Hungarian wine

New image launched for the Eger wine region

eger wine new image

Many people consider 2021 as the year of starting over again. This is particularly true for the Eger wine region, as it is about to present its new image to wine lovers and wine professionals alike. From now on the design which is partly modern, partly classic is going to represent the whole community of the wine region.

Preparations for the new look began quite some time ago following a decision by the Eger Regional Wine Committee and the winemakers delegated by the local wineries to work on an up-to-date and unified image. The members asked Géza Ipacs to come up with plans for the new image of the wine region.

„I can’t even imagine what it would be like for someone who is not living in Eger to work on this design. As for me, knowing the wine region first hand was of immense help. For the last 20 years I’ve been in the right position to follow all the strategic dilemmas local winemakers had to face and without this insight the result would surely have been something different. The creation of an image of this kind involves taking a conceptual stand regarding the values the wine region focuses on and which are faithfully represented by it”, recalls the designer the creative process.

The logo is both classic and modern in terms of style. The overall impression is that of solemnity and majesty.

eger wine new image

It is made up of two halves, one shows the Eger inscription and the „1000 years of passion” slogan, referring to the wine region’s millenium long past thus establishing a historical context. The other shows an icon depicting a winged bull. First and foremost this is an allusion to egri bikavér which has long been associated with the Eger and is the emblematic wine of the region. However the bull image is unusual inasmuch the bull has wings which in turn connects it to ancient myths.

It was an important goal to come up with a design which is not only suitable to be official used by regional authorities but also to propagate various events for the general public. Regional community work has started and is making progress, and this is aptly represented by the common image.

eger wine new image

„We reckoned that the time has come to join our forces – not only for winemakers but for all active players in the wine region. The unexpected challenges we had to face recently forced us to reconsider many things and to make a new start. We were guided by a big survey which showed us where changes had to be implemented and the areas where we had to improve. Egri bikavér will remain our main focus, but we also need to show the diversity of Eger. We have to communicate light whites and rosés, but also single vineyard wines of real stature. We also have to place more emphasis on local events. All these efforts will be aided by the new unified image”, says winemaker Gergely Soltész about the foundations of the concept.

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Read alsoThe season of wine festivals in Eger opens with VINO

Hungarian wine chosen as one of the best in the world

wine

A Hungarian Egri Bikavér was chosen as one of the world’s top 50 wines. 

Hungary is quite good at producing delicious quality drinks. Just think about pálinka or unicum. These two hungaricums are acknowledged and loved by many. 

Another Hungarian Pálinka receives protected geographical indication

If you belong to the solid base of our regular readers, you also know about the best Hungarian wines the country adores, which are also quite famous in the world. Yesterday, one of these refreshing drinks was chosen as one of the best. 

The Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA), the world’s largest wine competition is organised every year. In 2021, it saw its biggest year to date, with 18,094 wines tasted from 56 countries. “Over 15 consecutive days in June, almost 170 expert wine judges… awarded over 14,000 medals”, as we can read on their official website. 

The results were announced yesterday, making Wednesday a proud day for Hungarian wines, as

a bottle of 2017 Egri Bikavér won the title “Best in Show”,

making it one of the 50 best wines of the world. 

Moreover,

all 92 competing Hungarian wines received a medal,

which is an astonishing accomplishment. 

Index.hu talked to Zsuzsa Toronyi, wine expert and manager of Wines of Hungary UK, who was also part of the jury.

She says that every jury member had to taste almost 100 wines every single day during the two weeks. Wines are aggrouped based on their place of origin and the type of the grapes. Everyone gives his points individually, which are then summarized by the panel chair of every panel, made up of 4 experts. 

Those wines that received a Gold medal were tasted once again on the last day of the competition by all panel chairs. That is when they decided whether the wine was good enough to receive a Platinum medal or to be included in the Best in Show elite list. 

“We had a Best in Show title. It means that the jury of Decanter chooses the 50 best wines in the world every year. This year,

the St.Andrea Nagy-Eged Grand Superior 2017 “bikavér” of Eger is one of them.

This is a huge accomplishment!”, says Zsuzsa.

Apart from this absolute winner bottle, 4 further Hungarian wines received the Platinum medal: 

The points might not say much to us, amateur wine lovers, so Zsuzsa makes it clear: there was no point higher than 98 among all international wines competing! 

Furthermore, Hungary won 15 Gold medals. 

As Zsuzsa highlights, this year’s competition was especially important because apart from the sweet Tokaji, Hungarian wines are not particularly known on the international field. The country has “good products, so we only need to show our wines”. London, where the competition was held, is one of the best scenes to do so since it is one of the biggest wine markets out there. 

She says that Hungary is on the right track but she urges other wineries to enter these types of competitions, as the ingredients and the final products are very good, the country only needs to show what it has got to offer. 

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Read alsoThe season of wine festivals in Eger opens with VINO

Two rare bottles of 1889 Tokaji Essencia to be offered at auction!

Hungary wine Tokaj

Two bottles of incredibly rare 1889 Tokaji Essencia, Lipót Zimmerman from Hungary’s most renowned wine region Tokaj and from the most famous family to produce it, will be offered in Dreweatts Fine and Rare Wine and Spirits sale on July 8, 2021.

The Tokaji Blend is a term used to describe the varietal composition of the revered wines of Tokaj, Hungary and the area and vineyard, which have an impassioned history, centred around the first winemakers of the region, the Jewish Zimmerman family.

The Zimmermann family were wealthy Jewish landowners, creating the region’s legendary sweet wine from first-growth vineyards from the 19th century until World War II. They had

numerous vineyards across Tokaj and approximately 60 cellars and lived in an elegant townhouse in Mád,

as well as having a second residence in Abaújszántó. Highly successful, their wines were prized, receiving several gold medals at competitions in Berlin in 1892 and Paris in 1896.

