Feb 22 2010
Rheingau Wines
11.02.2010
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Jan 31 2010
The 1×1, basics of Sherry at the Bodega Sanchez Romate
Its probably not the boldest move to start with, but I must confess. I never really liked sherry, none of them, low acidity, most of them bone dry, high alcohol, some had a weird salt drive to them others nutty, pine raisin and alike notes, you name it. Yes, nothing too good to start with, but it all changed. Now I drink fino when ever I can, I love manzanilla could drink it all day long, crazy about the amontillado and oloroso types and in the middle and between palo cortado. Oh yeah, and I haven’t even mentioned the good old PX. But it wasn’t until I actually left Jerez that I realized how great sherry actually is, the visit to Romate helped a lot to understand and I call my self ambassador of sherry, I love it…
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Dec 02 2009
Communication error, everything but a fairy tale: Hungarian wine business
Where should I start? Don’t even know my self, the news came just out last week, the Hungarian Marketing Board has trouble to finance their work and most of their employees resigned and it looks like the end of the Marketing Board if something doesn’t changes, quickly. Dark clouds hanging over the wine marketing situation, once again. It took so long to get some people behind it, to make things happen, financing the whole idea. While other countries advancing, bounding unity and putting a good effort in communicating nationally and internationally their wines, Hungary would make a step backwards if they do not pursuit to be successful in communication and marketing. Continue Reading »
Nov 08 2009
Discover the Magic of Tokaji
This was the title for the first trade tasting held in London, or to be precise trade and consumer tasting. To summarize the event in one word: well done. This would be actually two words, the venue was magnificent, great producers and everything was just perfect. Decanter, Tokaj Renaissance, Wines of Hungary and ITD Hungary the sponsors for this well organized tasting.
Celebration of 20 years, the new “Tokaji” if you like could have been another title too. After 1989 a lot of new investment hit the wine region, after the Soviet Union collapsed, fall of the iron curtain, Hungary was once again free, so where the wines as well. Independent thinking and quality wine making got re-introduced in this probably one of the oldest wine regions in the world, Tokaj-Hegyalja.
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Oct 25 2009
Bordeaux Tasting Notes
20/10/2009 Annual Grand Crus de Bordeaux (2007), London Opera House
Oct 18 2009
Thought on dry Furmint and classification
Furmint is under the top 5 white grape varieties when it comes to quality wine making in the world.
Today there are only 2 major wine regions in Hungary who produce varietal dry Furmint. It is the primary grape in Tokaj-Hegyalja and a very important grape in the region of Somló. Said this there are other regions like the Zala (Balatonmelléke) which does produce some Furmint and the northern side of the Lake Balaton, like Badacsony and the Balaton Highlands (Balatonfelvidék). It used to be the major white grape variety around the lake (mainly Northern side) until the end of 19. century but phyloxera and then later the communist reign changed a lot. Olaszrizling (Welschriesling) replaced the Furmint at the Balaton and almost got extinct at Somló as well. But slowly, more and more producers realize that it is one thing to have Chardonnay, which by the way is all over the world now, but to do something unique is rather exciting and in for a noble cause comes with it. Dr. Sándor Tóth from the Balaton Highland agreed and pointed out, that back 60 years ago the best sites had Furmint planted and the so called Main Wine (Főbor) was made out of Furmint. Continue Reading »
Oct 17 2009
Discover the Kékfrankos
Thought on the grape, the wine, history and culture. Kékfrankos also known under the name of Blaufränkisch in Austria and Lemberger in Germany, occasionally Limburger overseas.
During the annual Wine Festival in the Buda Castle several seminars were held, one of them was around the grape Kékfrankos and its wine, focusing on the wine region of Sopron. It is the flagship wine of the Sopron wine region as Zsolt Rigler head of the Sopron Wine Region Marketing Board pointed it out. It has or rather had many different names in Hungary as well, not so long ago it was called Nagy Burgundi, Great Burgundy suggesting that it might be of French origin, perhaps. Count Széchenyi posed some land in France he could have probably exported the grape to France. In the district of Zala is used to be called Oporto, according to Zsolt. Continue Reading »
Oct 17 2009
Sopron Wines and North West Wines
Oct 11 2009
Mastering Napa at the Mondavi Winery
Without doubt Napa Valley is THE place for Cabernet Sauvignon in the US, within this, the Mondavi Winery is the bench mark, not only when it comes to history and Cabernets with some age but also setting a trend and progress.
It was Mark de Vere Master of Wine who was our guide for the day at the Robert Mondavi Winery in Oakville.
Robert Mondavi could be probably called the father of modern Californian wines. He certainly put California on the wine map, mainly with his Cabernet Sauvignons. The Robert Mondavi and the joint venture by Robert Mondavi and Baroness Philippine de Rothschild; Opus One is owned by Constellation today, one of the leading global brands and marketers of wine and other beverages. Continue Reading »