Arneis Mencia Tocai Friulano Trebbiano
The Arneis white wine grape varietal is a native fruit of the beautiful northern region of Piedmont, in Italy. Whilst it has had great success over recent decades in several New World countries, Arneis has been cultivated for centuries in northern Italy, where it is recognized as one of the most representative grapes of the region. Arneis has long been used as a blending grape, due to its highly aromatic character, but it is becoming more and more common to see single variety bottles made using this grape. At its best, Arneis produces beautifully full bodied white wines, packed full of orchard fruit and apricot flavors, with a fine crispness and acidic punch. However, it is a notoriously difficult grape to cultivate successfully, hence its name which translates as 'little rascal'.
The Tocai Fruiliano grape varietal has been grown in and around the northern regions of Italy for centuries, and is still widely praised for its distinctive character and beautiful set of flavors and aromas. Despite the name, the Tocai Fruiliano varietal is not actually related to the famous Tokaji grapes of Hungary, or the Tokay d'Alsace grapes, but is actually the same species as Sauvignon Vert. Wines made from the Tocai Fruiliano grape are generally a pale straw yellow in color, and are recognizable by their aroma of wild flowers and orchard fruits such as pears. The flavor of the wines varies from vineyard to vineyard, and the Tocai Fruiliano grape is renowned for having a broad set of flavors, although citrus notes are usually detectable in most bottles.
The Trebbiano varietal grape is a white wine grape originally from Italy, but which has been successfully planted and cultivated in several European countries, as well as in many parts of the New World. Although it is widely grown around the world, it remains relatively unknown to wine drinkers, perhaps because it has mostly been used traditionally as a blending varietal, and for the production of fortified wines. However, it is used very well in parts of Tuscany and elsewhere in Italy for single variety wines, where it is prized for its elegant character and beautiful citrus flavors, alongside floral aromas and a great expression of terroir. As such, Trebbiano wines often hold interesting mineral notes, making them fascinating and complex white wines perfect for matching with a wide range of foods.