The company continued to flourish with offices in Budapest, Berlin, Katowice, London and New York, until the occupation of Hungary by Germany in 1944. It was then under General Dome Sztojay and SS Colonel Adolf Eichmann that 437,402 Hungarian Jews were deported to Auschwitz, amongst them the Zimmerman family, in an attempt to eradicate the last intact Jewish community in occupied Europe. The vineyards were left to fall into disrepair and eventually taken over by the communist state when Hungary fell to the Red Army in 1945 and communism ruled until the 1980s.

It was in 1990 following the fall of communism, that the first foreign investor in the region purchased the land and vineyards.

British wine writer Hugh Johnson acquired it from more than 60 individuals,

who had bought it when it was privatized some years before. In doing so, he founded the winery known as Royal Tokaji, which has established itself as one of Hungary’s most foremost wineries. The region of Tokaj was also designated a world heritage site in 2002.

In June 2016, six descendants of the Zimmerman family’s holocaust survivors unveiled two plaques at the front of the headquarters of the Royal Tokaji wineries in Hungary, recognizing the family’s unequivocal link to the history of winemaking in the region and in tribute to the Jewish community there that lost their lives.

The first plaque reads: This was the home of Miklós and Blanka Zimmermann and their two children and the second notes the former home of Lajos and Margit Zimmerman. The signs also go on to note the Zimmerman family’s long history of involvement in: the cultivation, production and marketing of Tokaji wines, since the early 1800s.

The two bottles of 1889 Tokaji Essencia, Zimmerman Lipót being offered for sale at Dreweatts are therefore exceptionally rare and are almost a slice of history. Mark Roberston, Head of the Wine department at Dreweatts says, “One can almost distil the political history of Europe in the 19th and 20th century through Tokaji” and regarding the wine itself he comments; “The free run juice of the aszu grapes can take 6 or 7 years to ferment fully to a maximum 3-7%.

This supernatural concentration of sweetness is beautifully married with an unusual level of acidity creating a wine that can age effortlessly across the centuries. Traditionally served on a crystal spoon, what an experience awaits”.

Michael Broadbent, MW describes it as follows, “Several consistent notes. Most memorably, on my first visit to Budapest in 1972, with Josef Dömöter, Head of the Hungarian Wine Trust and Fred May, the UK Monimpex importer. Neither had ever tasted an old Eszencia before. I opened it in Herr Dömöter’s office, to great wonder and satisfaction, and took the remaining half the following morning to Tokaj, where, in Tarcal, I had lunch with the technical Head of the Research Institute for Viticulture. He didn’t like it! Briefly: a deep, warm amber; glorious fragrance, rich, chocolatey, spicy; sweet of course, plump, concentrated taste of singed sultanas, excellent acidity. Last tasted in Leiden Nov 1982 *****”

Mark Robertson concludes, “These are important bottles and I hope they are enjoyed with a chink of the glass to the man and his family who made them”.

They carry an estimate of £500-£1,000 per 500 ml bottle and will be sold in two separate lots.

Would you invest in Hungarian champagne? Here is the opportunity, buy a factory!

littke_champagne

Hungary’s second-oldest champagne factory, the 150-year-old Littke Palace in Pécs, is offered for sale. Here are the details.

After a short break, the factory restarted its operation four years ago and has become widely known for its exceptional French champagnes.

The 150-year-old champagne factory – along with the belonging property – is offered for sale at a purchase price of EUR 5.88 million (~HUF 2.1 billion). 

As the Hungarian news portal Napi.hu reports, Littke Palace is the second oldest champagne factories in Hungary, established in 1859. The factory was deprivatized in 1949. The production of champagne in the factory started in 1966. A few years later, the Winery merged with the Villány-Siklós Farm and continued to operate under the name Villány-Mecsekalja Winery. In 1982, the champagne factory produced 11 types of bottle-fermented and 4 types of tank champagne. In 1996, the factory was purchased by a Swedish citizen of Hungarian origin who expanded the company’s activity with viticulture and winemaking, and since 2003 it has operated under the name Cezar Winery Ltd. The company temporarily stopped making champagne in 2015 but restarted its operation two years later.

In 2019, the net sales revenue of Littke Pezsgőház Ltd. was EUR 120,000, and the after-tax profit was a loss of EUR 61,000. The tendency was almost the same in the last few years, with a slight increase in the sales revenue.

According to the advertisement, the complex offered for sale at a purchase price of EUR 5.88 million (~HUF 2.1 billion) includes:

  • a conference room with a floor area of ​​600 m2 and a capacity of 300 people.
  • 2km long cellar systems comprising 5 levels, with an air temperature of 14 degrees Celsius in winter and summer. The cellar passages are huge and spacious, as wagons used to run between the passages.
  • 170 m2 wine tasting room with a capacity of 40 people.
  • A champagne restaurant, a café and a gift shop.
  • Above the restaurant, there is a residential area with 5 offices and 11 rooms, 3 bathrooms. Recently, a hotel department has been established with 15 – 2-3 bed – hotel rooms.

The advertisement was posted a few weeks ago; since then, inquiries have been made by foreign and domestic investors as well.

Kreinbacher, champagne, Hungary
Read alsoHungarian champagne awarded among the best ones in the world

Featured image: www.facebook.com/LittkePalace/

The best Hungarian wines for Easter

Szekszárd wine region

Hungary is known for its wines, rightfully so, but the challenge of choosing the perfect bottle to uncork can also prove daunting even for the more experienced wine lovers. Péter Blazsovszky, a sommelier of the Michelin star-winning restaurant called Babel, has put together a handy guide for picking the best wines to go along with the traditional Hungarian meals eaten over Easter.

