Eniko Dub

🍇 GRAPE TALK: EPISODE 47: Tai. The Venetian white grape with a surprisingly complicated identity. Let’s break it down. ⬇️

☝️Save this post for your wine studies and the next time you spot Tai or Friulano on a wine label!

1️⃣ Tai is a white grape variety grown mainly in Veneto🇮🇹, while in neighbouring Friuli-Venezia Giulia🇮🇹 it is known as Friulano. For many years it was called Tocai, but after a long legal dispute with Hungary🇭🇺 over the similarity to Tokaji, the name had to change. Today, Veneto uses Tai, while Friuli uses Friulano.

2️⃣ Despite the old name, Tai has absolutely nothing to do with Hungary’s famous Furmint 🍇 grape used in Tokaji wines. DNA research confirmed that Tai is actually the same variety as Sauvignonasse, an old grape from southwestern France (most likely Bordeaux) that has almost disappeared from its homeland.

3️⃣ The variety has been cultivated in northeastern Italy since at least the 18th century and became deeply connected to the wine culture of Veneto and Friuli. Today, it remains one of the most traditional white grapes of the region, even though vineyard plantings have steadily declined over the last decades.

4️⃣ In the glass, Tai is typically fresh and elegant, showing aromas of white flowers, green apple, citrus, pear and subtle herbs. One of its most distinctive features is the gentle almond note that often appears on the finish. Compared with Sauvignon Blanc, the wines are usually less aromatic but fuller-bodied and often slightly richer in texture.

👉 Pro tip: If you visit Veneto and see Tai on a wine list, don’t expect a Sauvignon Blanc-style wine. Look for the signature almond finish — it’s one of the easiest clues to recognise the variety.

Have you tried Tai or Friulano before? 🍷

WineKnowledge WineStudies ItalianWine IndigenousGrapes

Same grape variety. Same region. Same winemaker. Yet completely different wines in the glass. 🍷

I have just published a new article about Weingut Michaela Riedmüller’s single-vineyard Blaufränkisch wines from Braunsberg and Spitzerberg in Carnuntum🇦🇹.

Braunsberg versus Spitzerberg — only around 10 kilometres apart, yet the difference is incredible once you taste them side by side.

In the article, I dive into:
🍇 the terroir of both vineyards
🍇 Michaela Riedmüller’s philosophy
🍇 why Blaufränkisch shows terroir so clearly
🍇 detailed tasting notes of both 2022 wines

☝️And the best part? You can actually taste these wines yourself and meet Michaela this weekend at VieVinum in Vienna from 16–18 May.

📍Table 105 – Gardehalle.

Read the full article now on WinEncsy: https://winencsy.com/michaela-riedmueller-braunsberg-spitzerberg-blaufrankisch/

Taste the Difference: Braunsberg and Spitzerberg Blaufränkisch by Michaela Riedmüller - WinEncsy Discover Michaela Riedmüller Braunsberg and Spitzerberg Blaufränkisch wines in Carnuntum. Learn how terroir shapes these two different wines.