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Foodie Friulano
By Annelise Kelly
Land plus climate equals wine destiny. Together, these geographical qualities determine which grapes flourish and which struggle. However, while most Oregon winemakers appreciate their dependable regional varieties such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, they’re still captive to a sense of curiosity and exploration, unable to resist experimenting with the occasional obscure grape.
Enter Tocai Friulano, a grape long cultivated in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy’s northeastern-most wine region. The first point made in any literature on this varietal emphasizes that it’s not to be confused with the Hungarian wine region of Tokaj or its wines called Tokay or Tokaji. This ambiguity has resulted in European labeling regulations that don’t apply in the U.S.