Friulano is one of Friuli Venezia Giulia's best-known wines, but you may not yet know its history of contention and intrinsic characteristics!
The quintessential Friulian white wine is theformer Tocai, which is now known to most as Friulano or Tocai Friulano. Yes, it should be specified as James Bond does, and not because it is "cool" but because of a history of disputes with Hungarian producers, which led to a European ruling that ended with the name being changed on the labels of the Made in Friuli white wine.
The earliest traces of this wine, named after the northeastern Hungarian Tokaj-Hegyalja region, date back to the 1700s: within two centuries, the reputation grew to such an extent that winemakers were prompted to name their wines after it, so that by the early 1900s we found ourselves with many namesakes in Italy from Alexandria to the Veneto.
It is also true, however, that the Friulian grape variety called Tocai has just as much historical evidence, dating back as far as the 1200s-particularly among the archives of the patriarchs of Venice-and geographically, "Toccai" being the name of a stream that flows from Mossa to Capriva del Friuli.
In addition to this, legend has it that it was Bertoldo IV of Andechs-Merania, patriarch of Aquileia, who lived at the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries, who brought as a gift to the Hungarian ruler Bela IV, some plants of the controversial Tocai.
We know for a fact, however, that in the first half of the 17th century, the noble Gorizian family Formentin, sent their daughter Aurora in marriage to a Hungarian count, who had a rich dowry that included as many as 300 vine shoots.
In addition to Furmint , which apparently derives its name from the noblewoman from Friuli, Hungarian Tokaj also consists of Hárslevelü, Muscat Lunel and Orémus.
This composition has nothing to do with the strain of Tocai friulano, which, according to studies conducted in the 1970s near Conegliano, turns out to derive from Sauvignon, and more specifically Sauvignonasse.
This plant was once widespread in the Bordeaux region and was introduced to Friuli probably in the mid-19th century, at a time when French grape varieties began to be cultivated in the region.
The Friulano grape yields a white wine that is straw yellow in color, well-structured, fragrant and fruity with pleasant acidity and balanced flavor.
In particular, the characteristics of the Tocai Friulano Ermacora are:
In the mouth, there is a dry, round flavor reminiscent of apple, pear and white peach: indeed, there is a balanced freshness and minerality. Its alcohol content, which is between 13 and 13.5 degrees alcohol varies depending on the vintage.
This Friulian white wine also holds its own with white meats such as turkey or chicken. However, the perfect marriage is achieved by enjoying it with another excellence of our territory: the prosciutto crudo S. Daniele D.O.P.
Other regional pairings can also succeed well with crispy frico, typical Carnic cjarsons-a sort of sweet-and-sour ravioli-, with shellfish from the local lagoon, and with fish brodetto alla gradese.
As a wine that cleanses the mouth well, it is also particularly suitable for fried fish and vegetables and flowers cooked in batter.
Whether you want to call it Tocai or Friulano, the substance will always remain the same because as Shakespeare said, "What we call a rose even by another name always retains its perfume," and in the case of the white wine of Friuli we can say that it is indeed a very good perfume!
