Possibly a better title for this would be, "Can you say Csókaszőlő?" LOL. Furmint, Olaszrizling, Kadarka, Kékfrankos
Read More
The Budapest airport forever confuses me, regardless of how many times I've been through. Duty free is before immigration which I continuously forget meaning I'm always almost going to miss my flight by the time I've browsed the couple shops I like then get in the loooong, slow line for immigration. It was on one of these "I forgot passport control was yet to come" trips that I found this Oremus Tokaji Aszú in Duty Free. Selling me a Tokaji Aszú is probably the easiest thing anyone could do. I did hesitate over the price, it was I think the single most expensive bottle of wine I'd ever bought.
Read MoreI've had a few wines before from Szászi Birtok and now they're one of the wineries I routinely try to find when I'm in Budapest. The very first of their wines I had was a Kéknyelű which immediately became one of my favorite grapes. On a not so recent trip, I managed to snag another of their wines: a Rózsakő. Szászi Birtok Owned and operated by Endre Szászi and his wife, Szászi Birtok is one of the oldest certified organic vineyards in Hungary. He farms 24 hectares on the southern slopes of Mount Saint George, Szigliget, Hajagos, and Lesencetomaj where he grows a wide range of grapes including: Riesling, Pinot Gris,
Read More
With woman still being marginalized in the wine world (although oddly enough not in Turkey which you can read about here!), it continues to be important to lift up those who are in the industry. So, I'm celebrating International Women's Day with a wine made by a woman at the winery she owns: Csetvei Pincészet Ezerjó Amphora. I'm a great fan of Hungarian wine but rarely let myself open one. Once it's drunk, it's gone and who knows when I'll be able to get another one! [caption id="" align="alignright" width="351"] Krisztina Csetvei - photo from Csetvei Pincészet[/caption] And yet, if any day is a good day to enjoy one of
Read More
Two years ago, I won a writing contest about Hungarian wine run by Hungarian Wine.EU. You can read my winning piece here! Part of the win included a study tour to several of Hungary's wine regions. On our first day, we spent the night at Dominium Pincészet. We tasted several of their wines at a Mátra regional tasting and later at their winery were able to taste a few more. That's where I learned about the grape Turán. And, after learning that it was my birthday, founder Dániel Orbán very kindly gifted me with a bottle! Dominium Pincészet Dániel Orbán, one of the founders of Dominium Pincészet found inspiration in his father's
Read More
Have you ever heard of Kabar? If you know wine from Tokaj or from Hungary at all, you've probably had some Furmint and Hárslevelű. You've probably also had Kabar though without even knowing it. We don't see a lot of varietal Kabar, but Bükk-based winery Gallay Kézmüves Pince is changing that. Gallay Kézműves Pince is the first family-owned and operated small production winery in the heart of Bükk region in Nyékládháza (located pretty much halfway between Eger and Tokaj). The family has 11 hectares there on which they raise Cserszegi Fűszeres, Kabar, Pinot Blanc, Zenit, Turán, and Zweigelt. Since they established their winery in 2012, they have maintained their dedication
Read More
It's December 4 - you know that that means! #CabFrancDay! I wouldn't miss a chance to celebrate this wine holiday. Not only because my friend Lori Budd of Exploring the Wineglass and Dracaena Wines founded it
Read More
I bought this Carpinus Tokaj Hárslevelű during my last trip to Budapest this June. In a way, this one bottle brought the last year full circle for me. Last year, I participated in (and won! thanks to all you who voted) a wine writing competition organized by Hungarian Wines.EU. This year, during that trip in June, the organizer asked me if I would judge the entries for this summer's competition. My task, to judge the submissions in the "Hárslevelű - More Than "The Other" Grape" category. Owned by Edit and Istaván Bai, Carpinus Winery sits in Hungary's famed Tokaj region. Here the Bais cultivate their grapes with environmentally friendly practices
Read More
Finding Hungarian sparkling wine in Budapest is as easy as hopping in a cab! Located along the Danube on the Buda side of the river lies the neighborhood of Budafolk, an historic center of wine production and cellars. In 1880, a union of wine producing and bottling industries created a cellar network hollowed out of the limestone beneath the neighborhood. The cellar system, 25 kilometers in length and the largest in all of Europe, still exists earning the area the name “Cellar Town.” Today a number of wineries still have production facilities here, especially those focusing on sparkling wine production like Törley, Sauska, and Garamvári. While I was in
Read More
Shortly after I returned from Puglia and Radici del Sud, I turned around and went back to the airport. This time, back to one of my favorite cities on the planet earth
Read More
