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WBW #41-White Friuli Wines

January 16, 2008

Jack and Joanne of Fork and Bottle are our kind hosts for this edition of WBW, the brainchild of Lenn of Lenndevours. The task they set us to for this month was to find a white wine from Friuli, any white we wanted. Though they suggested that we spend $18 or above or else we might be disappointed in the wine we chose.

This was a difficult assignment for me. I checked our usual local haunts and had not luck. Three or four stores, and I didn't turn up a single bottle! I was getting desperate when we went to my parents' in CT for the holiday. Fortunately, I accompanied my dad to his local wine store, and there on the shelf was one single bottle of white from Friuli! (There was a red to, but that didn't fit this WBW!)

The wine I finally found was a Livio Felluga 2005 Tocai Friulano. I purchased it at MV Wine and Spirit in Madison, CT, it cost $27, had a real cork closure and clocked in at 13% alcohol by volume.

First impression: I can smell the floral bouquet across the room. After I buried my nose in the glass (as is my habit, much to both the delight and chagrin of Matt...delight because it means I drink less of the bottle, chagrin because I chide him for drinking more than his share!) I found peach, tropical fruit, almonds, and apple. The flavors were a bit bitter. In the mouth I got flavors of pear, peach, apple, tropical fruits, almonds, and spicy white pepper.

I would describe this wine as lively in the mouth. It was refreshing and fun, and very nicely done. I served it with Roz's Zuppa Toscana, and it was actually a really tasty match with the slightly creamy flavors of the soup. It did really well cutting through the soup and reviving the palate. My only reservation is the price tag. It's more than I'm willing to pay for an unknown bottle, but both Matt and I really enjoyed what was in the bottle, Matt wants to get it again! Though I have no idea where to find it around here, so that will have to wait.

And a bonus! We went out to dinner last night at the Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar in DC and they actually had several bottles of Friuli wine on the menu. I suppose that's one of the great things about WBW, it causes me to keep my eye out for new things. I never would have even noticed "Friuli" before this WBW because I knew nothing about the region. So true to my nature as an inquisitive wine blogger, I had to jump at the chance to taste at least one. The restaurant offered tasting sized pours of one of the Friulis, $5 for 3 ounces....which I must say, was a VERY generous 3 ounces!

The wine was a 2006 Di Lenardo Vineyards "Toh" Tocai Friulano. You could purchase the whole bottle for $35 if you wanted. In the glass, I noted the golden straw color of this wine, something I also noted about the Livio. On the nose I found lemon, herbs, almond, passion fruit, and peach. In the mouth there was lemon, almond, tropical fruit, and peach. Overally, the dominating flavor and aroma in this wine was peach. The wine wasn't nearly as lively in the mouth as the Livio, but it was still quite tasty.

I enjoyed my foray into Friuli and I will definitely keep looking for more bottles from the area in the future. It also helped me gain a new grape variety as I had never had a Tocai Friulano before! Thanks to Jack and Joanne for hosting, and I look forward to the round-up!

10 comments:

  1. Taster A said...

    Looks like you had a good time with this. We found that the hunt was almost as fun as the tasting. We also had a time finding the wines. BTW, we really enjoy your posting style. Not to worry about sticking your nose in the glass...we all do it! Will you be sharing that Zuppa Toscana recipe with us?

    1/16/08, 2:02 PM  

  2. Anonymous said...

    Hey Megan
    Nice post - funny your wine at the Wine Bar was the same ONE that I found at my wine shop. I am excited to try more from the region and more Tocai Friuliano for sure.

    See ya
    John

    1/16/08, 3:33 PM  

  3. Orion Slayer said...

    That's cool that you found a Friulano at the restaurant. Reading the various Wine Blogging Wednesday entries means a lot more this month after participating myself. Interesting how a little knowledge opens your eyes.

    Do you know of a reliable source on the web who specializes in Italian wine?

    Thanks,

    Dave (aka OrionSlayer)

    1/16/08, 3:48 PM  

  4. SB Wine Advocate said...

    I think you captured exactly what makes WBW fun. Now when you run into Friuli, first off you notice it and you can keep building your knowledge. Fun review. I think I saw your first wine in a local store near me called the Wineyard. I almost bought that one but went with the cheaper one. Its on my site if you want to call them.

    1/16/08, 4:15 PM  

  5. David McDuff said...

    Hey Megan,
    Glad to see you enjoyed the adventure and found something from Felluga. I didn't manage to taste their Tocai but I did include a link to some background information regarding Tocai from Andrea Felluga.
    cheers,
    David

    1/16/08, 6:26 PM  

  6. Jeff said...

    So many people are mentioning finding almond on both the nose and palate of their Friulian whites.

    1/16/08, 11:20 PM  

  7. Anonymous said...

    Megan - Sorry you had such a hard time finding a wine. All I can say is, you weren't the only one.

    I'm glad you participated and got to try your first two Tocai Friulanos. Yeah, most of those are just Good, not Great...I've only had a couple that are memorable.

    1/17/08, 2:11 AM  

  8. Justin S. said...

    Megan, I found a couple of Friulanos to choose from over at MacArthur Beverages. I don't know how close that is to you. I went there after I struck out at my favorite Annapolis shop, which had a couple of Friuli whites but no Tocai Friulano.

    1/21/08, 6:14 PM  

  9. Sonadora said...

    Taster A: I have posted it! I believe the post was titled "A Wine with Dinner Challenge" and I posted it last January!

    John- Very funny! So how does $35 at the restaurant compare to the store cost?

    Orion-haven't found anyone who specializes in Italian reds, though I know Domaine547 has some good ones!

    SB-that is for sure what makes WBW great, always learning something new.

    Thanks David-great reading!

    Jeff, yes, I noticed that too. Took me a while to place it, I'm not so much an almond person.

    No worries Jack, it gave me an excuse to head out and visit some stores I haven't been to in a while, plus, I've never walked out of a shop empty handed, so it was good for my blogging adventures too!

    Justin-Haven't heard of that store, I'll have to look it up. Thanks!

    1/23/08, 10:20 PM  

  10. Berly said...

    Hi there, first time reader of your blog, I plan to bookmark it! On the advice of our local wineshop in Shelton, CT - Wine Emporium (has a wonderful collection and knowledgable owners) I purchased di Lenardo Toh! da uve friulano 2007 Friuli-Italy. Absolutely wonderful. Thanks!

    5/9/08, 2:15 PM  

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