Some of our favorite white wines are those we happily sip even in chilly weather. One versatile pour from northern Italy — a Branko Collio Friulano 2014 — is like an affable guest who is always welcome at the table.

In Italy’s northeastern corner, between the Alps and the Adriatic Sea, is the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Its northern border cozies up to Austria, while its eastern edges hug Slovenia. Varietals grown here reflect a long history of Italian, Germanic, and Slavic influences. Ribolla gialla and riesling are among the white grapes grown here; refosco and blaufrankisch among the reds.

South of the municipality of Udine are two hillside regions. One is the distinguished Colli Orientali, which translates as the “eastern hills.’’ The other is the well-regarded Collio, extending from the Judrio River in the west to the Slovenian border to the east.

The friulano grape thrives in Collio’s predominantly white wine landscape. The thin-skinned varietal (sauvignon vert in France) was called “tocai’’ until recently. In 2008, Hungary argued successfully for the removal of the name from Italian bottles bound for the export market, seeking to avoid confusion with its own “tokaj’’ or “tokay’’ sweet wines. No matter what it’s called, we love what one producer in particular is doing with the grape.

Winemaker Igor Erzetic crafts a lovely line of pours, including a splendid friulano, at the family winery, named for his father, Branko Erzetic, in the village of Cormons. The vineyards, cultivated on clay marl and sandstone, see 2,300 feet of elevation. The majority of the wine is fermented in stainless steel while a little is fermented and aged for several months in large format French barrels. Both unoaked and oaked batches are blended, resulting in a pour with more interest and heft than your typical white.

The pour is pale in hue and light in density, offering aromas that are clean, cool, and minerally. Green herbs and wet stones support green apple and citrus. Those citrusy notes continue in a tart palate with flavors of yellow pear and appetizing bitter almond — think of it as a pleasantly vegetal flavor with some bite — plus wisps of cereal grains and saline beneath. It offers enough weight and ripeness to make it a splendid pairing with a wide array of dishes, like whole fish baked in a salt crust, roast chicken rubbed with rosemary and lemon, or a saucy shakshuka. This talented white even pairs with asparagus, a vegetable notorious for making other wines taste metallic.

With poise and presence to spare, this northern Italian will shine at your next dinner party.

Branko Collio Friulano 2014, around $25, is available at Inman Square Wine & Spirits, Cambridge, 617-945-2902; Colonial Spirits, Acton, 978-263-7775; Federal Wine & Spirits, Financial District, 617-367-8605.

Ellen Bhang can be reached at bytheglass@globe.com.