As he writes in his article, published on Index.hu, Good Friday is a day of fasting for the devout Christians of Hungary who can only eat 3 meals that day, only one of which can be filling. Not surprisingly, alcohol is also forbidden. However, for the non-religious, he recommends a dish of fried zander or Volga pikeperch, garnished with salad and accompanied by some pinot grigio (look for the name “Szürkebarát”) or Riesling (Hungarianised as “rizling”).

Catfish with paprika (“harcsapaprikás”) is also a common dish, which is perfectly complemented by a glass of Kadarka or Kadarka siller, from the wineries of Szekszárd, Villány, or the Kunság (a part of the Great Hungarian Plain).

For those who would prefer something light and fruity, he recommends a bottle of Portugieser, produced near Villány. (If you would like to find out more about the Hungarian wine regions, click HERE.)

On Holy Saturday, the tradition is to eat ham, horseradish, and a pastry called kalács (kalach), which is normally sweet but is prepared with salt for the occasion, as it is said to contain Christ’s tears. According to Blazsovszky, any bottle of Welschriesling (called olaszrizling in Hungarian) will be a great fit, as long as it comes from the wineries located to the north of Lake Balaton.

On Easter Sunday, Hungarian families typically prepare a dish of lamb shank, which can be done in many ways, making it difficult to pick a wine to go with each and every one of them, but Blazsovszky still offers a solution: a bottle of Furmint from Tokaj-Hegyalja (the same place where the world-renowned Aszú is grown and bottled).

And, of course, there is also the classic choice of pinot noir, which may come from the wine-making regions of Etyek, Pannonhalma, or Eger.

Easter Monday is more characterised by the tradition of pouring water over girls than by any dish in particular, but anything fried in breadcrumbs is always a popular choice, along with some sweets. On this day, the well-known Hungarian spirit, pálinka, is often consumed, but if someone would rather stick to wines, Blazsovszky recommends having some fröccs, the quintessentially Hungarian mixture of wine and carbonated soda water.

Read alsoThe ultimate guide to the Hungarian fröccs

Hungarian success at one of the most prestigious international wine competitions

Thummerer Wine Cellar

Recently, the 28th annual Chardonnay du Monde® wine competition was held, and Hungary has achieved quite good results in the international competition, which is very good news for the international assessment of Hungarian viticulture.

This is particularly good for the prestige of Hungarian wineries as the Chardonnay du Monde® international wine competition is considered to be one of the strictest wine competitions of its kind.

“Chardonnay du Monde® has progressively distinguished itself from other international competitions thanks to quality standards that are much stricter than the norm and by remaining faithful to its founding principles, which have driven its success over the years: diversity, quality and high standards,” – says the official press release of the competition.

In total, 36 countries have competed against each other with a wide range of 604 unique Chardonnay wines. The competition lasted three days, within which period the 200 international expert judges awarded only 196 of the participants.

The judges gave out 51 gold medals and 145 silver medals. Luckily, or rather thanks to the devotion and hard work, Hungary has managed to achieve one gold medal and eight silver medals.

The gold medal winner Hungarian wine was the 2019 Egri Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) – Thummerer Chardonnay Battonage. The Thummerer winery is very proud to achieve such a high ranking in such a high prestige competition. The Thummerer winery is a family winery and has been around since 1984, producing quality wines, champagnes and pálinka.

The gold medal winner wine of the Thummerer winery is a medium intensity wine with a golden yellow appearance. Its aroma is a balanced mixture of tropical fruits, juicy grapes, elegant oak tones battonage spices.

“The Hungarian wine culture very much needed this recognition because, after a difficult year behind us, we were hungry for success. I think we can be rightly proud,” – said Vilmos Thummerer, the founder of the winery to Origo.

Vilmos also told Origo that Hungary had achieved an outstanding result. With a total of nine medals, Hungary has finished 4th in the competition overall, just behind France, Switzerland and Canada.

Hungary wine winery gastronomy
Read alsoThree Hungarian wineries with exciting contemporary design

Take a look at the Balaton’s most expensive property – PHOTOS

Monoszló villa

Have you ever dreamt of owning a huge villa at a beautiful lake? What about having your own vineyard? If your answer is yes, here is your chance. All the details about the most expensive property in Monoszló, a little village in the middle of the Hungarian Toscana, in a French style no less.

“A huge, eclectic Wine Estate built in a French Chateaux style, with a breathtaking panorama, is for sale in a picturesque environment, close to Lake Balaton. The three-floor, 9 bedroom mansion of 1,615m2 was recently renovated; moreover, a 10-acre vineyard belongs to it.”, quotes Borsonline.hu the most important characteristics of a villa on sale at Lake Balaton. 

The property is also called

Hungary’s most beautiful Wine Estate, in addition to being the most expensive one.

Monoszló mansion
The beautiful mansion and the vineyard – Facebook

Its cellar is around 300 years old, but it was rebuilt in 2012. Its current owner bought the vineyard at the beginning of the 2000s to completely replant is. It grew its first crops in 2004 to help its owner produce internationally recognised, award-winning red wines of excellent quality. (Among many other popular and internationally known Hungarian wines, about which you can read more here or even here.) 

The 1,615m2 main building, only taking into consideration the living area, has

9 uniquely furnished bedrooms giving a panoramic view to the Kal Basin and to the whole of the estate,

all made complete with a total of 12 bathrooms. The bedrooms can be approached by a KONE lift.

Monoszló mansion
One of the beautifully furnished rooms – Facebook

The middle floor gives place to an elegant restaurant and kitchen together with a spacious, cosy salon with a huge fireplace, from where we can step outside to the huge, panoramic terrace. The floor also has an office, a meeting room for 25 people, a Delux room, and a suite. The rest of the rooms, 7 Delux ones and 1 suite, to be precise, can be found on the third floor.

