Cantina Le Monde
by
Kathy Sullivan
Summary: With a history dating back to 1970, Cantina Le Monde has a new contemporary style facility that includes a large tasting room and winery. Visitors can choose between red and white wines, indigenous and international wines.
Approaching the winery we saw a modern-style building with bright reddish sides surrounded by vineyards. We were quickly greeted and provided a tour of the winery and a wine tasting in the tasting room.
Cantina Le Monde began in 1970. A lion is the symbol of the winery. In 2008 Alex Maccan purchased the winery that had been started by the Pistoni family. Alex completed a new building in 2012. Solar panels provide 70 percent of the energy needed for the winery. Those who take tours will notice a large modern elevator in the contemporary building.
Vineyards
The vineyards are in the DOC Friuli Grave region. They have 40 hectares (almost 100 acres) of grapes including Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Friulano, Ribolla Gralla, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Refosco, and Glera. Some of the vineyards are more than 30 years old. Eco-sustainability is important in the vineyards. Hand pruning of the vineyards takes place in winter.
During our March visit the vines were still dormant. It provided an opportunity to view the vines' architecture and observe the pruning.
Winery
The winery and barrel room are located below ground. The cellar room has 225 liter barriques and 500 liter tonneaux from different barrel producers. Current production of wines is 150,000 bottles. The tasting room with an elegant style is located on the third floor. From the large tasting room visitors have views of the vineyards.
When Maccan bought the cellar he wanted to produce wines that respect the identity of the grape. He wanted people to respect the wine. Franco Bernabe is the winemaker and ages wines for three years and then bottle ages the wine one year before making it available for sale. The equipment is very modern and includes computers that indicate temperatures as well as the amount of wine in the tanks.
Tasting Room
The tasting room features honey-toned woods with large windows offering views of the vineyards. The red seats, made of cork, add a bright colorful note to the large room. Throughout the room, wines are displayed. One display is a relief map of the property showing the vineyards.
Wines
Prosecco 2012 was a straw color wine with apple, pear and citrus notes. This a refreshing sparkling wine. Secondary fermentation was done following the Charmat process. The secondary fermentation took place in large stainless steel tanks for 30-35 days. Pinot Grigio 2012 was a peach color with some red hints. This wine was on the skins for four to five days. The aroma offered peach notes while the smooth taste had peach and other stone fruit nuances. The finish was crisp and very fruit forward. Friulano 2011 was a yellow color. The aroma included floral, almonds, and slight mineral notes. The taste also had nuances of floral and almond. 
The finish had some mineral followed by a splash of fruit. Sauvignon Blanc 2011 was a yellow color. The aroma offered tropical and mineral notes. The taste had citrus nuances and the wine finish was crisp and fruity.
Refosco 2011 was a dark ruby to purple color. The aroma and taste offered notes of dark fruits and licorice. The finish had bold tannins and was fruity with a slight hint of licorice.
Cantina Le Monde is a modern winery with a modern tasting room. Visitors will enjoy the tasting experience as they look over the vineyards. When planning to visit Cantina Le Monde include a visit to the small nearby village of Portobuffolè.
Cantina Le MondeVia Giuseppe Garibaldi, 2
33080 Prata di Pordenone (Pordenone), Italy
Article written April 2013
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