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Government officials met winemakers from Trieste yesterday
to try to resolve a dispute that has made it illegal to call one of Italy's
most distinctive wines anything at all.
Says Stefano Trinco, President of a body overseeing wine
production standards in the Italian north-east, ‘this situation
would be ridiculous, were it not so serious". He said in frustration,
’chambers of commerce, which ought to be registering the 2007 vintage,
can't do so and don't know what to call it!’
For centuries, the wine was called Tocai Friulano. In
the Tokaj-Hegyalja region of Hungary, wines are produced called Tokaj,
also known as Tokay in England. Two of these dessert wines, in fact, won
Gold medals at the recently held India Wine Challenge in London and Delhi
while Italian Tocai Friulano has also been sold in many restaurants.
When Hungary joined EU in the 90s, it was given a concession
and it was ruled by the EU that winegrowers in Italy and France, which
used to produce a wine called Tokay d'Alsace, must stop using the Tocai
or Tokay name.
They were given until last March to find another name.
Friulano was the name recommended by Italians, since the Tocai is grown
in the region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. In fact, during my visit to the
Friuli last summer, everyone seemed to have accepted the name ‘Friulano’
though there was some talk of a few disgruntled producers opposing the
suggested name.
The regional government also passed a law allowing the
wine to be marketed under this name in Italy. But some maverick producers
took legal action to block the use of Friulano and twice won their case.
The latest court ruling on Wednesday, leaves the wine
nameless. Taking a cue from an old Western, ‘The man with No Name’,
starring Clint Eastwood, and a hint from the maverick style of Australians,
the Italians should perhaps agree to call it…The Wine with No name.
Read an earlier article at http://www.delhiwineclub.com
Subhash Arora
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