Eniko Dub

🍇 GRAPE TALK: EPISODE 47: Tai. The Venetian white grape with a surprisingly complicated identity. Let’s break it down. ⬇️

☝️Save this post for your wine studies and the next time you spot Tai or Friulano on a wine label!

1️⃣ Tai is a white grape variety grown mainly in Veneto🇮🇹, while in neighbouring Friuli-Venezia Giulia🇮🇹 it is known as Friulano. For many years it was called Tocai, but after a long legal dispute with Hungary🇭🇺 over the similarity to Tokaji, the name had to change. Today, Veneto uses Tai, while Friuli uses Friulano.

2️⃣ Despite the old name, Tai has absolutely nothing to do with Hungary’s famous Furmint 🍇 grape used in Tokaji wines. DNA research confirmed that Tai is actually the same variety as Sauvignonasse, an old grape from southwestern France (most likely Bordeaux) that has almost disappeared from its homeland.

3️⃣ The variety has been cultivated in northeastern Italy since at least the 18th century and became deeply connected to the wine culture of Veneto and Friuli. Today, it remains one of the most traditional white grapes of the region, even though vineyard plantings have steadily declined over the last decades.

4️⃣ In the glass, Tai is typically fresh and elegant, showing aromas of white flowers, green apple, citrus, pear and subtle herbs. One of its most distinctive features is the gentle almond note that often appears on the finish. Compared with Sauvignon Blanc, the wines are usually less aromatic but fuller-bodied and often slightly richer in texture.

👉 Pro tip: If you visit Veneto and see Tai on a wine list, don’t expect a Sauvignon Blanc-style wine. Look for the signature almond finish — it’s one of the easiest clues to recognise the variety.

Have you tried Tai or Friulano before? 🍷

WineKnowledge WineStudies ItalianWine IndigenousGrapes

AN ITALIAN WHITE GRAPE CREATED IN A CLASSROOM. 🍇 And it ended up being one of the most interesting discoveries from a recent masterclass. ⬇️

If you haven't heard of Manzoni Bianco before, don't worry — most wine lovers haven't.

👉 The variety was created in the 1930s by Professor Luigi Manzoni in Conegliano 🇮🇹 by crossing Riesling and Pinot Bianco. 🍇 The idea was simple: combine the aromatic character and freshness of Riesling with the adaptability and structure of Pinot Bianco.

After discovering a few examples during the Venezia DOC masterclass with Consorzio Vini Venezia, I think he was onto something. 🍷

📍One wine that immediately caught my attention was the Manzoni Bianco Venezia DOC 2024 from Cantine Borga. Today the winery is run by four cousins who focus on producing approachable wines that reflect their territory while remaining fresh, modern and easy to enjoy.

🍷In the glass, the wine shows a bright pale lemon colour. The nose is youthful and elegant with white flowers, elderflower, lemon peel, apricot and a touch of grapefruit.

The palate continues on the citrusy and floral profile, joined by green apple and a slight oily texture that adds a little extra complexity. Medium-bodied, very fresh and beautifully balanced, with a long citrusy finish that keeps you coming back for another sip.

☝️This is not a wine made for decades in the cellar. It is all about freshness, balance and drinkability. Crisp, elegant and best enjoyed while young, keeping this vibrant style over the next few years.

👌Serve it well chilled at around 10°C and pair it with aperitifs, seafood or lighter summer dishes.

I have a feeling Manzoni Bianco is one of those varieties we will be hearing much more about in the coming years.

Have you ever tasted a Manzoni Bianco before? 🍷

WineEducation WineDiscovery WineWriter ItalianWhiteWine WineLover

Before this tasting, I knew very little about Lison DOCG.

After discovering the Tai grape, Manzoni Bianco and several fantastic wines from the Venezia area, it became one of my favourite wine discoveries of the year.

