Sauvignon vert
Encyclopedia
Sauvignon vert 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 (historically) known as Tocai 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 comes because the Hungarian wine known as Tokaji
(Hungarian of Tokaj) which does not have any Tocai Friulano in it all - but instead is comprised typically of the following grapes: Furmint (70%), Hárslevelű (20-25%), and Muscat blanc a Petits Grains (5-10%). Hungary did 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.
region and other Italian wine regions such as Lombardy. It was also extensively planted in the Goriška
region of Slovenia
, especially in the Vipava Valley
and Brda (Collio Goriziano
). In Italy and in Slovenia, the grape was historically known as Tocai Friulano (tokaj in Slovenian), even though the grape has no known relation any of the grapes used in the Hungarian wine Tokaji
even though evidence suggest that following the 17th century wedding of the Venetian
princess Aurora Formentini to the Hungarian
Count Batthujany that some vines of Tocai Friulano was 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.
From Italy the grape is believed to have spread to France
where it was transported to Chile
as "Sauvignon blanc". Only in the 1990s did ampelographers determine that the Chilean "Sauvignon blanc" was actually Sauvignon vert. Once the discovery was made, plantings of "true" Sauvignon blanc increased as Sauvignon vert (or Sauvignonasse as it known) decreased. While the grape still remains a popular planting in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia, it currently has little presence in other parts of the world.
, which is a clonal mutation of Sauvignon blanc also found in Chile, Sauvignon vert has no known connection with Sauvignon blanc. The vines were believed to be interspersed together in Bordeaux
during the 19th century when the cuttings were brought to Chile labeled as just "Sauvignon blanc". The leaves and berry clusters of the Sauvignon vert and Sauvignon blanc are very similar which explains part of the confusion between the two vines. The two vines also have similar susceptibility to Botrytis
. The wines made from the two grapes are noticeably different when compared together with Sauvignon blanc being much more aromatic with notes of ripe fruit like gooseberries
and black currant that Sauvignon vert lacks in favor of softer, floral flavors. Sauvignon blanc also has more acidity than Sauvignon vert and retains much of its vibrancy and flavors longer.
and oidium
. The vine is prone to producing yield
which must be controlled in order to make premium quality wine. With Sauvignon vert, the quality of the wine depend greatly on the grapes being harvested
at the right point. If picked too early the resulting wine will be dull and lack any varietal
character
. The grape also has the potential for very high levels of alcohol
with 14.5% ABV
not being uncommon.
The wine made from Sauvignon vert varies depending on the area it is produced. In the Friuli region, Friuilano wine is typically full bodied with moderate acidity, floral
aromas and delicate fruit flavors. In Chile, Sauvignon vert typically starts with aromas of green apples in its youth that fade as it ages and is more medium bodied.
(DOC) zones of Colli Orientali del Friuli
, Collio Goriziano
, Friuli Grave and Friuli Isonzo where the grape accounts for more than 20% of those areas total vineyard plantings. The grape is believed to be related to the Tocai Italico vine which is planted through the Veneto region. The only doubt involves the Tocai Italico plantings around the town of Breganze
which ampelographers believe is a different vine all together. Argentina
, with its close ties to Italian viticulture
, also has a small amount of Friulano vines planted.
Vitis vinifera
Vitis vinifera is a species of Vitis, native to the Mediterranean region, central Europe, and southwestern Asia, from Morocco and Portugal north to southern Germany and east to northern Iran....
. It is widely planted in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
where it was historically mistaken for Sauvignon blanc
Sauvignon blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French word sauvage and blanc due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in South West France., a possible descendant of savagnin...
. The grape is distinct from the California planting of Muscadelle
Muscadelle
Muscadelle is a white wine grape variety. It has a simple aroma of grape juice and raisins like grapes of the Muscat family of grapes, but it is unrelated....
which is also called Sauvignon vert.
Another synonym of Sauvignon vert is the Italian wine grape (historically) known as Tocai 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 comes because the Hungarian wine known as Tokaji
Tokaji
Tokaji is the name of the wines from the region of Tokaj-Hegyalja in Hungary and Slovakia. The name Tokaji is used for labeling wines from this wine district. This region is noted for its sweet wines made from grapes affected by noble rot, a style of wine which has a long history in this region...
