Autumn is coming…really!

It’s hard to believe when temps are still roasting us like wieners on a stick, but autumn is nearly here. It says so on the calendar, so it must be true. Read more

One Man’s Rotting Grapes Is Another’s…

Ridiculously moldy, rotting grapes make for unbelievably great wine.

At least that’s the way they think in Hungary, and many other places where people seem to adore Tokay wine. After spending a few days in Budapest this week, I finally got a chance to see what all the fuss is about.

Legend has it that in the mid-1600s, a Hungarian priest named Laczko began dabbling with Furmint grapes to make a new, great wine in Hungary. Just as his grapes were nearing harvest, Turks invaded and all good Hungarians had to go to war, leaving his experimental fruit to rot on the vine. He and his harvesters returned in late Fall to dried up, withering grapes that were not only rotting but laden with Butrytis cinerea fungus. He decided to cut his losses, pick them anyway, mixi them with a previous year’s wine and hope for the best. The result was Tokay Aszu, which is revered as much if not more than French Sauterne…and just as sweet too. Many wine experts love to refer to Louis XIV’s description of Tokay as the “wine of kings” and the King of wines.”

Despite being a dry wine love, I was utterly intrigued by the the way wine critics literally rave about this ultra sweet varietal. Measured in “Puttonyos,” ranging usually from three to six, one gets a general idea of the level of sweetness in a Tokay. Three is merely considered “sweet,” whereas six is “dramatically sweet,” and Tokay Eszencia is described as “off the charts,” according to Karen MacNeil in her Wine Bible. If you believe our wine guy at the Budapest City Market, those Puttonyos directly relate to the quality of wine and certainly the price.

For those who have not traveled to Budapest, its city market is quite a treat. Spacious, clean and full of paprikas and paprika-related items alongside stalls and stalls of colorful produce and aromatic salamis, meats and cheeses, this indoor market is open every day of the week. On its top floor are stalls after stalls of local crafts but also yet more stalls, cafes and restaurants to taste Langos (deep-fried savory Elephant Ears smothered with sour cream and paprika) as well as goulash soup and other Hungarian goodies. It’s also the perfect place to try Hungarian wines, especially Tokay.

Fear not if your Hungarian is limited to “goulash, please,” because most Hungarians speak English. For me, asking for a range of Tokay samplings proved easy enough. Many stands have several bottles lined up of Tokay with deciliters to taste for the equivalent of $2-6. Our wine guy was likely not the most helpful in the market, but it didn’t really matter as it was satisfying just getting to see a range of the wine all in one place. Ultimately I felt a little like Goldilocks with three diverse Tokay. My Szaraz or dry Tokay sample was the cheapest of the bunch, but lacked the more complex layering and flavors of the sweeter wines. This one is a little too dry. A 6-Puttonyo had the characteristic honey nose and honey flavor but felt almost as if I was literally drinking honey. This one is a little too sweet. And a mid-range 4-Puttonyo wine turned out to be still quite sweet but easy to imagine with a tender foie gras (the Hungarians love their foie gras) or as a dessert wine. This one was just right.

Today’s Tokay has had a storied past such that only since the ’90s has it returned to the glory that it enjoyed when it was first discovered. Phylloxera, politics and poor economics prevented a strong wine industry from flourishing during tumultuous times. Literally, it took Hugh Johnson and several deep-pocketed non-Hungarian investors to restore Hungary’s Tokay grapes vines (now four varieties, not just Furmint).

And of course, other wine varietals only found in this region are also resurging. According to MacNeil, Hungary ranks 11th in wine-producing countries worldwide, but you’d never know it to look at most wine selections in stores since much of it never leaves the country. Even in Germany, where I live, there are few Hungarian wines for sale. But, that is likely changing. As more people travel and wine sellers learn of Kekfrankos (the grape used to make Bull’s Blood), Kekoporto, Zweigelt, Olasrizling, Oremus, and Harslevelu, they have an opportunity to expand horizons and encounter Hungary at a a good time when the wine is only getting better.

– Ivy F. Kupec

A Wine Lover’s World Cup

Friday was a perfect day for a Pinotage. It went so perfectly with springbok a.k.a. antelope steaks that my husband encountered on a recent trip to Cape Town. On Saturday, we moved on to a boisterous Argentinean Malbec to accompany grilled ribeyes outside on our terrace. And Sunday we made room for a refreshing Riesling that worked well with stuffed red perch. Ah, the World Cup. It’s not just a time for everyone to become a soccer fan; for wine lovers, it’s also an excellent reason to celebrate world wines. Read more

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