Prima Radice

Prima Radice was founded in 2017 in Polcenigo, in the foothills above Pordenone, at the point where the Cansiglio forests meet the Livenza River on the border between Veneto and Friuli. Its two founders, Francesco Orini and Barbara Corazza, came to farming from publishing: the project grew out of Pietre Colorate, an independent wine culture magazine Orini founded in 2009 and which the two co-edited until 2017, the year the farm began.^[1]

The name is drawn from the philosopher Simone Weil, according to Prima Radice.

Hortus Conclusus. A second site sits inside the enclosed garden — the hortus conclusus — of a former Franciscan convent in Polcenigo, now the Church of San Giacomo, and is planted with vegetables and medicinal plants. Prima Radice dates its design and restoration of the garden to 2018; the October 2025 account of the farm places the garden's founding during the pandemic, in what it describes as the now-abandoned Franciscan monastery.^[1],[2]

Barbara Corazza — co-founder. Corazza is a writer who met Orini in 2011 and co-edited Pietre Colorate with him until 2017. Accounts of her arrival at the magazine differ: the October 2025 profile of the farm has her joining in 2011, while a July 2021 interview describes her as a former contributor and editor who took over as co-editor-in-chief in 2013. At Prima Radice she oversees the creative, literary naming of the wines.^[1],[3]

Agricoli — alcohol-free farm ferments. The Agricoli range comprises BRUMA, AURA, RED AURA, RUBRA and SILVA, alcohol-free ferments made from fruit, herbs and seasonal harvests grown on the farm.

Botanici — botanical aperitifs. BITTER is the first release in the Botanici collection of botanical aperitifs.

Origini — single-origin fermented teas. The Origini range consists of still fermented teas from single origins: KEEMUN, BANCHA and DARJEELING. Prima Radice gives Autumn 2026 as their availability.

Fermented and low-ABV categories. Beyond the alcohol-free fruit ferments, production extends to kombucha, sour beers often enriched with fruit at the end of fermentation, and still and sparkling ciders, with a Metodo Classico cider announced as forthcoming.^[1]

Wine. Prima Radice released its first wine vintage in 2022. Franconia, a variety that had nearly disappeared in Friuli, became the symbol of the winery. The bottlings carry literary names, among them 'The Importance of Being Franco' and 'Bohemia by the Sea' (La Boemia sul Mare).^[1]

Spontaneous fermentation. The Agricoli ferments are shaped by spontaneous fermentation of the farm's own fruit, herbs and seasonal harvests — no inoculated culture is named. This is the defining method behind BRUMA, AURA, RED AURA, RUBRA and SILVA.

Natural bottle conditioning. Carbonation in the Agricoli range comes from natural conditioning in bottle rather than injected gas, again across BRUMA, AURA, RED AURA, RUBRA and SILVA. In the cider line the sparkling wine route is being taken further, with a Metodo Classico bottling announced as forthcoming alongside the existing still and sparkling ciders.^[1]

Kombucha and sour-beer fermentation. Two further fermentation formats sit in the range. Kombucha is produced alongside sour beers, the latter often enriched with fruit at the end of fermentation.^[1]

Tea fermentation. The Origini range applies fermentation to single-origin teas, bottled still: KEEMUN, BANCHA and DARJEELING.

Botanical infusion. BITTER, the first release in the Botanici collection, is classified by Prima Radice as a botanical aperitif.

Ingredient sourcing — garden herbs and vegetables. The hortus conclusus in Polcenigo supplies the savory and aromatic side of the operation. Herbs and vegetables grown there go into fermented foods, and the garden is planted with vegetables and medicinal plants; the same medicinal plants also feed the farm's home-made plant-protection preparations.^[1]

• Hortus Conclusus herbs and vegetables — used in fermented foods
• Medicinal plants — grown in the garden and used in the farm's own plant-protection products

Ingredient sourcing — vines. The vineyard holdings centre on Franconia, the variety that had nearly disappeared in Friuli and became the winery's symbol, planted alongside Malvasia and an old vineyard of revived local grape varieties.^[1]

Prima Radice's grains are grown on the farm and milled externally; the resulting flours are used in collaborations with the bakeries Mamm, Tòcio and Pagna.^[1]