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