I’ve just begun to learn wines though i’ve been loving and drinking them for a while.
My knowledge is far less than it’s supposed to be to leave an appropriate comment but i still feel i have to do it.

Your chosen story of ‘ancestor’ of Tokaji seems to me wrong to believe in. And it also can make people think that it’s true. For me it’s not even good as a legend however i can’t deny the fact that some Italian varieties can be grown in Hungary though i can’t name any of them for as far as i know it’s not really possible to find out the origin of some of our grapes.
So.
Tokaj is a historical town in Hungary and Tokaj-Hegyalja is one of the most famous wine regions in the country. The name of Tokaj was first mentioned in the 11th century as a wine-growing region.
There are many different theories of starting of the viticulture of the area. Some claims it started in the Celtic times and there are some proofs from the Roman ages.
It’s not possible to tell when the first wines were made but records show that vineyards had been established in the early 12th century.
In the 12-13th century there were latin people invited to settle in Tokaj region who could be Walloons or Italian no one knows exactly.
So there could be Italian roots of Hungarian viticulture though researchers state that the ancient Hungarian tribes had their own tradition of wine making who only arrived from Asia -to the area now known as Hungary- only in the 9th century..
And also as you mentioned Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of Italy was a part of Hungary long time ago for a while. But that doesn’t mean that the names are each others origin.
I believe it’s only a simple coincidence though i better read more about the subject.

There are two possibilites of the origin of the name Tokaj. It can come from a slavic word, Stokaj (Slavs were involved with viticulture, a part of the old Tokaj region belongs to Slovakia and Checz Republic nowadays.)
And it also can come from an Armenian word meaning ‘grape’.
Tokaj belonged to Transylvania where amongst others Count Batthyànyi reigned in the ealy 1600’s whose wife was Princess Aurora Formentini. Wine export was an important source for Transylvania’s governors.
Just a century later was introduced the Tokaji Aszù to King Louis XIV of France and it became to known there as Tokay.
But I’m still not sure that is why they used the name Tokay or Tocai for their Pinot Gris for there is no Pinot Gris grown in Tokaj though it is grown in Hungary under the name Sz&agrave’rkebaràit (‘grey friar’).

Tokaji simply means ‘from Tokaj’ or ‘of Tokaj’.
I believe many people think that Tokaji is a wine however it’s the area where the wines are grown and fermented.
So when someone says i’m drinking a Tokaji it only means that the wine is from Tokaj (region).
As a Hungarian that’s my opinion. I haven’t heard anyone (my friends and people who i’ve ever talked to about wines) in my country calling the sweet dessert wine (what you mentioned as Tokaji) only Tokaji. That’s Tokaji Aszù.
Maybe someone should correct me..
But the proper name for me is for example Tokaji Hà¡rslevel? or Tokaji Furmint.
I don’t have the right to judge decisions, which wine can have which name, however pride made me write this comment. I believe we should know the difference between Tokaji which is not really a wine and Tocai Friulano, and so on..
And then -if we are interested enough to learn what we consume- we won’t be confused though I can understand the importance of the case..

Otherwise i enjoyed your article, i wish you the chance to taste more and more wines from around the world and share your experience with us who has much to learn!

Krisz from HU