Tocai, a grape from the Friuli region of Italy, finds a compatible home in the fields of Bridgehampton, and a young winemaker produces a unusual wine. The news is barely out before it sells out.
The delights of Tocai Friulano, one of Channing Daughters New Releases
Winemaking is a natural process, or more precisely involves several natural processes. The growth of the grapes is dependent on soil and weather, and is, for the most part, out of human hands. (In France farmers may not by law irrigate their vineyards, and even in this country it is rarely done.) After the harvest however, an almost infinite number of variables within variables contribute to the quality of the final product, and the skills of the winemaker come into play. The natural processes of fermentation and aging are modified and tweaked. So much depends on the winemaker’s decisions at every step along the way that ultimately the wine becomes a reflection of his or her skills.
That is one reason wines are not predictable, and why from year to year wine made from grapes from the same fields at the same winery may change greatly. It is why we have vintages. A few big brand names produced by giant wineries achieve homogeneity mainly by blending, and there is nothing wrong with that. Most wines we drink are blends of some sort. But more often, chance and skill are in play, and the personal signature of the winemaker must, I imagine, be the joy and satisfaction of the calling.
On a recent visit to Channing Daughters in Bridgehampton, I came across what I can only describe as artisanal winemaking—creating wines from special grapes in small quantities in a highly personal, handcrafted manner. Channing is small to begin with—production is fewer than 5,000 cases a year. Perhaps this encourages their primary winemaker Christopher Tracy to experiment with unusual grapes and less conventional methods. For example, they recently released their “L’Enfant Sauvage,”a chardonnay produced by a slow, difficult, all-natural method. The total production was 40 cases; the wine sells for $35 a bottle.
After tasting a number of their wines, I focused on their 2002 Tocai Friulano, one of a series of what they call their Italianate white wines. I have to admit I was not familiar with the grape, which is specific to the Friuli region in the northeast corner of Italy. The area borders the northern tip of the Adriatic, and like Bridgehampton, has a mild marine climate. Outside of that region, only a few specialized vineyards around the world grow it. The grape is sometimes considered to be an exotic cousin of sauvignon blanc, but is not related to the tokay wines of Alsace, which are made from pinot gris, or to the sweet tokaji wines of Hungary.
The wine is powerfully fruited and quite distinct in its aroma and taste. The scent of ruby red grapefruit jumps out, giving the wine a dry, citrus overtone, with considerable fruit but no discernable sweetness. Like a good sauvignon blanc, mineral components and the right degree of acidity balance the mild farm and flower flavors. I don’t like to parse the components of a wine to the detriment of the overall tasting experience. Most importantly, for my purposes, the wine was lively, unusual, and a darn good mouthful.
At the suggestion of Allison Dubin at Channing Daughters, I tried it at home with some proscuitto di San Daniele, a Friulian product, and found it an excellent marriage of food and wine. Tokai Friulano, priced at $22 a bottle, could easily become a favorite sipping wines for a summer afternoon, or as an aperitif, or with certain foods. Except for one problem. The 183 cases have quickly sold out.
They are still selling a pinot grigio at $18, another in the Italianate series. In early September, Channing will release their 2002 Vino Bianco, priced at $27, a blend that includes the tocai friulano grape. The name, Vino Bianco, may sound pedestrian, but last year’s release was anything but pedestrian, and was featured at Gramercy Tavern.
