Hungarian print wine magazine called VinCE dedicated its August panel tasting to the top red wines of the country. As the editors put it into words, „they are looking for wines to keep until the most important occasions, eg. the wedding of our children. As the experts in the panel emhasized, there were far less overextracted and overoaked wines than they had expected, Hungarian winemakers seem to be much more moderate with oak usage and extraction than they used to be. In the brilliant flight of wines the 3 ones with the perfect balance got the highest evaluation called VinCE Award (5 stars). Let us introduce these really prestigious red wines (all of them got 5 stars, the order is merely alphabetical).

György Zsiga is an importer (Danube Wines) of Hungarian wines and co-founder of Novel Wines British wine store. The good news is that he is visiting the 2nd Hungarian Gettogether event on 16 August in Mór wine region, Csetvei Kert. Zsiga is a guest of Zsuzsa Toronyi (Wines of Hungary UK), and we are grateful to Zsuzsa for bringing such an honourable guest to the summer wine celebration of ours. Novel Wines already features 31 wines from Hungary from wineries like Sabar, Zsirai, Heumann, Vesztergombi, Szepsy. Let us recommend 3 wines from their portfolio with Novel Wines descriptions!

The annual wine festival at the Castle of Buda is a true festivity for winelovers, and also a tourist attraction since the UNESCO World Heritage site gives a stunning venue to the event, plus participants can enjoy Hungarian gastronomy, folk music and folk dance along with a huge selection of wines. Now we reveal 5 of the wine exhibitors of the festival to be held on 5–8 September, all winners of the precious title Winemaker of the Year.

On 15 August winelovers will get on board again: another wine boat will cruise on the river in Budapest carrying 14 winemakers. Why again? Because apart from Borjour, a company having organized wine courses for years, another company called Winelovers started to get involved in river wine tour business. The competition is strong, and as a consequence wine loving people in Budapest have double amount of choice to enjoy the fascinating view and great wines at the same time. This 15 August River Night belongs to Winelovers, and they offer 3 types of tickets, all including unlimited wine tasting, but with different dinner options. Boarding is from 6 pm and the event closes at 10 pm. Participants can taste wines from wineries all over Hungary, for example Csányi Winery / Teleki Wines (Villány), Haraszthy Winery (Etyek), Kreinbacher méthode traditionelle sparkling wines (Somló), Kamocsay Ákos Premium Wines / Hilltop (Neszmély) or Babarczi Winery (Pannonhalma). Babarczi makes delicious reductive wine wines, which will serve as a relief for our palate in the summer afternoon heat, thus why not starting the tasting with a Babarczi Pannonhalmi Chardonnay 2018? „The fruit for this Chardonnay comes from a vineyard called Baron Hill, one of the best vineyards of Győrújbarát with the most potential. Its nose and palate reflect freshness and fruitiness, but the characteristic mineral notes are also present. Pear, apple and floral tones pair with zesty acidity. Ideal with fish plates, but perfect in itself as well.”

Tickets (website is in Hungarian, if you need help, let us know)

8 wineries will offer their wines for unlimited tasting on 26 July from 6 pm to 10.30 pm, and meanwhile we can enjoy the stunning view of Budapest and the river Danube. The sunset on the waves of the dark blue river is breathtaking. Teleki wines will also be presented from their crispy rosé made of Portugieser to their award winning Kékfrankos and Villányi Franc wines. Chateau Teleki Villányi Franc was matured in mixed sized barrels for 1,5 years. „Mediterranean, spicy character in its nose with forest fruits and a hint of smoky, woody notes. The palate is dominated by fruits as well. Well composed structure and long finish.”

Tickets cost 6900 HUF / person (22 euros) and include tasting of all the wines, mineral water, boating and concert / dJ. Food will also be available (not included in the ticket).

Tickets (in Hungarian, if you need help, write to us).

Last week we published some of the special prizes and great gold medals of the most important national competition of Hungary. „Simple” gold medals seem to stay in the shadow, as if gold was not brilliant enough. But when there are 908 entries, it is an honour to be among the 140 gold winners. Especially with the highest score of the gold winners! Tűzkő Estate is one of the proud gold winners with their Tűzkő Domb, the flagship blend of the winery. Tűzkő Domb Cuvée 2017 received 91.50 scores, which makes it the most successful gold winner apart from the great gold winners. The estate is situated in Tolna wine region, one of the less known wine regions of Hungary in spite of the infinite merits of the region, neighbouring star regions like Villány or Szekszárd. Tűzkő is owned by Marchese Piero Antinori – a guarantee to create great quality wines true to their terroirs. So who is this gold winner beauty? „Deep colour,  full bodied, matured wine rich in refined tannins. Thanks to the two varieties fruity and spicy notes meet, and the blend is made complex with some discrete barrel ageing and 10 months of bottle ageing. Refined, integrated tannins with the deep, warm character of Cabernet Franc and the velvety and chocolate character of Merlot.”