Monoszló manison
Sunset from the balcony – Facebook

The ground floor was transformed into a spa that offers the perfect relaxing experience with its inside pool, sauna, and cold plunge pool.
To complete your day of relaxation, the same floor gives place to the separate winery and the cellar. The latter is so close to the crops that the harvested grapes only have to “walk” a 200m distance to reach the cellar. Despite the beautiful mansion, the main peculiarity of the property is this restored cellar whose name is linked to many prestigious awards. Its world-famous wines have won gold, silver, and bronze medals, which is not a surprise as

it was registered as the country’s most valuable vineyard in 2017.

Leaving the building and looking at the whole of the property, sitting in the big outside pool gives a beautiful panorama, not only to the estate itself but to the hunting area around it. The perfect tourist destination!

Monoszló villa
The big swimming pool – Liszkay Wine Estate/Facebook


The property can be approached by car, of course, however, it also has its own helicopter station.

Monoszló villa
The helicopter station right next to the mansion – Facebook

Apart from the exclusive accommodation, the estate provides the perfect venue for gatherings with friends or family, business events, wine tours, wine tastings, and even weddings, for only a little over 2 billion forints (around 5.5 million euros).

The price includes all the appliances and furniture, together with all the equipment and machinery necessary to maintain the estate. Moreover, the usage of the brand name and all the bottles of fine wine in stock will belong to the new, happy owner.

Monoszló mansion
The view on the property and the vineyard – Facebook
Monoszló villa
Read alsoTake a look at the Balaton’s most expensive property – PHOTOS

Hungarian wine and wine regions in danger?

Tokaj, wine, region, Hungary

By the end of the 21st century, Hungarian winemakers should expect a natural environment similar to the one near the Mediterranean Sea today, Attila Buzási, an assistant professor at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, said in a recently published paper. According to the expert, growing olaszrizling (Italian Riesling), kadarka, or hárslevelű will be uncertain. However, in the case of red wines, vintners might improve not only quality but also competitiveness, thanks to climate change.

According to 24.hu, consumers need to get used to the idea that they will not get the same quality, taste, and quantity from Hungarian winemakers because of extreme weather conditions. Based on the forecasts, the weather will become warmer in Hungary in the next decades, thanks to climate change. Furthermore, the intensity and the pattern of the rainfall will be much more volatile than today.

This process has a significant effect on the winegrowing and winemaking industry and will affect the quality of the wines as well. For example,

such iconic Hungarian grape types as the Italian Riesling (olaszrizling), kadarka, or hárslevelű are sensitive to these conditions.

Based on some climate models, the weather in Hungary will dramatically change in the 21st century. As a result, almost no wine regions will have the same weather conditions as at the beginning of the 2000s.

The effects of climate change on the Hungarian wine regions can be eloquently illustrated with the case of the Szekszárd wine region.

Today, the pattern of rainfalls is much more volatile than the national average in that region. Furthermore, thanks to its southern location, the temperature is higher there than the Hungarian average. However, in the future, there will be more intense droughts in the region because of climate change. 

To make matters worse, the

grape types typical in the wine region are sensitive.

However, the changes can help, for example, the Blue Frankish, which is climatically more resistant. 

Attila Buzási said that climate change did not equal global warming. He added that the increasing frequency of extreme weather is also dangerous. Therefore, he said that the winemakers had to adapt and even resettle.

That means that, by the end of the 21st century, the location of the Hungarian wine regions will be different than today.

What inspired a Swedish brother and sister to produce wine in Hungary?

Villa Sandahl

The taste of the Rhine Riesling produced on the beautiful landscape of Badacsony is so heavenly that the special wine has been awarded several domestic prizes so far. But what is the secret of the divine flavour and what inspired a Swedish brother and sister to produce wine in Hungary?! Now, it all comes to light.

The four special Rieslings of Villa Sandahl are grown in the unique climate of the Rhine and Moselle areas, with its constantly humid and cool weather, which is not the first thing that comes to mind about the volcanic soil of Badacsony and its dry and warm weather. This region inspired the Swedish brother and sister, Christer and Thord Sandahl, who decided to spend their retirement years making special wines in a truly challenging climate.

As the Hungarian news portal Turizmus Online reports, all this happened in 2003, when the siblings hiked from Budapest to the landscape of Badacsony, visiting wineries, and after getting there, they decided that this was the place they were looking for. In 2004, they bought only 3 hectares of vineyards, which was continuously expanded until it reached its current size of 10 hectares. Today, the vineyard produces 10-15 bottles of wine a year. In the meantime, an excellent professional team was established, led by the Hungarian chief winemaker, Zsolt Palkó.

Within the framework of a virtual wine tour, the wine expert and his Swedish partners presented their most delicious wines.

Gourmands could choose among the following special Rieslings:

  • Rabbit Periscope Rhine Riesling – this mid-category wine among the four Rieslings has been chosen as the best at the Grand Prix awards in the category of dry white wines. The award-winning Riesling was harvested in 2017 and bottled soon after. According to Zsolt Palkó, this wine represents best the style of their winery, their unparalleled, unique Rhine Riesling line that can be given as a gift with confidence to anyone, without even knowing that person’s taste in wine. We can never go wrong with a Rabbit Periscope.
  • Rare Peak: a real top-ranked wine from 2019 that was created after an unforgettable October harvest.
  • Crystal Cut from 2017 is also a top-ranking Riesling, with a honey-sweet flavour and a 14.5% alcohol content, as a result of late harvest.
  • Oh Deer – the funny name speaks for itself, along with its label in which a deer falls from the depths on the road sign as a warning. The salty, yet slightly fresh Riesling was harvested in 2018.

