La storia del Tocai friulano è piuttosto complessa e in molti punti si intreccia con quella del Tokaji ungherese, contribuendo a creare una certa confusione, sebbene né i due vitigni né i due vini da essi realizzati abbiano alcun aspetto in comune.
The history of Friulian Tocai is pretty complex and in many points intertwines with that of Hungarian Tokaji, helping to create some confusion, although neither the two vines nor the two wines have any aspect in common.
More precisely, Friulano is a variety of transalpine origin, in particular from France, which arrived by chance in Friuli together with other international grapes such as the classic Sauvignon. Some analysis on the DNA of the vine revealed, in fact, that our Friulian Tocai is related to Sauvignonasse, a grape quality present in the past in Bordeaux’s area and today almost disappeared. However, despite its French origins, the vine has subsequently evolved, adapting to the soil and climate. Finally, it was the Friulian people who gave it its current identity, making it a symbol of the territory and local culture.
In 2008 the European Community, after coming to an agreement between Italy and Hungary, banned the use of the word “Tocai” for the Friulian wine, as it was considered too similar to the Hungarian “Tokaji“.
