Hungary has a vast array of alcoholic beverages including quality wines and beers, as well as liqueurs and brandies that are made exclusively in the country. Here are a few suggestions of various drinks to try. Egészségedre! (Cheers!) Pálinka Produced in both Hungary and Transylvania, this traditional brandy is made from various kinds of fruit such [...]
Drink Bravely TV launched a new webisode on Tuesday featuring a selection of “royal wines” in anticipation of the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton this Friday. The video which is the 39th webisode in the series has internationally recognized wine personality Mark Oldman discussing eight wines fit for the historic event. Among [...]
A few months ago I had the privilege of attending one of the largest tastings for Furmint wines in Hungary, organized by Vinoport at the Vajdahunyad Castle in Budapest. Furmint is one the most widely grown varietals in Hungary particularly within the Tokaj-Hegyalja region. It’s also found in Austria where it is also known as Mosler. [...]
Noble rot isn’t something that sounds very appealing to most people. However, this form of grey fungus or mold in grapes is the essential factor in helping to create sweet wines. When carefully cultivated, it causes the grape to shrivel which concentrates and intensifies both the sugar and flavor. According to legend, the first written account of a sweet wine made from [...]
Tokaj is famed for its intense sweet wines but there also many other styles to appreciate from the region. In particular, dry wines from the single variety of Furmint. Many of these wines can be of good quality, possessing excellent acidity and flavour. This week, I decided to try a 2009 Tokaji Furmint from Hétszölö. This winery has a long and distinguished reputation in [...]
If you’re a Tokaji wine connoisseur, this book is a must read! Written by Miles Lambert-Gocs who has spent over three decades researching Hungary’s most famous wine, Tokaji Wine: Fame, Fate, Tradition is one of the few books that focuses exclusively on this subject in such extensive detail. Arranged an encyclopedic format, it consists of four categories: People; Places; Vineyard-Tracts; Grape Varieties [...]
If your looking to learn more about Hungarian or Central European wines, here’s your chance to do it. The following below is a list of workshops and events that are happening this fall. Please contact the event organizers directly for more information or to register. Central Europe Jewels Explore indigenous wines of Central Europe with Stetson Robbins of [...]
Why is Tokaj so special? Is it the soil, is it the climate or is it the grape varieties and the people? All these factors and much more (including the very technology used in making Tokaji) play an important role. While the expertise of winemakers can develop, grape varieties themselves can travel and even climate can change, one [...]
Hungary may not be the most well-known wine producing nation. However, it has certainly contributed to many aspects of wine and winemaking. Here are some facts about wine in Hungary. • Only three European languages have words for wine: Latin, Greek, and Hungarian. • Vines believed to be indigenous to the region were first cultivated [...]
For over fifty years, there has been a long-running dispute between Hungary and Slovakia over the wine term “Tokaj”. The issue has heated up after the European Commission had recently given Slovakia the go-ahead for registering one of its wine regions, hitherto known as Tokajská Vonohradnícka Oblast under the name of Vinohradnícka Oblast Tokaj. Tokaji [...]
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