano, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. Behind the cellar, heavier soils are home to Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon vines. These plots have also yielded prehistoric remains, including flints and green stone axes, discoveries that later inspired several of the winery’s labels.

Dario has always been involved in the family business, helping his father in both the vineyard and cellar from a young age. Earlier in life, he combined his work at the winery with a career supplying cellar materials before deciding to dedicate himself fully to winemaking. Today, he produces primarily white wines, vinified through both traditional white winemaking and skin maceration techniques. Some wines are still pressed using the family’s restored hand-operated screw press, a reminder of the hands-on methods that once defined winemaking throughout Friuli. Annual production remains small—approximately 25,000 bottles (~2,000 cases)—allowing close attention to both vineyard and cellar work.

Respect for the land is central to the winery’s philosophy. Natural grass cover is maintained throughout the vineyards, no chemical herbicides are used, and vineyard management follows the principles of voluntary integrated pest management using copper and sulfur, with treatments applied only when necessary. While preserving traditional practices such as manual bottling during the waning moon phase, Dario also looks toward the future by powering the winery exclusively with certified renewable energy.

The wines, cured meats, and local dishes can all be enjoyed at the family’s farm-to-table restaurant, where hospitality remains an essential part of the estate’s identity. The labels themselves reflect the family’s history and connection to the land: some feature a stylized image of Dario as a child helping his father during harvest and pressing, while others reference the prehistoric settlements discovered in the vineyards. Altogether, the wines embody a balance of tradition and experimentation, with artisanal cellar practices that continue to define the character of the winery.