(Hungarian of Tokaj) which does not have any Tocai Friulano in it all - but instead is comprised typically of the following grapes: Furmint (70%), Hárslevelű (20-25%), and Muscat blanc a Petits Grains (5-10%). Hungary did 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
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
but there is no connection between Tocai Friulano (Sauvignon vert) and Pinot grigio.
History
The grape is believed to have originated in the Veneto region and from there traveled to the FriuliFriuli
Friuli is an area of northeastern Italy with its own particular cultural and historical identity. It comprises the major part of the autonomous region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, i.e. the province of Udine, Pordenone, Gorizia, excluding Trieste...
region and other Italian wine regions such as Lombardy. It was also extensively planted in the Goriška
Goriška
Goriška is a traditional region in western Slovenia on the border with Italy. The name means "the Gorizia region" because it is named after Gorizia, Italy. It is part of the wider traditional region of the Slovenian Littoral . Its principal urban center is Nova Gorica...
region of Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
, especially in the Vipava Valley
Vipava Valley
The Vipava Valley is a valley located in the Slovenian Littoral, between the towns of Nova Gorica and Vipava.-Geography:It is a narrow valley, serving as the main passage between Friulian lowland and central Slovenia, and thus also an important corridor connecting Northern Italy to Central Europe...
and Brda (Collio Goriziano
Collio Goriziano
Collio Goriziano or Collio is a Denominazione di origine controllata located in the Italian wine region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The DOC is located in the province of Gorizia near the border with Slovenia. Some Slovenian wine from the region of Goriška Brda also carry the designation of Collio...
). In Italy and in Slovenia, the grape was historically known as Tocai Friulano (tokaj in Slovenian), even though the grape has no known relation any of the grapes used in the Hungarian wine Tokaji
Tokaji
Tokaji is the name of the wines from the region of Tokaj-Hegyalja in Hungary and Slovakia. The name Tokaji is used for labeling wines from this wine district. This region is noted for its sweet wines made from grapes affected by noble rot, a style of wine which has a long history in this region...
even though evidence suggest that following the 17th century wedding of the Venetian
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
princess Aurora Formentini to the Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
Count Batthujany that some vines of Tocai Friulano was brought with the princess to Hungary. To better distinguish the wines and to protect the Tokaji name, the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
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.
From Italy the grape is believed to have spread to France
French wine
French wine is produced in several regions throughout France, in quantities between 50 and 60 million hectolitres per year, or 7–8 billion bottles. France has the world's second-largest total vineyard area, behind Spain, and is in the position of being the world's largest wine producer...
where it was transported to Chile
Chilean wine
Chilean wine is wine made in the South American country of Chile. The region has a long viticultural history for a New World wine region dating to the 16th century when the Spanish conquistadors brought Vitis vinifera vines with them as they colonized the region. In the mid-19th century, French...
as "Sauvignon blanc". Only in the 1990s did ampelographers determine that the Chilean "Sauvignon blanc" was actually Sauvignon vert. Once the discovery was made, plantings of "true" Sauvignon blanc increased as Sauvignon vert (or Sauvignonasse as it known) decreased. While the grape still remains a popular planting in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia, it currently has little presence in other parts of the world.
Confusion with Sauvignon blanc
Unlike Sauvignon grisSauvignon gris
Sauvignon gris is pink color wine grape that is a clonal mutation of Sauvignon blanc. The grape is primarily found in Bordeaux and Chile, where it was imported with Sauvignon blanc and Sauvignon vert cuttings. The grape produces less aromatic wines and is often use for blending....
, which is a clonal mutation of Sauvignon blanc also found in Chile, Sauvignon vert has no known connection with Sauvignon blanc. The vines were believed to be interspersed together in Bordeaux
Bordeaux wine
A Bordeaux wine is any wine produced in the Bordeaux region of France. Average vintages produce over 700 million bottles of Bordeaux wine, ranging from large quantities of everyday table wine, to some of the most expensive and prestigious wines in the world...
during the 19th century when the cuttings were brought to Chile labeled as just "Sauvignon blanc". The leaves and berry clusters of the Sauvignon vert and Sauvignon blanc are very similar which explains part of the confusion between the two vines. The two vines also have similar susceptibility to Botrytis
Botrytis cinerea
Botrytis cinerea is a necrotrophic fungus that affects many plant species, although its most notable hosts may be wine grapes. In viticulture, it is commonly known as botrytis bunch rot; in horticulture, it is usually called grey mould or gray mold.The fungus gives rise to two different kinds of...
