Amazing! Hungarian furmint conquers London

In Hungary, wine lovers know the connection between Furmint wines and February. As it happens, the opening ceremony of Furmint February was organised by Wines of Hungary UK in London this year. It is safe to say that the Hungarian wine won over a number of new fans, conquering the UK as well.

The event took place at 67 Pall Mall, a classy, exclusive club – reports HVG. Twenty-six wineries were represented at the event and attendees could get a taste of over a hundred different wines.

Furmint February 2019 was organised by Zsuzsa Toronyi and Lilla O’Connor, members of the Wines of Hungary UK agency. This time, it was only wine experts who were invited so that they have the chance to really get to know the Furmint and meet the winemakers. The wines will be shared with the wider public around May.

A number of famous wine experts made an appearance, including Steven Spurrier, one of the most well-known wine experts in the world, Christian Davis, editor of Drinks International, Rupert Millar from The Drinks Business as well as many sommeliers from top London restaurants.

The host of the event, Caroline Gilby, praised the excellent qualities of the Furmint and compared it to the likes of the Chardonnay and the Riesling from the Rhine, two of the most distinguished grape types.

Winemakers present at the event emphasised how open and genuinely interested the British experts were. First, they tasted the wine, made notes and only after having formed an opinion did they go back for the background information. Angelika Árvay from the Árvay Family Winery described the event as such:

“It was a night full of smiles. Everybody was smiling, from the biggest vendors through members of the press to the guests of Master of Wine, so we had the opportunity to smile back a lot. First, they tasted the wine, then they came back to talk. It was not just about the wine; they were interested in everything.

This directness was the best part of the event, and several people promised to visit Tokaj one day. I hope that will happen. I have not attended many tastings that were so uplifting as this one.”

The experts also praised the wide range of Furmint they could try, while the winemakers were grateful for the immediate feedback. Zsuzsa Toronyi, one of the organisers of the event, admitted that this volume of professional interest surprised them, even though they were secretly hoping for it to happen. She feels it is really time to introduce the Furmint to Britain as well, and Furmint February is an excellent way of promoting it.

To learn more about the best Hungarian wines to try, click here.

Featured image:facebook.com/pg/furmintfebruar

Source: hvg.hu