Possibly a better title for this would be, "Can you say Csókaszőlő?" LOL. I happened to be in Budapest on what was a national holiday. Furmint, Olaszrizling, Kadarka, Kékfrankos
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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.
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Today's Advent wine comes from Bazaltkő Pincészet in Hungary and features a favorite grape of mine: Kéknyelű. Found primarily in Badacsony, it's an old grape that fell out of popularity but has been making a comeback in the region. Kéknyelű is late-ripening, low-yielding, plagued with poor fruit set, and requires a lot of work in the vineyard. Especially since it needs another variety to pollinate as it has only female flowers. This would be part of the reason it fell out of favor. It's also why it's known locally as the gentleman’s grape’ (on the assumption only someone of affluence could afford to bother with it). Advent Day 3 Bazaltkő Pincészet Kéknyelű,
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A family winery located in the Balaton Uplands Laposa Birtok has a beautifully romantic story. In 1978, József Laposa and Eleonóra Barabás met on a train traveling through Balaton. It must have been love at first sight because the couple married later that same year. Coincidentally, both happened to come from wine families and the marriage joined the Laposa family barrel maker with the Barabás family winemaker. The couple received a small wine press house in the Balaton Uplands as a wedding gift and from there built their winery. Today in the hands of their children, Laposa Birtok focuses mainly on white wines. They work with traditional, local grape varieties typical
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,
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