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A renaissance for Hungarian wines
Traditional methods suffered when Australian winemakers moved in, but they’re coming back
YET again we discovered excellent wines, as usual most are not available in London. Made by small producers, such wines usually end up gracing the wine lists of distant establishments, outside the capital.
Fantastic wines from Hungary and a gem from an obscure appellation in the Loire valley were this weeks’ discovery.
In the past, some Hungarian wines were London favourites. Egri Bikaver, sold under the name Bull’s Blood was a famous wine.
It disappeared from the shelves some years ago, when Hungary’s wine industry was undermined, by competition from the new world and liberal economic policies.
A loss of confidence quickly followed and Hungary abandoned its wine making traditions.
Flying Australian winemakers, armed with technological gismos and an eye for a quick profit, offered a new and compelling formula. Forget tradition, just fill giant stainless steel tanks with cheap modern wine and sell the contents to the “emerging wine drinking nations”, namely the Americans, the Japanese and us. Hungarian wine exports collapsed.
Lately, Hungary has begun to experience a renaissance and claims to be returning to its wine-making roots. Last Thursday a number of leading Magyar wine-makers turned out at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, determined to demonstrate the strength, and diversity of the Hungarian wine revival.
The vine thrives in unique Hungarian volcanic soil and the country has always produced wines that range from dry aromatic and sweet whites through to powerful reds – made from indigenous and international grape varieties.
For centuries one Hungarian wine has stood out; Tokaji Aszu, a sweet wine once coveted by Europe’s many royal houses.
A special wine, it is graded by sweetness (from one to seven Puttonyos) and made using a unique combination of grapes, soil and a slow fermentation method. It is the only traditional Hungarian wine on sale in the UK, Waitrose have two, Royal Tokaji five Puttonyos 2000, Hungary, 25cl, £8.99 and Royal Tokaji Betsek, 25cl, 1992, Hungary, £29.50.
The most successful UK supplier of Hungarian wines is the Leeds based Bottle Green company, a supplier of niche wines to major supermarkets.
Marketed under the Riverview brand label, these widly available wines have two things in commom.
They are cheap, around four pounds a bottle, and are made from the usual international grape varieties using, “state-of-the-art technology and equipment to obtain the maximum flavour and aroma”.
Of Hungary’s many indiginous grapes, only Kekfrankos blended with Merlot is available on supermarket shelves – Riverview, Kekfrankos/
Merlot 75cl, £3.99.
The event was noteworthy if only for the appearance of Csaba Malatinszky, whose small vineyard in the Villany region, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.
Csaba believes that Cabernet Franc has found its spiritual home in Villany.
But, his real achivement has been to blend kekfrankos and pinot noir grapes to produce what he terms “Pinot Bleu”.
His wines are not traditional but they are original. He has also blended cabernet sauvignon and pinot noir to produce his ‘Cabernoir’. Csaba wants to find a British importer.
He may find the task difficult, David Gill, director of Bottle Green claims, “Hungarian wine-makers face a major hurdle. A blatant prejudice that assumes an Eastern European wine must be cheap – an attitude indicative of the snobbery in the UK and West European wine market.”
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