| If you are looking for fine Italian wine and food, | | | | Tazzelenghe, which means tongue cutter in the |
| consider the Friuli-Venezia Giuli region of northern | | | | local dialect. While I have never tasted any wines |
| Italy. You may find a bargain, and I hope that | | | | based on this grape, I can guess that they won't |
| you'll have fun on this fact-filled wine education | | | | be delicate. |
| tour. | | | | Before we reviewing the Friuli wine and cheese |
| Friuli-Venezia Giuli is a mountainous area tucked | | | | that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local |
| away in the northeast corner Italy, bordering on | | | | wine store and a local Italian food store, here are |
| Austria and Slovenia. Experts believe that | | | | a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous |
| Friuli-Venezia Giuli was first inhabited twenty | | | | wines when touring this beautiful region. |
| thousand years ago. Like most regions of Italy, it | | | | Start with Cjalzons con Ripieno di Cioccolata e |
| has belonged to many nations over the years. | | | | Spinaci, Chocolate and Spinach Filled Pasta with |
| Unlike most regions of Italy, it remains | | | | Smoked Ricotta. |
| multicultural, an exceptional mixture of Italian, | | | | Then try Capesante alla Triestina, Broiled Scallops |
| Austrian, and Slavic influences. To make this article | | | | and Oysters with Watercress. And for dessert, |
| easier to read, we will replace the region's full | | | | indulge yourself with Strucolo di Ricotta, Ricotta |
| name by its first part, Friuli. The total population is | | | | Strudel. If you are like me, you think of Austria or |
| less than 1.2 million. | | | | Hungary, when you hear the word Strudel. |
| While Friuli is home to a wide variety of | | | | OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY While we have |
| agricultural products, most farmers don't get rich. | | | | communicated with well over a thousand Italian |
| The farms tend to be small and much of the land | | | | wine producers and merchants to help prepare |
| is unfertile, suitable only for grazing and grapes. | | | | these articles, our policy is clear. All wines that we |
| Unfortunately the Adriatic sea is in poor condition | | | | taste and review are purchased at the full retail |
| and fishing is on the decline. However, a wide | | | | price. |
| variety of seafood is available. Friuli's best-known | | | | Wine Reviewed |
| food is San Daniele prosciutto, an uncooked ham | | | | Pighin Pinot Grigio 2005 Grave del Fruili 12.5% |
| aged in sea salt for over a year. Gourmets | | | | alcohol about $13.50 |
| debate whether this ham or its cousin prosciutto | | | | I'll start by quoting the marketing materials. |
| di Parma from the Emilia-Romagna region in | | | | "Toast, white flowers and mineral on the involved |
| northwestern Italy is the best ham in the world. | | | | nose, this light-bodied white is all about zing, verve, |
| Friuli's administrative center is Trieste, which only | | | | and refreshing citrus flavors. Some notes of pit |
| became part of Italy in 1954. This city was once | | | | fruit, but mainly built to match up to seafood. Try |
| the principle port of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. | | | | with friends and grilled scampi drizzled with lemon |
| Like Vienna, Austria, Trieste is filled with | | | | juice." |
| cafés. It is also home to the famous | | | | I first tasted this wine with sesame seed covered |
| International Center for Theoretical Physics. | | | | filo dough stuffed with hamburger meat and |
| Friuli devotes about one hundred fifty thousand | | | | accompanied by zucchini in a tomato sauce. It |
| acres to grapevines, it ranks 14th among the 20 | | | | was pleasantly acidic and fruity providing lemon |
| Italian regions. Its total annual wine production is | | | | and other citrus flavors. I liked it with a chocolate |
| about 27 million gallons, giving it a 13th place. | | | | cake labeled strudel which intensified the wine's |
| Approximately 48% of its wine production is red | | | | acidity. I don't think that any Friuli residents would |
| or rosé (only a little rosé), leaving | | | | have called that cake strudel, but this review is |
| 52% for white. The region produces 9 DOC | | | | about the wine, and not the cake. |
| wines. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine | | | | My next food pairing was with whole-wheat pasta |
| Controllata, which may be translated as | | | | in a spicy meat sauce. The wine stepped up to |
| Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a | | | | the plate and handled the spice very well. It was |
| high-quality wine and 1 DOCG white dessert wine, | | | | nice and round. I finished this meal with out of |
| Ramandolo. The G in DOCG stands for Garantita, | | | | season strawberries, in whose presence the wine |
| but there is in fact no guarantee that such wines | | | | became almost sweet. |
| are truly superior. Over 60% of Friuli wine carries | | | | With filet of sole poached in onions, a side of |
| the DOC or DOCG designation. Friuli is home to | | | | brown rice, and okra in a tomato sauce, the wine |
| almost four dozen major and secondary grape | | | | became more acidic and rounder. It was quite |
| varieties, about half white and half red. | | | | refreshing. It was a sweet, acidic companion to |
| Widely grown international white grape varieties | | | | fresh pomegranates. It took on a nice acidity with |
| include Pinot Grigio, often called Pinot Gris outside | | | | pecan and caramel chocolate candy. |
| of Italy, Pinot Bianco, often called Pinot Blanc | | | | Montasio is a cooked, full-fat, semi-hard cheese |
| outside of Italy, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. | | | | made from cow's milk and aged for several |
| The best known strictly Italian white varieties are | | | | months. It has a pungent smell and a strong, |
| Tocai Friulano and Verduzzo Fruilano, exemplified in | | | | pasty taste. The Pinot Grigio was not outmatched |
| the DOCG wine, Ramandolo. | | | | by this powerful cheese. Strictly speaking, Asiago |
| Widely grown international red grape varieties | | | | cheese does not come from the Friuli region, but |
| include Merlot, grown in Fruili for well over one | | | | its neighbors Trentino-Alto Adige and Veneto. |
| hundred years, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet | | | | Once again, the wine changed its character to |
| Sauvignon. The best-known strictly Italian red | | | | match this softer cheese. |
| variety is Refosco. Fruili's candidate for grape | | | | This wasn't a great wine, but it did go well with |
| variety with the most unusual name is | | | | everything. I would most likely buy it again. |