More about Tűzkő Domb

Caroline Gilby British Master of Wine has a deep knowledge of wines of Carpathian basin. She has been travelling all our wine regions and we are grateful to her for being an ambassador of Hungarian wines. Her enthusiasm was ackowledged last year when she was awarded „The best friend of winemakers”. The title is especially precious, because it is given by 50 top winemakers of Hungary. In a recent article on Decanter.com she recommends 18 dry Furmint wines from Hungary and neighbouring countries.

Have you ever tasted Ezerjó? It is an indigenous Hungarian grape almost exclusively grown in Mór wine region, the second smallest wine region. It is hard to „tame” it because of its relatively high acidity, but in good hands it can give great wines. And even sparkling wines: Krisztina Csetvei made a méthode traditionnelle sparkling wine, of course, of Ezerjó. What’s more, she has released her first artisan beer, again with a touch of Ezerjó wine! EzerYO, the IPA type of craft beer is made by 972 Brewery, flavoured with grapefruit and Csetvei Ezerjó. Available only in very limited quantity, the best is to try it at Csetvei Garden on 16 August along with wines from 15 wineries at the 2nd Hungarian Gettogether. Bus transfer is provided (for less then 5 euros) from Budapest. The event is free for invited wine professionals. If you are interested but not invited yet, write to us! Other exhibiting wineries: Babarczi (Pannonhalma), Borbély (Badacsony), Csányi/ Teleki (Villány), Etyeki Kúria (Etyek), Hilltop (Neszmély), Koch Winery (Hajós–Baja), Sabar (Badacsony), Taschner (Sopron), TR Winery (Tokaj), Tornai Winery (Somló), Tóth Ferenc (Eger), Vesztergombi (Szekszárd), Zsirai Winery (Tokaj). The tasting takes place from 3 pm to 9 pm, and then the afterparty begins. For the afterparty a ticket is to be purchased (5000 HUF), but the band on stage is really worth it! Bori Péterfy has a unique voice and style, the night will be unforgettable!

More about 2nd Hungarian Gettogether

More about Csetvei Garden afterparty

’Anyukám mondta’ (literally translated: ’As mum said’) is an amazing success story in Hungary. The restaurant was opened by two brothers in a tiny village in the north of Hungary, far far away. The place was meant to be a pizzeria, but the pizzas were and have been made with the greatest care, of original Italian ingredients. By now Anyukám mondta is among the best restaurants in Hungary, and it is listed among the best in Europe (La Liste top 50 restaurants in Europe). This summer Dudás brothers will cook at one of the most relaxed and loveliest wine festival of Hungary in Erdőbénye, at ’Bor, mámor, Bénye’. The festival will take place on 15–18 August, and 14 wineries will open their doors for visitors. Courtyards turn into stages, exhibitions, concerts, kid’s programmes are presented in great variety. Sanzon Tokaj, Vayi Winery, Préselő Winery and many others offer special tastings, winery visits, just like Béres Vineyard and Winery, which awaits guests for example with chocolate and wine pairing (with Szamos marzipan).

More information and tickets

„We arrived at the most stunning location imaginable… gentle slopes covered in grape vines, warm sun and extinct volcano hillsides scattered all around. It’s this terrain that gives the predominantly white wines of the region a delicious mineral taste. Gábor introduced us to his range of wines, which were amazing”– wrote How Askew British blues guitarist and song writer on his blog. He played on Sabar hill in June, and will surely return one day as he was impressed by the wines and the place and last but not least by Gábor Ádám, the owner of Sabar estate. This weekend, on 5-6 July Sabar hill will be filled with blues again, since the 2nd Sabar Blues Festival will take place (see our earlier article about it). If visiting the festival, tasting Kéknyelű wine, the most important indigenous grape of Badacsony wine region is a must. Sabar Kéknyelű is a single vineyard wine from „Kőmagas” (Stone High) vineyard, fermented spontaneously and matured for 7 months in lightly toasted, 500 litre Austrian barrels. „Flowers of the meadows flow from the glass and summer white flesh fruits are also abundant. After the first impression of flowers and summer fruits, some tropical character, mostly pineapple appears. Exciting, concentrated, vivid. Deep, layered with firm structure and a touch of bitterness.” Sabar will also participate and exhibit in our II. Hungarian Gettogether in Mór, Csetvei Garden on 16 August. If you are interested, write to us!

Tickets for Sabar Blues Festival are around 10–15 euros.
Registration
sabar@sabar.hu