. The wines made from the two grapes are noticeably different when compared together with Sauvignon blanc being much more aromatic with notes of ripe fruit like gooseberries
Gooseberry
The gooseberry or ; Ribes uva-crispa, syn. R. grossularia) is a species of Ribes, native to Europe, northwestern Africa and southwestern Asia...
and black currant that Sauvignon vert lacks in favor of softer, floral flavors. Sauvignon blanc also has more acidity than Sauvignon vert and retains much of its vibrancy and flavors longer.
Viticulture and wine
Sauvignon vert is a late budding vine with high sensitivity downy mildewDowny mildew
Downy mildew refers to any of several types of oomycete microbes that are obligate parasites of plants. Downy mildews exclusively belong to Peronosporaceae. In commercial agriculture, they are a particular problem for growers of crucifers, grapes and vegetables that grow on vines...
and oidium
Oidium
This article is about a type of fungal spore. For the ascomycete genus, see Oidium . For the fungus that causes powdery mildew on grapes, see Uncinula necator....
. The vine is prone to producing yield
Yield (wine)
In viticulture, the yield is a measure of the amount of grapes or wine that is produced per unit surface of vineyard, and is therefore a type of crop yield...
which must be controlled in order to make premium quality wine. With Sauvignon vert, the quality of the wine depend greatly on the grapes being harvested
Harvest (wine)
The harvesting of wine grapes is one of the most crucial steps in the process of winemaking. The time of harvest is determined primarily by the ripeness of the grape as measured by sugar, acid and tannin levels with winemakers basing their decision to pick based on the style of wine they wish to...
at the right point. If picked too early the resulting wine will be dull and lack any varietal
Varietal
"Varietal" describes wines made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label. Examples of grape varieties commonly used in varietal wines are Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot...
character
Typicity
Typicity is a term in wine tasting used to describe the degree to which a wine reflects its varietal origins, and thus demonstrate the signature characteristics of the grape from which it was produced, i.e., how much a Merlot wine “tastes like a Merlot”...
. The grape also has the potential for very high levels of alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
with 14.5% ABV
Alcohol by volume
Alcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
not being uncommon.
The wine made from Sauvignon vert varies depending on the area it is produced. In the Friuli region, Friuilano wine is typically full bodied with moderate acidity, floral
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
aromas and delicate fruit flavors. In Chile, Sauvignon vert typically starts with aromas of green apples in its youth that fade as it ages and is more medium bodied.
Wine regions
While the grape still has some presence in Chile, the grapes most noted home is in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Brda in Slovenia where it one of the regions most widely planted grape variety. In the Friuli it is the main white grape of the Denominazione di origine controllataDenominazione di Origine Controllata
Denominazione di origine controllata is a quality assurance label for food products, especially wines and various formaggi . It is modelled after the French AOC...
(DOC) zones of Colli Orientali del Friuli
Colli Orientali del Friuli
The Colli Orientali del Friuli is a Denominazione di origine controllata located in the Italian wine region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The region is located in the province of Udine and is sub-divided into three main sections; Ramandolo in the north, Cialla and Corno di Rosazzo]]...
, Collio Goriziano
Collio Goriziano
Collio Goriziano or Collio is a Denominazione di origine controllata located in the Italian wine region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The DOC is located in the province of Gorizia near the border with Slovenia. Some Slovenian wine from the region of Goriška Brda also carry the designation of Collio...
, Friuli Grave and Friuli Isonzo where the grape accounts for more than 20% of those areas total vineyard plantings. The grape is believed to be related to the Tocai Italico vine which is planted through the Veneto region. The only doubt involves the Tocai Italico plantings around the town of Breganze
Breganze
Breganze is a town in the province of Vicenza, Veneto, Italy. It is northeast of Via Roma. During World War II, the Germans were on one side of the river and the Allies were on the other, and a firefight occurred across the river.-Breganze DOC:...
which ampelographers believe is a different vine all together. Argentina
Argentine wine
The Argentine wine industry is the fifth largest producer of wine in the world. Argentine wine, as with some aspects of Argentine cuisine, has its roots in Spain...
, with its close ties to Italian viticulture
Viticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
, also has a small amount of Friulano vines planted.
External links
- Cal-Italia Tocai Friulano, varietal description