Cividìn is named after the Cividale, an ancient town in the Friuli founded by Julius Caesar. There is no evidence that he enjoyed the wine, though the link is just about strong enough to categorise this as a wine of the Caesars… Cividin may be from San Pietro al Natisone, which is the next town to the north of Cividale, the distance is hardly worth argument.
Since the C17th Cividin has appeared in texts as a wine used for celebrations, weddings especially. Thanks to Emilio Bulfon it finally received a mention in the National Registry in 2006, and in 2023 was elevated from a ‘table wine’ to ‘Trevenezie IGT’.
I have read that Cividin is on the rise, but seen little evidence as yet (2024), Emilio Bulfon’s work with the University of Udine and Conegliano has provided a foundation of biotypes for their growers.
Cividin is a late-ripening variety that is susceptible to powdery mildew, it performs well on the limestone hills to the north of the ‘Grave’ in the Friuli, at this point there is little data to measure its success in other areas. Historically it was cultivated in Pordenone and Vipava (in Slovenia) but there are now only two producers that we have come across bottling it as a mono-varietal wine, both in the Friuli. In style it is light to medium-bodied, aromatic with good acidity, a versatile wine that can be excellent when released early and will also develop in good vintages for up to six years. It does have a habit of going though a dumb period in the summer following the vintage, though the quality is such that this is easy to forgive.