Read also: Get to know the most famous wine of Lake Balaton and where you can taste it

The Swedish owner, Christer Sandahl, revealed that without national and international awards, it is difficult to successfully promote a small winery.

After the Rhine Rieslings won two prestigious Hungarian awards, the demand for their wines – produced with German technology –  increased significantly not only in their own webshop but also at Hungarian wine companies and sales points.

One of the prizes is the previously mentioned Grand Prix – considered to be the most prestigious award of Hungarian wines -, with which Hungarian wine experts rewarded their middle-class Rhine Riesling, and the other was the recently obtained Par Excellence Award of the Hungarian Sommelier Association. This award can be given to the Hungarian companies that produce wines at a consistently high level, thus contributing to the improvement of the quality of domestic beverage consumption and the development of the quality of Hungarian restaurant culture.

Villa Sandahl wine
Christer and Thord Sandahl. Photo: Villa Sandahl, Badacsony, Hungary

The goal of the Sandahl siblings is to make world-famous wines in their winery in Badacsony. According to the owners, thanks to the special Rhine Riesling grown and harvested in their vineyard, there is a good chance that this goal will be successfully achieved.

Read alsoAmazing success! Hungarian sparkling wine is now one of the best in the world

Amazing success! Hungarian sparkling wine is now one of the best in the world

Out of more than 479 items from 19 countries, the Hungaria Rosé Extra Dry sparkling wine won a gold medal at the Effervescents du Monde World Competition in the Burgundy wine region, and it also got included in the top 10 list.

In the high-quality sparkling wine competition organised for the 18th time, an 80-member jury ranked the items at the Château des Ravatys in France in the second half of December.

According to turizmusonline.hu, this event is unique in terms of its scope, its strict methods, such as compliance with international wine competition rules, the rigorous selection of the panel of expert judges and their training in tasting methodology at the Institut Paul Bocuse, the individual assessment of each taster, and the faultless, quality-driven organisation: the limitation of the number of wines tasted per judge and the ideal tasting conditions (sensory isolation, proper tasting rhythm, etc.)

The goal of the event is to award reliable and representative medals each year, reflecting the founding motto of Effervescents du Monde®: diversity, quality, and high standards.

This time, the sparkling wines entered won a total of 35 gold and 115 silver medals, from which the Top 1 was selected.

 According to the available information,

Hungaria’s brand manager, András Csomoly, said that “This is not only the success of Hungaria but also the continuation on the path of recognition for Hungarian sparkling wines and wines.”

The success is also noteworthy because it is the second year in a row (2019 and 2020)  that the Hungaria rosé sparkling wine won a gold medal and was in the Top 10 in Effervescents du Monde, and also because, among the top 10, there is only one other item outside of the Hungarian one which is not from France.

It is also worth mentioning that the top 10 list, interestingly, includes 12 items because according to Effervescents du Monde: “Some wines are rigorously equal.”

Kreinbacher, champagne, Hungary
Read alsoHungarian champagne awarded among the best ones in the world

The best Hungarian wine guide for Christmas

Tokaj, wine, best, region, Hungary

Christmas is not just about delicious food but also good drinks. One of the best decisions for a good main course is choosing a fine wine, but the question arises: what kind of wine should we choose for what dish? After all, a lot depends on whether a fish or a poultry dish is on the table. Máté Szokolai, the winemaker of Chateau Mate, gives us tips.

“Let’s start with the typical Hungarian eating habits and talk about hake. This is not a Hungarian fish species, but it is consumed by almost all Hungarians. The perfect choice is an Italian Riesling with good acids; feel free to drink it as a spitzer. However, for a spicier, roasted bream, a good Blue Frankish rosé is more appropriate,” said Máté Szokolai in the article of Origo.

A typical Hungarian Christmas menu starts with a heart-warming fish soup. For this, the expert recommends a Szekszárd Kadarka or Blue Frankish. In theory, you should not pair wine with soup, but this is a very dense fish soup, so a light red wine could pair nicely with it. Apart from Hungarian fish, if salmon or silver bream comes our way, we can experiment as much as we want. A great choice is to drink rosé champagne with the salmon. The winemaker recommends an exciting white wine for the bream.

The side dish always affects which wine fits a particular food, so we could experiment some with the wines.

“There are general rules that can be considered, such as pairing white wine with white meat and red wine with red meat. One good example of this is choosing pinot noir for roasted duck breast. But a professional, experimental person who loves the excitement and the novelties can easily deviate from that,” says Máté Szokolai.

Rosé champagne is the perfect fit for a medium fried steak. For crispy or fried rib, a wine from Somló or Tokaj-Hegyalja is a good match. For a beef stew, we can drink a good old Villány red wine, Bordeaux wines, or even some Cabernet Franc could be considered. For game meat, be sure to look for some “wild”, characteristic wine, for example, Spanish red wine. Tempranillo cannot be a bad choice.

As for desserts, we should drink champagne. In addition, towards the end of dinner, it can bring a little freshness even to everyday life, not just during the holidays. The expert recommends sweet wine for gingerbread, Porto wine for poppy seed bejgli, and an older aszú for walnut bejgli.

Tokaj wines to be protected in China

Tokaji Aszú

Tokaj wines will be protected on the Chinese market thanks to the latest agreement on geographical indications (GIs) between the European Council and China. One hundred products will receive GI’s, protecting intellectual property rights and doubling their revenue.

An agreement has been made between the Council of the European Union and the government of the People’s Republic of China on geographical indications (GIs). This is the first significant bilateral trade agreement signed between the EU and China.

