Hungarian Winemaking 101

I just started a job at a college in Kecskemét, Hungary, where I will be teaching English Language, American Civilization and Media Studies. There are three main departments in the school--Early Childhood Education, Horticulture and Engineering/Technology.

In my first few days living in the brand new professor's house, I've hadthe good fortune of attending a couple of events, specifically one that highlighted the horticultural department's work. I had heard there would be a wine tasting and a lunch party and I was invited to attend.

Because I had been an importer of Hungarian wines, I was interested to see which wines and wineries would be featured at the tasting. I did not recognize the labels or bottles, but was happy to taste a Cserszegi Fűszeres and a Kékfrankos, both of which were my favorites among all of them. The Kékfrankos was not too heavy and had a smooth finish. The other reds, a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Cuvee were heavier, had more tannin feel and would have been nice accompaniments to red meat dishes or a good hard cheese.

There was a rosé, which my lack of Hungarian language skills prevented me from learning what grapes went into it. It was pretty good, but not as good as a French rosé, unfortunately for the Hungarians.

What was interesting about these wines was that they did not come from a big winery in Hungary, but they were made by the students in the horticulture department of the college. One woman told me that they were not for sale, however, an English-speaking student told me that I could buy them, and he gave me his email address to arrange for it. (Deos he sell them from his dorm room, I wonder? Just kidding.) I asked him if I could find out more about the winemaking program and what is taught to the students along with their wine marketing skills and courses. An interesting chapter for a book on Hungarian wines, for sure.

Balaton on a Hot Summer Saturday

I'm fortunate to be participating in the Balassi Summer Institute, to learn to speak better Hungarian and to becomebetter acquainted with Hungarian culture. And what better way to improve understanding about a culture than to drink wine and eat good food? (besides, I usually speak better in Hungarian with the help of a few glasses of some sort of alcoholic beverage).

Our group travelled by bus from Budapest to Balaton Lake--first stop, Tihany. Thelovely church far above Balaton's waters apparently holds the oldest written document in the Hungarian language -- unfortunately, I did not see it because I did not know it was part ofour tour, so I don't know if it was written in the ancient runes or in the alphabetical characters. There were lots of small shops along the road up the hill tothe church with foods such as Kürtőskalács and ice cream, ices, and Langos.

After paying 100 fts. to use the facilities (I'm not used to paying to use the bathroom in Hungary--it has not been the default as it waswhen I traveled in France, Germany and Austria), I walked along the roadswithElise, another

woman

in our group (from Bordeaux). We scoured the shops that sold pottery, folkware plates, magnets (I bought one, of course), lavender items, jewelry andtoys. The toys were mostly quaint little wooden things that we can get in the US except that in America they are made from plastic. However, here, the wooden toy selection also included miniature cross-bows, swords of all sizes, daggers and other ancient warrior items. The arrows had rubber tips but the rubber looked like iron forged into a dangerously sharp point. (The Hungarians, we've learned, were formidable warriors with bows and arrows). One shop even sold long leather whips. Elise said she loves the smell of leather, and, in my usual search for past life clues, suggested she might be harking back to a former existence as someone who rode horses (and the leather saddles and reins). She did say that if she gets a good job contract in France, she would like to buy a horse.

The weather this weekend is quite hotand sunny. Most of the younger women are thrilled. I, however, in my stage of life, am not. Wearing my swimsuit under my clothes didn't help.

After an hour of shopping, we left for Badacsony to have lunch and wine tasting at a small winery on a hill -- Szent Antal Pince in Szigliget-Antalhegy.

This photo shows the wine cellar, where they have tastings, but we were fortunate to sit outside under the arbors as a fire burned under a huge black enclosed casserole pot cooking our gulyas. We tasted three wines -- an Olaszrizling with aromas of tropical fruits, banana, and a light color. It was very smooth and dry with some fruit on the palate. It was well balanced. After the first wine, our food was served. The vegetarians had an interesting dish--a stuffed, twice baked eggplant (like a twice-baked potato), in which the roastedeggplant was pureed with other flavorings, put back into the eggplant "shell" and browned in the oven. Everyone seemed to enjoy it. I felt it did not have as much flavor as the gulyas we were served. The meat was very tender in the gulyas, but yet it was still pink in color, and it was not from the red paprika. Fresh Hungarian bread was served with hot pepper sauce that was, unfortunately, not packaged for sale.

The second wine was a Szurke Barat (Pinot Gris), which the interpreter mistakenly said was a "French wine," but of course, a Hungarian winery would not serve us French wine unless they are promoting a French vineyard as well. So I believe it should have been interpreted as a French varietal. It was also quite good--smooth with a malolactic quality -- creamy, buttery aroma and taste--like an American chardonnay. In the cellar, I only saw oak barrels and did not see steel, but of course, there could be other aging and finishing rooms on the premises.

The third wine was a rose made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir grapes. The color was very pale for a rose, and not very pink. I would have thought it was a white. The aroma was nice, with a touch of berries or cherries, but the taste was not as nice as the others. Pinot Noir is a difficult grape to do well.

After filling our bellies with delicious foods and relaxing with some pleasant wine, we were off again to swim in the lake in the late afternoon. The hot sun was no longer around -- to the dismay of some, to my relief, however. The "beach," which consisted of a large, grass and dirt (mud) area, with some sandy areas for volley ball and a sort of foot volley ball, was adjacent to some snack bars and a brick shower/toilet building. Along the edge of the water were stones and a walkway with benches. There were peddle boats and other kinds of watercraft to use (rent, I presume). Two blue cylindrical booths were for changing. It looked as though if you used the plastic chaise lounges, you would have to pay someone for the privilege. We put our towels on the muddy grass and surrounded the non-swimmers among us with our bags and belongings and we went to the narrow little bridge over the stones where we could descend, one by one, down some rubber-matted steps into the somewhat murky water. It was lovely and refreshing--though Otto, our Miami man, was having none of the cold water. The air temp was posted as being about 88 degrees and the water temp was said to be about 76 degrees.

Our dinner at the institute was cancelled for the day, so we all feasted on langos, ice cream and, on the way back, leftover sandwiches from our breakfast-to-go.

We were gone about 12-13 hours, and as we stepped off the bus upon our arrival back at the institute, it was raining lightly. Maggie said it was the "best day" she'd had since she arrived. I'd have to agree, it was a very good day. (More photos will be posted soon).