From a Berlin wine bar to a Négociant in Friuli
Antonio Bragato was born in Swabia, grew up in Veneto, and has been one of the most prominent intermediaries between Italian wine culture and the German public for decades. In 1990, he opened his first wine bar in Berlin-Charlottenburg, the Enoiteca Il Calice — initially on Giesebrechtstraße, later on Walter-Benjamin-Platz, where it became a meeting point for connoisseurs in the west of Berlin. From this gastronomic practice, the desire matured to work as a Négociant himself: to conceive wines that he fully understands and can vouch for. In 2004, this plan became reality when Bragato began producing his own wines in his home region of Friuli.
Partner vineyards, experienced oenologist in the cellar
Antonio Bragato does not own any vineyards. His wines are created almost exclusively from grapes from the partner winery Ronco della Rocca, which is managed by Gianni Maccari. The Rocca Bernarda site is located in the Colli Orientali del Friuli growing region, just a few hundred meters from the renowned cru site of Rosazzo. Maccari, a trained oenologist and agronomist, was previously responsible for production at Livio Felluga for twenty years — one of the benchmark names in Friuli. He takes care of both the vineyard and the cellar at Bragato. The Praephylloxera Friulano does not bear its name by chance: it comes from own-rooted Tocai Friulano vines that were never grafted onto phylloxera-resistant rootstocks — a rarity that has increasingly disappeared in Friulian viticulture. The fermentation of the Friulano takes place in barriques with indigenous yeasts, followed by 21 months of aging in small oak barrels.
Bragato's role is that of the architect: he defines the style and concept, Maccari implements them artisanally. This clear division of labor between an experienced gastronomy and wine expert on the one hand and one of the most technically savvy winemakers in Friuli on the other is the foundation of the project.
Terroir wines between Friulian minerality and northern precision
The range focuses on the classic white wine grape varieties of the Colli Orientali: Friulano, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. The Praephylloxera Friulano shows what this autochthonous grape variety is capable of on old roots — aromas of peach, citrus, and almonds, fine acidity structure, a tannin in the finish that is unusual for a white wine but stems from the long barrique contact. The Rio delle Rose Chardonnay moves in a different mode: stone fruit, apple zest, white flowers, powerful on the palate with mineral pull and delicate melt. Both wines benefit from some air in the glass and are suitable as serious food companions — with grilled fish, seafood, hearty risotto, or aged cheese. Wine connoisseur Stuart Pigott once described Bragato's style as follows: wines that are "clearly at home in both cultures" — with the freshness and minerality known from great German white wines and the liveliness of the Mediterranean region.