The European Council defines GIs as:

“A GI is a distinctive sign used on products that have a specific geographic origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin. The EU-China agreement provides protection of the products’ intellectual property rights.”

This agreement will ensure that 100 EU agricultural and food products get protection on the Chinese market, including the Hungarian wine of Tokaj. Likewise, 100 Chinese products will be protected in the EU. Within four years, the scope of the agreement will expand to cover an additional 175 GI names, including Hungarian palinka and the famous Szeged winter salami,

Világgazdaság reports. The agreement also includes a mechanism to add more geographical indications later on.

The agreement ensures that only those products from Tokaj can be legally sold in China that have geographical indicators on them, eliminating replicas and knock-off items.

GIs are useful marketing tools with big economic potential as they help to ensure higher and more stable export revenues for producers. A geographical indication product sells for more than twice the price of a similar non-geographical indication product.

13% of all the EU’s food and drink export is made up of products with GI protection worth EUR 17 billion. The export of all Hungarian GI products is around EUR 397 million, and wine products take up 76% of this.

China is a high-growth potential market for European food and drinks. For example,

China’s wine consumption increases dynamically, and Tokaj wines pair nicely with Chinese gastronomy. On average, HUF 1.5-1.6 million Tokaj aszú is exported annually to China. There is a high demand for Tokaj wine specialities like the aszú or the szamorodni.

This agreement will benefit European producers and should be a boost to rural areas where these products are made.

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Read alsoHungarians win golden prize at the world’s most prestigious sparkling wine competition!

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Read alsoWhy are Hungarian wine barrels well-known in the world?

Learn about Tokaj Aszú – 5 things you never knew

Tokaj Aszú Hungary wine

There are things one tends to take for granted because as long as you can remember you have always known about them. For many, Tokaj aszú is such a self-evident and therefore less interesting wine category. Actually, it is a unique wine in many respects and with Christmas fast approaching it may be well worth to take a look at what makes it special. 

The unique character of the Tokaj wine region

Without the special microclimate and geographical features of the wine region Tokaj aszú could not have come into existence.

With two rivers, Bodrog and Tisza running through the region, autumn mornings in Tokaj are shrouded in mist.

Morning fog followed by dry weather during the day is conducive to the development of Botrytis cinerea, a.k.a. noble rot which then pierces the skins of healthy and ripe grapes thus initiating the process of „aszúsodás”. The lack of just one of these factors is enough to render a vintage fruitless as far as aszú production is concerned. 

Tokaj Aszú Hungary wine
Photo: Ferenc Dancsecs

Hand picking squared 

Harvesting by hand in itself is not that unusual but aszú harvesting is on a totally different level.

The emergence of aszú berries within the bunches is uneven and is spread over a longer period therefore picking aszú berries is a long term project.

Just imagine what it’s like on freezing cold November mornings to select and pick the treasured aszú berries one by one from the bunches with the sugary juice freezing over your skin. And all the while you have to focus not to pick and put any rotten or vinegary berries in the baskets because they might spoil your whole day’s work. Even the most experienced workers can’t pick more than 6-7 kilograms a day, so you can imagine how precious their skills are. 

Aszú Day 

We all love to celebrate. Celebrations grow into traditions, provide causes for family occasions to sustain continuity in our lives. Many things can be celebrated, private anniversaries, birthdays just as well as festive occasions celebrated by millions like Christmas. Tokaj aszú, this fabulous and extraordinary wine deserves its own special day.

Aszú Day is celebrated on the 10th of December each year not just in its homeland but all over the world.

It’s something we can be proud of, so let’s celebrate by opening a bottle of aszú on this day! 

Step outside your gastro comfort zone 

With its high residual sugar content Tokaj aszú is an excellent dessert wine, and actually it can even function as a dessert in itself at the end of meals. But there is so much more to aszú then just accompanying confections. Classical food matches include foie gras or strong, savoury cheeses like Stilton or Roquefort. Any chicken, duck or pheasant dish made with some fruit is likely to work well with aszús and even sweet toned vegetables – like squash, sweet potatoes or carrots – are good matches. No wonder that aszú is so popular in Asia, as it is taylor-made to accompany their sweet and spicy dishes.

Aszú is more than just a sweet wine 

We all have our favourite grape varieties, wine styles and wineries. If you prefer dry wines then maybe you’re not too keen on sweet wines. However it’s worth pointing out that aszú is more than just a sweet wine. One of the truly great wines of the world, aszú expresses the special terroir of the Tokaj wine region and also the unique technology developed centuries ago which is not practiced in any other part of the world. The incredible complexity of its aromas, the vibrant acidity that counterpoints the high residual sugar and, when kept under the right conditions, its extreme longevity – one only has to think of the exquisite 1956 aszús, and some people have even tasted aszús from 1848 – all make for an unforgettable wine experience. Don’t shy away from discovering its greatness! 

If you open a bottle of aszú during the festive period, use the hashtag #KoccintsAszuval to share the experience.

Tokaj Aszú Hungary wine
Photo: Ferenc Dancsecs
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Hungarians win golden prize at the world’s most prestigious sparkling wine competition!

sparkling wine

The Kreinbacher Estate won a golden prize at the world’s most prestigious sparkling wine competition for the fifth time. The Hungarian sparkling wine company keeps expanding its capacities due to the growing demand.

The Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships (CSWWC) is the biggest, as well as the strictest, international competition. Specialists are tasting champagne and sparkling wine for two weeks to give out the golden and silver prizes to the world’s best drinks, Forbes reported.

The judges this year included the founder of the championship, Tom Stevenson, Master of Wine Essi Avellan, as well as champagne ambassador Simon Stockton. They had to taste more than 1,000 drinks, nominated from 30 countries from all around the world.

