Blog: Friulano · Grape variety

Native to Friuli, this white grape variety was known as Tocai Friulano until a few years ago, before the Italians had to give up the naming rights to Tokay from Hungary. Grown exclusively in Friuli Venezia Giulia, the autochthonous Friulano is a typical white wine variety of the area and has been cultivated for many generations. It is the aperitif wine of the Collio par excellence, where the grape variety also achieves its best results, even if the grape has been far in the shadow of internationally known grape varieties to date.

Generally, one must distinguish between Friulano as an everyday wine (mostly from the flat plains of Friuli Grave) and the high-quality, terroir-driven Friulano from the Collio, the Colli Orientali or the Isonzo. The former, with a cultivated area of over 6,000 hectares, is the most cultivated grape variety in Friuli and produces mainly inexpensive (but quite decent) consumer wines. The latter is the cru of Friulano, being more substantial, profound and long-lived. The Friulano from the Colli Orientali or the Isonzo area are real terroir wines and promise the highest enjoyment at a justified price level. - Gerardo