6 courses paired with Barta wines at CZIN Bistro

Cinkota is one of the outer districts of Budapest, the capital of Hungary. The ancient spelling of the district was Czinkota with Cz at the beginning – hence the name of CZIN Bistro, a relatively new, but really trendy place. It is well worth taking a taxi and visiting this family friendly, lovely place, especially on the 18th of June, when a stunning 6 courses will be paired with the gorgeous Barta wines from Tokaj!

Venue: CZIN Bistro, Szabadföld út 79., Budapest, Hungary
Date and time: 18 June 2025, 19.00
Price: 25 990 HUF / person (around 65 EUR)
Reservation: +36 30 787 4914, info@czin.hu
More about CZIN Bistro
More about Barta Winery

The 6-course menu with wine pairs

 – Pike perch ceviche with marinated vegetables
with Barta Tokaji Furmint Pezsgő 2019 (bottle fermented sparkling wine with 3.5 years ageing on the lees)
– Lamb chops with fondant potatoes and roasted baby vegetables
with Barta Egy Kis Furmint 2023
– Butterfish medallion with saffron risotto and mussels
with Barta KVG Furmint–Hárslevelű 2023
– Filet mignon with truffle mashed potatoes, king trumpet mushroom and asparagus
with Barta Öreg Király Dűlő Furmint 2013
– Rosé duck breast with sweet potato variations and fruit jus
with Barta Öreg Király Dűlő Késői Szüretelésű Furmint 2018
– Toasted scones with confit foie gras and caramelized pears
with Barta Öreg Király Dűlő Szamorodni 2015

Some of our earlier articles about Barta Winery

Muscat & Furmint blend by Barta from legendary Öreg Király

Barta Öreg Király – the Best Tokaji Aszú

Ride & Picnic and other wine experiences at Barta Winery

Hungarian article shortlisted at Jancis Robinson’s wine writing contest

There were altogether 63 entries this year for the prestigious wine writing contest, and the 20 shortlisted writings have just been announced. Gergely Somogyi, owner and editor of Tokaj Today made an excellent piece in the given topic – which was not easy –: regeneration of vineyards. Gergely gives several detailed examples of renewed vineyards in Tokaj, one of them – probably the most picturesque – is Barta’s Öreg Király Vineyard in the cover photo above.

Excerpt from the article:

“The spectacular set of terraces in the south-facing, trapezoid-shaped plot of Király Hill of Mád is one of the region’s most photographed vineyard sites. Steeped in history, this tract of land has been in cultivation since the 13th century, yet, the vines up there are all fairly young. They were planted in 2004 and 2005, right after Károly Barta and Ervin Demeter had bought the overgrown stretch of mountainside. 

The renewal was a huge undertaking with trees having had to be cut to reclaim the top part of the dűlő from nature. Despite some five decades of neglect, the terrace walls were in surprisingly good condition. Apart from these terraces, Barta bought and replanted another close to six high-elevation hectares in the south-southeast of the hill and another three in the west to own almost 10 out of the 13.3 hectares currently in production in what is called the Öreg Király today.“

 

Read Gergely Somogyi’s astonishing article here

Voting closes at 9 am UK time on Wednesday 21 September.

Vote here

More about Barta Winery

Fun fact: Gergely Somogy has just won the Hárslevelű category of our own writing contest! He won the respect of both the jury and the readers: he received the most points from the jury and the most votes from the audience. Double congrats to him!

Concours Mondial de Bruxelles standing up for sweet wines

Concours Mondial de Bruxelles wine contest is preparing for its sweet and fortified session in Sicily in September. I am (Ágnes Németh, editor in chief of this publication) honoured to be part of the jury – especially since I am from the country where the “king of wines, wine of kings” are made.

A recent article by Concours team points to the excellency of these unique wines: “The history of sweet wine is fascinating. From once being the most sought-after wine in the world (French king Louis XV called TokajiAszú the “king of wines, wine of kings”), in more recent times this category has fallen from favour, and in many markets its potential is currently overlooked.

