There are so many wonderful little wine regions throughout the former Soviet Empire which sadly remained anonymous to the West during communism and today, are only slightly becoming known. A few weeks ago we posted about the yummy wines of Georgia, the former Soviet Republic most famous for wine making during the USSR days. Today, we point you towards an utterly unique wine that comes from Hungary and which has attracted the attention of Travel & Leisure.
Like most of the other wine regions in the area, Hungary was once quite world famous for their vintage before falling on hard times. Perhaps the most heralded, Hungaricum, comes from a unique white grape grown only on the north shore of Hungary’s Lake Balaton.
Journalist Bruce Schoenfeld (who has written for Wine Spectator and it shows) recently traveled to Hungary’s most famous lake to speak with wine makers and imbibe the local specialty himself. The article is lengthy and fascinating and accomplishes two very important goals; it makes you want to travel and it makes you want to drink. I’ll leave you with a very insightful quote typical of what you will find in the engaging article.
“…another reason is Hungary’s cuisine: rich and heavy, spiced with paprika, utterly unsuited to bottlings in the ultra-ripe international style. Balaton’s wines cut through that spice and fat, refreshing the mouth with their bright acidity but also adding a measure of complexity that emanates from the strong minerality of the soil.”