The two northeast Italian regions known for producing Tocai, Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, have chosen different paths to rename the wine as demanded by the European Union.
The name had to be changed after the European Court of Justice in 2005 upheld a ruling against Italy's use of the name Tocai for a white wine it produces, mostly in Friuli, and which was considered too similar to the name of a traditional Hungarian wine, Tokaj.
According to the authoritative WineNews website, Veneto has decided to call its wine Tai, a choice which has already won the unanimous approval of the national committee responsible for naming of vines and wines.
The name also got a thumbs up from Agriculture Minister Paolo De Castro who was quoted as saying that it "offers a concrete response to producers, guaranteeing their expectations".
Friuli-Venezia Giulia, on the other hand, has chosen a more complicated path based on the World Trade Organization's Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).
Among other things, TRIPS contains requirements that nations' laws must meet for geographical indications, including appellations of origin.
On this aspect, TRIPS gives countries the right to recognize at home the name of a domestic wine which is the same as geographic denominations in other countries.
In its 2005 ruling, the European Court of Justice said that Italy could no longer use the name Tocai because the name of the Hungarian wine Tokaj was an implicit reference to a specific geographical area, located 125 miles east of Budapest.
The ruling was based on international treaties, including the one by which Hungary joined the EU.
The same argument was used by the EU court in an earlier ruling stating that the name champagne or anything similar can only be used for the sparking wine produced in the Champagne region of France.
Italy used the argument in its battle to have the exclusive right to the names of wines like Chianti and Brunello.
Based on TRIPS, Friuli-Venezia Giulia has decided to allow its producers to use the name Tocai Friulano for wine marketed in Italy and just Friulano for wine exported abroad.
The EU had already rejected the use of Tocai Friulano.
Tocai and Tokaj are completely different. Tokaj is a sweet or semi-sweet dessert wine, while Italian Tocai is a dry, tart white.