In the end, they gave out 128 golden and 237 silver prizes, and out of these, they will announce the winners according to countries and different categories, as well as the world’s absolute best, between the 7 and 11 of December.

The Hungarian Kreinbacher Estate received one gold and two silver prizes. The golden prize winner is the Kreinbacher Brut Classic 2016 Magnum, which is a traditional sparkling wine matured in a 1.5 l bottle for three years, giving it a rich aroma and soft bubbles. The silver prize winners are the Kreinbacher Prestige Brut and the Prestige Brut 2016 Magnum.

kreinbacher sparkling wine
Photo: http://www.kreinbacher.hu

Another Hungarian sparkling wine producer, Carastelek Winery, won two silver prizes with their Blanc de Blancs and Classic Brut sparkling wines.

Kreinbacher also experienced double-digit growth this year regarding their produced and distributed wines and sparkling wines – which could be due to developments in online sales as a result of the changing market conditions and the opening hours of the Hungarian Bortársaság. As we reported earlier, wine consumption in Hungary has also increased since the start of the epidemic.

kreinbacher estate
http://www.kreinbacher.hu

As Zoltán Prisztavok, the sales manager of Kreinbacher, told Forbes, their most popular wine this year is the Nagy-Somlói, but the demand is also high for the Juhfark and the new Syrah Rosé. From their sparkling wines, the most popular ones are the Extra Dry, which is a sweeter one, the Brut Classic, and the dry Brut Nature.

Besides their own products, Kreinbacher also distributes French champagnes in Hungary. The most popular ones are the Piper-Heidsieck, the Pol Roger, and the Charles Heidsieck.

To keep up with the growing demand, Kreinbacher Estate keeps expanding its capacities. For example, they increased the number of base wines that are suitable to turn into sparkling wine to 50, expanded their cultivation lands, and they use two more Coquard presses with which they can now process 300 quintals of grapes a day.

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Hungarians have been drinking more wine since the beginning of the epidemic

Tokaj, wine, best, region, Hungary

34 per cent of those surveyed have already ordered wine from a webshop in recent months, either from a wine merchant or directly from a producer, according to a survey conducted by Csaba Koch, winner of Wine Producer of the Year in October and November.

According to the report of storeinsider.hu, purchases from the webshop are increasing, even directly from the producer. According to the research, the most popular price category is the range of 1,000-2,000 forints (2.5-5.5 euros). The majority still procure their favourite drink personally: 37.8 per cent buy it primarily in a supermarket and 18.4 per cent in a wine store.

12 per cent of those surveyed said their wine consumption habits have changed since the coronavirus pandemic broke out: they consume more wine, but typically at home. However, only 6 per cent drink wine daily, with most (50.1%) opening bottles 1-2 times a week.

“According to research, white wine is the most popular category; 62.4 per cent of respondents enjoy consuming various white wines. Red wine came in second (59.6%) and rosé finished 3rd with 49.8 per cent. It can be said that in recent times, the consumption of rosé has declined somewhat, but it is still very popular. Among the customers, the dry category was in the first place, and the sweet wine was the second,” informs Csaba Koch.

More than half of the respondents prefer wine for the amount between 1,000-2,000 forints (2.5-5.5 euros), and in total, 88 per cent of the respondents prefer products with a price below 3,000 forints (8.5 euros). If people choose wine as a gift, Hungarians are a bit more gallant: most (39.2 per cent) buy a product with a price range of 2,000-3,000 forints (5.5-8.5 euros), and 18.8 per cent go up to 5,000 forints (14 euros).

“The majority of consumers believe that there is not necessarily a strong correlation between the price and quality of the wine, so the choice is most often made for good-quality wines in the middle price range.

For customers, the most important aspects of wine selection are the name, brand awareness, wine label, and the prizes of the winemaking on the bottle.

According to the results of the survey, the award-winning qualification of wine or winemaking is a decisive aspect for 80 per cent of customers. Based on shopping habits, it can be stated that the majority of the respondents prefer Hungarian wines over foreign wines (44.7 per cent of the respondents do not consume foreign wine); which is an extremely gratifying result for Hungarian wines,” says Victoria Evans, Sommelier Champion of the Year 2020, in connection with the survey.

Hungarikums: the most well-known Hungarian family-owned businesses

From hand-made marzipan to immune system boosting drops, Hungary has quite a lot of so-called “hungarikums” that are specialities of the country and can not be found anywhere else. What is the secret behind emblematic, family businesses? 

Family-run businesses have kind of a mystery surrounding them because when we hear the word, we mostly think of small shops, cafes or bistros, but in reality, they can be very different. Nowadays in Hungary, it is tricky to fill up your basket in a supermarket without choosing at least one local Hungarian product. Through these three brands – collected by femina.hu – you can take a sneak peek into the history and secrets of Hungarian, family-owned business.

Béres family – Healing is more than a profession, it is a calling

Béres Csepp – Béres Drops is an immune-boosting medication Hungarians take from September to March to fight colds and viruses of winter. Can you imagine that the inventor was accused of quackery in 1975? After the invention of the drops in 1972, Béres József senior was declared a charlatan, doubting the healing power of the product. The authorities finally realised that Béres was right and in 1978 gave path to the commercialisation of the drops, and it was finally officially declared a medicine in 2000. Since then, it has become one of the most used drugs in the country.

