The Italian wine industry has been shaken by the news of the death of Roberto Felluga at the age of just 63. He was a leading figure in the Collio and Friuli regionds, and not only because of the success he made of the eponymous Marco Felluga winery his father had founded in Gradisca in 1956 and his development of Russiz Superiore a separate business in Capriva del Friuli, into a top flight estate.
Roberto Felluga was also very committed to the concerns of the entire sector on an institutional level, for example as president of the regional economic department in the agricultural association Confagricoltura or as vice-president of the consortium of wines in the Collio. Additionally, he he was also involved in the Gemium, which had the tricky task of uniting the three regions of Friuli, Veneto and Trentino for the creation of the Pinot Grigio delle Venezie DOC..
His great ambition was the longevity of the white wines of the Collio, which he particularly achieved with the cuvées he produced at Russiz Superiore. Both there and at Marco Felluga, he had a special passion for the underappreciated Ribolla Gialla grape variety
In recent years, especially since he was first diagnosed with cancer a year ago, Felluga was helped by his daughter Illaria, who studied viticulture at the University of Udine and will now take over the estates. Roberto Felluga had been ill with cancer a year ago and will have prepared her for the difficult task. Our sympathies go out to his family and those close to him.