Yet when made with high quality grapes and skill, these wines can be just as balanced and complex as their dry counterparts. Their high sugar content means that not only do they keep well once opened, but they can also be very successfully cellared. As British Master of Wine Rosemary George writes, “the best examples of sweet wines are truly original vinous treasures.”

Read the whole article with market insights
Entry deadline: 1 August
Shipment deadline: 15 August
Registration for the contest

A Platinum winner “sticky”

Let us introduce one of these “truly original vinous treasures”, Barta Öreg Király Tokaji Aszú 6 puttonyos 2016, a fabulous dessert wine from the breathtaking Öreg Király (‘Old King’) vineyard.
“Botyrtised Furmint berries of exceptional quality were macerated in fermenting Furmint base wine for 18 hours and pressed for the juice to be fermented in oak barrels for three weeks. After fermentation, the wine was cooled and racked, and then aged for 24 months in 228-litre Zemplén oak barrels (medium toasted with toasted heads), made by Kádár Hungary. The barrels were topped up continually for protection against oxygen.” At Decanter World Wine Awards 2020 this wine won Platinum with 97 scores. The panel’s opinion: “Complex and developed on the nose with honey and caramel notes framed by mango marmalade, ripe pears and hints of sweet tropical fruit. Lovely sweetness with a fantastic buzzing acidity. Quite young with ageing potential.” Well said two years ago…

Find Barta Öreg Király Tokaji Aszú 6 puttonyos 2016 in the webshop

27–29 May, Budapest, Millenaris Park

Have you ever felt embarassed in front of a Michelin star restaurant? What if it is not worth the price? At Gourmet Festival you can get a sample of the plates of the most highly rated Hungarian restaurants, so that you can decide in a relaxed way if you ever want to visit them. Plus you can taste wines of several great wineries like Barta, Béres or Holdvölgy. Visiting the booths of these wineries you can see the different faces of Tokaj wine region.

“Hungary’s biggest gastronomy event is back with its 10th edition after a two-year break. The main attractions of the jubilant edition are local restaurants, wineries, confectioneries, brewers and palinka manufacturers. Besides having open-air tastings, the venue of our Gourmet Academy welcomes guests ready to learn and be entertained by international star chefs and unforgettable programs. Moreover, on Children’s Day, we are to suprise the kids with some fun events, too! Check the last Festival’s aftermovie to get a closer look of what we can provide!”
Tickets: 17 eur / day
Location: Millenáris Park (1024 Budapest, Kis Rókus street. 16–20.) Map
More info

If it comes to Tokaj and Furmint, Barta Cellar is a must mention. His single vineyard Furmint wine from Öreg Király (‘Old King’) vineyard has received numerous national and international acknowledgements, just lately it has been selected Wine of the Month by VinCE Magazin, and we have reported how Tamlyn Currin (jancisrobinson.com) was fascinated by the wine in London. ‘Egy Kis Furmint’ (A Little Furmint) is the little sister of the great wine. “Egy kis is the ‘prefix’ for our second brand under which we offer wines that are aimed at the ‘beginner wine drinkers’ who are looking for high-quality, yet easy-to-love, fruity and fresh entry-level wines that can open the door to wine connoisseurship.” It is a new release, the wine was bottled for the first time this year. Harvest of grapes with good acidity and citrusy notes for this wine started on 12th September 2019. 80 per cent of the juice was fermented in a steel tank, the rest in 2nd-fill and 3rd-fill oak barrels, all at controlled temperatures. The wine was then aged for 3 months on fine lees before bottling. Tomi Pethő (Vinobarclub), creator of the meal commented: “Tapas are light bites that have acidity and freshness, so they naturally go well with the light, vibrant, herbal and playful character of Egy Kis Furmint.”

More about the wine

See full recipe