Collection: Friulano

Friulano is one of the truly great white classics from Friuli-Venezia Giulia in north-eastern Italy. The grape is native to precisely this area and has been cultivated in the region since at least the twelfth century, so when you open a bottle, you are tasting a long and unbroken winemaking tradition. With us, all our Friulano comes from Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and it is in this corner of Italy that the grape truly comes into its own.

The heart of the cultivation lies in the provinces of Udine and Gorizia, where the continental climate suits the grape well. Friulano is a variety with moderate vigour that ripens mid-season, and it is also grown on a smaller scale in other parts of north-eastern Italy. The result is dry white wines with a characteristic herbal and green, vegetal tone that makes the style easy to recognise.

You will often encounter Friulano as a pure varietal, where the grape's own expression is allowed to stand out clearly. It also features in regional blends, and a classic Friulian combination is alongside Ribolla Gialla. In local osterie and trattorie it is traditionally poured as tajut, a glass of wine you enjoy on the go or in good company, and that says a great deal about the grape's unpretentious, everyday place in the local wine culture.

A small linguistic curiosity is worth knowing: the wine was previously called Tocai in Italy, but following the EU's naming rules, which reserve Tokaj and Tokay for the Hungarian wines from the Tokaj area, the designation was changed to Friulano. The grape itself is still called Tocai Friulano in Italy, so if you come across both names, we are talking about the same fundamental wine.

If you are looking for a dry, fresh and lightly spiced white wine with a clear sense of place, Friulano from Friuli-Venezia Giulia is an obvious place to begin. It suits both a quiet glass on its own and a meal of light dishes, and it gives you a taste experience that is firmly rooted in its origin.