After the death of Béres senior his son, Béres Jószef Jr. took over the company, and even today the third generation of the family is taking an active part in the life of the company. For the grandchildren of Béres senior, their grandfather’s philosophy is fundamental for which they put a huge emphasis on the promotion of their product so more people could learn about its benefits.

béres csepp
Photo: hungarikum.hu

The Laposa family – Romance at lake Balaton

Anyone who loves the Balaton region together with its wines and visits the lake frequently surely knows the Laposa family and their winery, which is one of the most successful in the country. Currently, two generations of the family work in the business. Going down the hill of Badacsonytomaj, wine bodegas of Hableány, frissTerasz, Szőlőhegy Bisztró and Laposa Terasz all belong to the family. Today the Laposa name is not only known when it comes to wines but indeed can be linked to tourism and hospitality as well. 

Few people know that the history of their business started with a movie-like romantic story. Dr Laposa József and her wife, who was born in the area, met on a train trip back in 1978 and got married the very same year. As their wedding gift, they received a press-house in the Balaton highlands where they spent a lot of time with their kids and slowly their weekend house turned into a hobby so that later winemaking could become their life.

Finally in 2000 Laposa winery was born. Quite untraditionally, the second generation didn’t get its hands on an already well-going business but took an active part in building it. Today the second generation, the three siblings – Bence, Lilla and Zsófia, take part in the management of the business enjoying the support of their parents.

Laposa Birtok, Balaton, Hungary
Photo: www.facebook.com/LaposaBirtok

Szamos family – sweet traditions

Who wouldn’t know in Hungary the favourite family of those with a sweet tooth? In the 1930s Szamos Mátyás learnt the secrets of making high-quality marzipan from a Danish master confectioner. The recipes and the unique passion with which he created his desserts are passed from generation to generation until this day.

Marzipan, chocolate or any kind of dessert, the Szamos family keeps on amazing us with their constant novelties. Even today, their creations are made using the original recipes and the approval of the oldest member of the family. Each of their products arrives at the shelves only after being tasted by the family.

In their case, taking care of traditions goes hand in hand with sharing their knowledge. Unlike in the case of their competitors, who treat their recipes as their most beloved gems, the Szamos family offers public courses on confectionery creation where they share their original, almost 100-year-old recipes as well, in order to bring their unique desserts to as many kitchens as possible. With this brave step, the family gives a chance for everyone to feel like they are part of the Szamos family since in a huge kitchen, together with the help of an experienced confectioner everyone can easily prepare their favourite Szamos desserts. 

Szamos
Photo: www.facebook.com/szamos.hu/
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Featured image: www.facebook.com/Hungarikum

Why are Hungarian wine barrels well-known in the world?

Barrel, Tokaj, wine

When it comes to Hungarian wines, everyone thinks about the most famous Hungarian wine types, regions, grapes, wineries and cellars. But people rarely realise that other factors also play important roles in the Hungarian wine culture, for example, the barrels in which the excellent quality wine is produced. Hungarian barrels are considered to be the best ones around the world, and even prominent French and Italian wineries use them to make their drinks.

Historians still debate on which culture was the first to use barrels to contain their drinks, especially wine. According to some experts, the Celts were the first people who kept their drinks in barrels in the area of Burgundy. Still, it was the late 17th century when the benefits of barrels, how it makes the wine mature and tasty, was discovered and first written down. 

Barrel, wine, Tokaj
Photo: www.facebook.com/csodasmagyarorszag

The most prominent wine region in Hungary is Tokaj, which was the first officially registered wine region in the world. Its product, the aszú wine is one of the most famous wine types in Europe and all around the globe. 

Barrel, Tokaj, wine
Photo: www.facebook.com/csodasmagyarorszag

Before French barrels were used in Hungary, only Hungarian-made barrels could be found at Hungarian wineries. The most famous one is the Gönci barrel that got its name from a Hungarian town, Gönc. The town played an important part in international trading, and for a long time, it was the centre of tradespeople from all across the continent coming to Hungary. 

It is averagely 136 litres big and the essential ingredient of making aszú wine. The barrel is made out of oak trees from the Zemplén mountain region which contains tannic acid necessary for making the aszú wine exceptional.

wine, Hungary, barrel, Tokaj
Photo: www.facebook.com/csodasmagyarorszag

The Gönci barrels are narrower than regular barrels which allow wineries to place more of these into one cellar, this containing more wine. Because of its measurements for centuries the Gönci barrel was the standard for making chariots all across Europe. For years, one chariot could always carry three or four of these barrels. Because of its shape, material and the way it is made, Gönci barrels are still among the number one wine barrels in Hungary and also in other countries. Tokaj and several other Hungarian wine regions still use these type of barrels.

Featured image: www.facebook.com/csodasmagyarorszag

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Hungarian wine-tourism gets more popular day by day

Wine Conference, Hungary, Budapest, wine

The events and occasions related to Hungarian wines and wine-tourism, in particular, have become more popular this year, according to recent statistics. The Hungarian Tourism Agency revealed that more than 50% of those who are regularly interested in Hungarian wine culture had attended these events this year.

Sokszínű Vidék reported that although 57% of Hungarian citizens are afraid of travelling inside the country during the epidemic, the registration numbers and interest for travellings advertised online have increased rapidly as the autumn seasons started. Interest for travelling inside Hungary and wine-tourism continuously become more and more popular activities. 

18 to 29-year-old citizens and those with higher education certificates have booked several trips online, mostly from Budapest and bigger cities, to each Hungarian county.

Balaton and Badacsony are the most visited regions regarding wine tasting and grape harvests. Tokaj, the world-famous UNESCO Heritage Site, is also very popular and the region of Villány as well. Szekszárd is also among the most visited areas of Hungary. Statistics also revealed that the public social media posts are mainly about harvests, wine-tasting and visiting wineries, which means that people have become more interested in the county’s wine culture and are also eager to share them on their platforms.

Hortobágy, Tokaj, Balaton and Hévíz are the most shared contents on social media sites.

Featured image: www.facebook.com/borkonferencia

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