"Friulan Experience"

It seems that Tom and I have become quite fond of a common Italian aperitif called a "Friulan".

In fact, lately we tend to prefer it over a glass of red wine, which is all a bit strange, especially since most of you know our fondness for good red wine. One thing I've discovered more and more lately is the amount of truth behind the statement, "The longer you live in one place the more you assimilate to it's culture."...which leads me to share this little story with you.

The first thing you should know about this region of Italy is their observance of something called "Reposo." Reposo is basically a long lunch break between 12:00- 2:30, in which everything is closed except for local restaurants and wine bars. I've heard other countries call it "Siesta" but lets be honest.. in Italy there's more eating and drinking going on than actual sleeping. Basically it's tends to be a huge inconvenience for most Americans because lunch is not usually our biggest meal of the day.

So we all know how friendly Tom is right? The man loves to talk! Basically he can strike up a conversation with just about anyone and before you know it they're inviting us over for Christmas dinner with the family. Well on moving day he strikes up a conversation with the movers. They immediately fall in love with him and decide to break for reposo and take Tom along for the experience. One thing you should know about most Italians is how typical it is for them to have a drink or two with their lunch. Our movers took Tom to a local pizza joint and insisted that he have a Friulan while they waited for their meal. They told him that a Friulan was the drink of choice for most "local Italians" between 10:00am - 7:00pm. If he was going to be one of the locals he would have to learn to enjoy them. Tom tried the drink but didn't quite understand it's appeal. Later Tom told me that I probably wouldn't like it either because it had a bitter aftertaste, which seems odd now, because everyone knows I'm not exactly fond of sweet drinks. I would much rather drink a dry Cabernet over a sweet Moscato. But nevertheless, ever since that very first day, we've seen countless Italians with the ever-so-popular orange drink.

A few months ago at one of our favorite hangouts we decided to revisit the Friulan again. There's this great wine bar across from Maniago's town square. I have to say after just a few sips I was hooked. It's very refreshing and light. Ever since falling in love with the Friulan at "our spot" we've tried it at many other locations, but no one seems to make it as good. This led us to do a little investigating. We decided once we discovered the recipe we could even make them at home. The next time we were out, we carefully watched the bartender, and discovered their secret. The key four essential ingredients to make a perfect Fruilan are: 3 parts White wine or Prosecco, 2 parts Gasoso (slightly sweet fizzy water), 1 part Aperol (which gives it the distinct orange color), and an orange slice to top it off.

So for those of you wondering about our Italian status, it looks as though, it's only taken us about two years to finally become a friuli local. Which now has caused both of us to wonder what's next in our cultural assimilation?..... Loving reposo?.... I don't think so!...

So for those of you who live in Italy and have been curious about the orange drink phenomenon and are interested in having the best local "Fruilan Experience," make sure you venture out to Maniago and stop by the corner bar in the square. It's impossible to miss! Just "eye spy" the cafe' that has a row of tables full of orange drinks.