The Grave covers an area of about 7,500 hectares extending on either side of the Tagliamento river in the provinces of Pordenone and Udine in the region of Friuli Venezia Giulia.
The soil of the high Friuli plain, sheltered by the arc of the Alpine foothills, is characterized by a natural landscape of pronounced originality. It is an extensive zone formed by alluvial matter washed down from the Alps by the rivers Meduna, Cellina and Tagliamento. In the course of the millennia, they have dropped enormous quantities of calcareous-dolomitic material gouged out of the mountains by the violence of the water and washed along the course of their riverbeds. The entire plain is formed by terrain of alluvial origin. It is coarse in the northernmost segment of the DOC zone and becomes ever finer as the rivers continue along their course virtually to the coast.

In addition to having served as the source of the Grave terrain, the mountains protect the valley from icy winds blowing down from the heights to the north. This aspect, along with the mitigating influence of the Adriatic Sea, has created a climate that is particularly adapted to the cultivation of vines. However, there is another reason why the Grave is adapted to quality production. The terrain, characterized to a large extent by stony material, has a double effect favorable to the vines. During the day, the stones reflect the sun's rays, which are necessary for the ripening of the grapes. At night, they release the heat accumulated during the day. That influence is important above all at the end of summer, because it permits extension of the harvest season and, therefore, adds to the certainty of obtaining grapes that are more sugary and with greater content of aromas and flavors.