Italian and Slovenian wine authorities in the Collio wine region have come up with a new name for their wine – Jakot – to distinguish it from Tokaji.
Collio… now the official home of Jakot
The spelling – roughly, Tokaji written backwards – avoids conflict with the protected Hungarian name of the renowned wine.
Although some producers in Italy and Slovenia have been using that name unofficially, it is now official, according to the Brda Wine Consortium in Slovenia.
Hungary does not want anyone confusing its Tokaji – comprised typically of Furmint (70%), Hárslevelű (20-25%), and Muscat blanc a Petits Grains (5-10%) – with the dry and aromatic Sauvignonasse or Sauvignon Green grape (also known in Italy as Friulano) grown in both Slovenia and Hungary but traditionally also called Tokaj.
The consortium had considered other options, including ‘Sauvignonasse’ or ‘Sauvignon Green’, but that was a no-go for consumers because of a negative connotation of unripe wine, Slovenian media reported.
Goriška Brda (Brda or Slovenian Collio) is a hilly winegrowing region in the far west of Slovenia, extending over the border to Italy.
The grape variety has been the subject of legal struggles over the use of the name Tokaj and its various permutations.
‘It will take time to get used to the official name change,’ said consortium director Aleš Kristančič. ‘But Jakot has been very well received among those who voted on the new name.’
Written by Panos Kakaviatos
