Sauvignon vert
| Sauvignon vert | |
|---|---|
| Grape (Vitis) | |
| Species | Vitis vinifera |
| Also called | Sauvignonasse, Friulano, Tocai Friulano, Tokaj, Točaj (more) |
| Origin | Italy |
| Notable regions | Chile, Friuli, Slovenian Littoral |
Sauvignon vert (also known as Sauvignonasse & Friulano) is a white wine grape of the species Vitis vinifera. It is widely planted in Chile where it was historically mistaken for Sauvignon blanc. The grape is distinct from the California planting of Muscadelle which is also called Sauvignon vert.
Another synonym of Sauvignon vert is the Italian wine grape known as Friulano in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. Friulano from Friuli-Venezia Giulia was known as “Tocai” Friulano until March 31, 2007 when the European Court of Justice of Luxembourg set the prohibition of using the name “Tocai” in the name of the wine (as stipulated in a 1993 agreement between the European Union and Hungary). Since 2007 Tocai Friulano is merely known as “Friulano” in Friuli and is labeled as such.
The main confusion in Europe of the name Tocai Friulano is due to the Hungarian wine known as Tokaji (Hungarian of Tokaj) which does not have any Tocai Friulano in it all, and is composed typically of the following grapes: Furmint (70%), Hárslevelű (20–25%), and Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains (5–10%). Hungary does not want anyone confusing the dry and aromatic Italian Tocai Friulano (which is a unique wine in and of itself) with their special sweet style wine called Tokaji. Some believe that early editions of Tocai Friulano in Italy were most likely made of the grape Furmint. The first record of a “new” Tocai, probably made from Sauvignonasse, is documented only in 1932.
The Pinot grigio vine, which is also prevalent in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, is known by the synonym Tokay d'Alsace in Alsace but there is no connection between Tocai Friulano (Sauvignon vert) and Pinot grigio.
The grape is believed to have originated in the Veneto region and from there traveled to other Italian regions especially to the Friuli region where it was cultivated since 1600. In Italy the grape was historically known as Tocai or Tocai Friulano for centuries. The grape has no known relation to any of the grapes used in the Hungarian wine Tokaji, even though evidence suggests that following the wedding of the Venetian princess Aurora Formentini to the Hungarian Count Batthujany in 1632, some vines of Tocai Friulano were brought with the princess to Hungary. To better distinguish the wines and to protect the Tokaji name, the European Union established regulations prohibiting the use of names too closely associated and easily confused with Tokaji. Winemakers in the Friuli have elected to just refer to the grape as simply Friulano.
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Wikipedia