Read the full story and tasting notes in my latest article:

https://winencsy.com/lison-docg-tai-grape/



Consorzio Vini Venezia StudioCru Ca' di Rajo Wines Ornella Bellia Venezia Wines Tenuta Polvaro Cantine Borga

Lison DOCG: The White Wine of Venice You Need to Know - WinEncsy Discover Lison DOCG, the historic white wine of Venice made from the Tai grape. Learn about Lison Classico and Manzoni Bianco.

VIEVINUM WITH MICHAELA. 🍷I have found her at !

👌 I got a new wine crush and tasted her Down to Earth Chardonnay called Taste Drink Feel yesterday. What's so special? This Chardonnay hasn't seen any oak, only spent time in concrete eggs and also was on the lees for an extended time. This process created a beautifully complex and spicy wine that you wouldn't expect from a Chardonnay like this!

☝️Of course, as a Carnuntum producer, she has the prestigeous Blaufränkisch range as well on the table with the refreshing white blends and the rest of the Down to Earth selection. 🍷

📍Find today and tomorrow at table 105 in Gardehalle!

Who willI come today at VieVinum? 🍷


womenwinemakers carnuntum carnuntumwine Blaufrankisch austrianwine downtoearth naturalwines

🍇 GRAPE TALK: EPISODE 46: Single vineyard wines. We’ve been talking about single vineyards the whole week — but what does that actually mean on a wine label? Let’s break it down. ⬇️

☝️Save this post for your wine studies and the next time you’re choosing between bottles in a wine shop!

1️⃣ A “single vineyard” wine means the grapes for that bottle come from one specific vineyard site — not from multiple vineyards blended together across a region.

The idea is that this particular site is special enough to stand on its own.

2️⃣ Sometimes the term “single vineyard” isn’t even written on the label. Instead, you’ll just see the vineyard name itself — especially in regions like Burgundy or Mosel, where famous vineyard sites carry a lot of prestige.

That’s why wine labels can feel confusing if you don’t already know the vineyard names.

3️⃣ Why does it matter? Because vineyards are not all the same. Soil, altitude, sun exposure, temperature, water availability, and slope all influence how grapes ripen.

This combination is what we call terroir — and in great single vineyard wines, the goal is to express that exact place as clearly as possible.

4️⃣ These wines are often more expensive because they usually involve more precise and labour-intensive work in the vineyard. Many top sites are harvested by hand, farmed carefully, and sometimes aged longer before release.

You’re paying not just for the wine, but for the uniqueness of that site and the extra attention behind it.

5️⃣ Single vineyard does NOT automatically mean single grape variety. A wine can still be a blend of different grapes — as long as all of them come from the same vineyard.

That said, many producers choose one grape variety to show the purest expression of both the grape and the site.

👉 In Burgundy, terms like Premier Cru and Grand Cru often refer to specific vineyard sites, even if the words “single vineyard” don’t appear on the label.

Have you ever tried a single vineyard wine and noticed a difference? 🍷

Terroir WineBasics

Same grape variety. Same region. Same winemaker. Yet completely different wines in the glass. 🍷

I have just published a new article about Weingut Michaela Riedmüller’s single-vineyard Blaufränkisch wines from Braunsberg and Spitzerberg in Carnuntum🇦🇹.

Braunsberg versus Spitzerberg — only around 10 kilometres apart, yet the difference is incredible once you taste them side by side.

In the article, I dive into:
🍇 the terroir of both vineyards
🍇 Michaela Riedmüller’s philosophy
🍇 why Blaufränkisch shows terroir so clearly
🍇 detailed tasting notes of both 2022 wines

☝️And the best part? You can actually taste these wines yourself and meet Michaela this weekend at VieVinum in Vienna from 16–18 May.

📍Table 105 – Gardehalle.

Read the full article now on WinEncsy: https://winencsy.com/michaela-riedmueller-braunsberg-spitzerberg-blaufrankisch/

Taste the Difference: Braunsberg and Spitzerberg Blaufränkisch by Michaela Riedmüller - WinEncsy Discover Michaela Riedmüller Braunsberg and Spitzerberg Blaufränkisch wines in Carnuntum. Learn how terroir shapes these two different wines.