Friulano

Friulano - the magic is in the word - is a wine from the Friuli wine region, the famous wine country in the border triangle in the north-east of Italy, world-famous for its characteristic whites. It is probably the most independent white wine of the region, an interesting terroir wine with exciting minerality and a spicy-fruity aroma. A child of its homeland, this melting pot of different temperaments and cultures. An exciting mixture of Italian temperament, Slovenian nooks and crannies and a dash of Austrian Schmäh. On the hills in the borderland near the Slovenian border grow - as is well known - outstanding white wines of world fame. For a long time the area was a wine-technically blind spot on the map and more in the headlines as a plaything between East and West, in the border triangle of Italy, Austria and Slovenia. For centuries, the locals pressed one of the oldest white wine varieties of all, the Tocai. In the language of the region, with its Slovenian influences, Tocai means "local", the wine from here. As the white wine rejuvenated and improved for a long time and crept into the hearts of wine lovers, the fame came. And with the fame, the envious follow on their heels. In the case of Tocai, it was the Hungarians who seized the opportunity to have the name Tocai protected throughout Europe for a wine made from varieties that had absolutely nothing in common with Friulian Tocai. Stoically, the Friulians decided that the old wine was and should remain a local wine and from then on simply called it "Friulano", which basically means the same thing: Friulian wine. It was the first pure white wine from this Tocai Friulano that catapulted Friuli onto the wine world stage. The name Mario Schiopetto is inextricably linked with it. The famous wine critic H. Johnson reverently calls Mario Schiopetto "the legendary pioneer of Collio wine". Schiopetto brought a visionary and modern oenology to Friuli with reduced yields per hectare, temperature control during fermentation and ageing in wooden barrels. It was his belief in the uniqueness of the typical limestone marl soil that made him write history with elegant, refined wines. The unique terroir of volcanic origin was both a curse and a blessing; in 1976 it brutally revealed its destructive origins. Earthquakes shook the entire region with serious consequences, almost a thousand people lost their lives and 45,000 lost their belongings. A wave of solidarity allowed the state and the army to provide aid so that the region could be quickly rebuilt, bringing modern infrastructure and prosperity. In terms of taste, Friulano is somewhere between Gewürztraminer and Pinot Grigio, but only somehow. In any case, it doesn't even need to be aged in wood for its complexity, it has many facets due to its mineral and fruit aromas. As multifaceted as its homeland: Friuli Venezia Giulia offers a kaleidoscope of nature, cultures and history. It ranges from the wild and rugged peaks of the Dolomites to a gentle hilly landscape and the Adriatic Sea with long sandy beaches, lagoons and rocky cliffs. A confusing course of history has shaped the 3-country corner: once it belonged to the Austro-Hungarian K&K monarchy, then after the First World War it was joined by Italy. After the Second World War it became the apple of discord of the East-West conflict and was simply divided between Italy and Yugoslavia. All this formed Friuli into an area with a diverse cultural heritage and peaceful coexistence, a mixture of Austrian serenity, Italian temperament and Slovenian industriousness.