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Yes, the first Central Eastern European wine exhibition will take place in a church! The blessed event will be hosted in the historic building of St John’s Waterloo in London, on the 18th of June. From Armenia to Ukraine, this event showcases 500 wines from 52 exhibitors from 14 countries. The event promises to be a great hit, no wonder, trade and press members were quick to register. Hungary will be represented by 7 exhibitors, let us introduce three of the wines to be tasted next Tuesday.

Date and time: 18 June, 10.00–17.00
Venue: St John’s Waterloo, Waterloo Rd, London SE1 8TY
Entrance is free, but registration is needed (only members of trade and press)
Register here.
Exhibiting countries: Armenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Moldova, North-Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine
More about The Ultimate CEE Wine Fair

 

Eszterbauer Báró Steiner 2020, Szekszárd

The family winery will exhibit under the name of the wine region, Szekszárd, with two fellow wineries. Eszterbauer is a winery with countless stories, each label tells tales of the ancestors. Báró Steiner 2020 has been selected the Best Hungarian Red Wine  at Mundus Vini! This blend is actually a Bikavér (also known as Bull’s Blood) wine strictly regulated by Szekszárd wine region. The wine is a member of the premium line, a blend of selected lots from a great vintage. Bikavér wines should contain Kékfrankos and Kadarka indigenous varieties, the rest can be international (Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot). Báró Steiner is a concentrated, great wine with intensive sour cherry and ripened black currant on the nose and abundant in berry fruits on the palate as well. Ripened, integrated tannins, velvety texture, long finish.

More about Eszterbauer Winery
Read the story of “Baron” Steiner, who was not an aristocrat, but a gambler…

Challenges bring some excitement to our lives in lockdown. Some of them are easy (find and post a photo of yours from your childhood), some of them are more sophisticated (reproduce a painting) and some of them require a good deal of courage – like the one among young Hungarian (and as we were informed, among Romanian) winemakers. Cutting all your hair and become bald is definitely an experience worth trying, and these weeks are ideal to hide away if the outcome is not suitable for public. It was initiated by Misi Figula, and it “spreads” among JUNIBOR members mostly. In Hungary there is some peaceful fight attached to the challenge, too: it is not a coincidence that a winemaker of the Bikavér (aka Bull’s Blood) producing Eger wine region challenges the other Bikavér producing region, Szekszárd. Most challenges are accepted, so here is Csaba Vesztergombi from Szekszárd (challenged by Tibor Gál from Eger) – with his new hairdo, or rather with the lack of it. Of course he did not miss the occassion to mention that Bikavér originates in Szekszárd, not in Eger – a dispute that will never end. So if you see many Hungarian winemakers without hair, do not be afraid, it is not a misterious epidemic, it is just male virtue – and some fun to cheer all of us.

More about Csaba Vesztergombi and his wines

Download our free map of Szekszárd wine region

In Hungary Pentecost Sunday is celebrated with open cellar doors all over the country. The Holy Spirit will surely find a way to touch our souls on this day, if not because of wine tasting, then because we will all gather together – in different wine cellars. Vesztergombi Cellar in Szekszárd wine region will also open its doors this Sunday on 9 June from 10 am to 6 pm. Visitors will have chance to taste all Vesztergombi wines plus they can buy bottles with special discount. On top of that a venison stewwill be cooked made of venison hunted in nearby Gemenc forest National Park. Entrance fee is 3000 HUF (10 euros) including the tasting and a plate of stew. And what to taste? Everything, but do not miss the blend called Csaba(named after Csaba Vesztergombi, the new generation, son of Ferenc Vesztergombi, who can be seen in the photo). „The flagship wine of our cellar, a typical Bordeaux blend with more or less equal proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. It is made only in exceptional vintages, and we insist on this principle of ours even if painfully long years pass without having the chance to create the wine. We are keen on constant high quality.”Registration is not necessary, just pop in the cellar any time between 10 and 18.00. If you cannot make it, you can meet the Vesztergombis on 16 August in Mór at Csetvei Garden at our II. Hungarian Gettogether.