Net als Champagne de enige is die zijn wijn Champagne mag noemen, mag Hongarije sinds kort als enige zijn wijn Tokay noemen.
In Noord Italie wordt ook Tokay gemaakt, en die moet nu van naam veranderen.
Om daarmee te helpen krijgt die streek 15 miljoen euro steun van de EU.
Wat heb jij liever?
Investors on the lookout for a genuine collectors’ item could do worse than snap up a few cases of the 2006 Italian Tocai vintage – the last of its kind.
Northern Italy is in mourning for the loss of their name after an EU ruling that Tokay can be Hungarian, and only Hungarian.
Wine producers in Friuli, the region where Tocai Friuliano has been made for centuries, now have to call their wine simply Friulano.
And they are just waking up to the marketing difficulties that lie ahead. ‘It’s not easy to relaunch a wine which has lost its name. In the wine industry, labelling is all,’ Bruno Pizzul of Gorizia in the centre of the Tocai region told the Times newspaper.
Winemakers are also not happy with the new name, which they point out is pointless as it is simply an adjective describing anything that comes from Friuli.
Under EU rulings on semi-generic names – which apply also to Gorgonzola, Champagne, Cheddar cheese, Parma ham and other products from famous regions – only Tokaji in Hungary can produce a wine of that name.
Various appeals to European courts have been turned down. Hungary – which joined the EU in 2004 – has exclusive rights to the Tokaji label from March next year.
Under the same rules, France’s Tokay Pinot Gris and Tokay d’Alsace are being phased out.
Last weekend the last Tocai harvest was celebrated with a midnight ceremony on a beach at Lignano, with dancing and much lamenting of the passing of a piece of local history.
According to the Times, use of the name Tocai dates back to the 14th century, when local Countess Aurora Formentini married a Hungarian count and was given 300 tocai vines as a wedding gift.
Some €15m has been promised in aid to help relaunch the new name.
Bron: Decanter
Lees ook:Greenpeace lust geen Champagne
Lees ook:Tekort aan Moet Champagne
Lees ook:Tokaji is OP!
Lees ook:Champagne verkoop in de US stijgt 12%
Lees ook:Na Tokay nu ook Jenever beschermde naam?
Als ik Tokay hoor/lees, moet ik toch vooral denken aan de Elzas en niet aan Noord-Italië. Ik vind het een beetje onzinnig, al die claims. In de Elzas wordt de term toch ook al tijden gebruikt. Moet zo’n traditie dan opeens ophouden te bestaan, omdat de naam in Hongarije eerder is bedacht? En in Hongarije is het niet eens Tokay, maar Tokaji.