Text 6733, 69 rader
Skriven 2006-10-19 10:38:48 av Glen Jamieson
     Kommentar till en text av Michael Loo
Ärende: HUNGARIAN DISHES 43461019
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 -=> Quoting Michael Loo to Glen Jamieson <=-

 JM> I like Tokaji!
 JW> I haven't had the pleasure yet and can't here, but will seek it out
 JW> the next time i'm in edmonton or any other large centre.
 GJ> I had the dry (Sz raz), and liked it, but the more famous and
 GJ> expensive sweet (AszŁ) dessert wine would be the one to try.

 ML> To be more precise, the distinction is Szaraz vs. Edes, dry vs.
 ML> sweet Szamorodnyi wines, with Botrytis content being none in the
 ML> first instance and limited in the second. The Aszu is a completely
 ML> different animal - being as you say a famous and expensive dessert
 ML> wine but acquiring its characteristics thanks to big old buckets
 ML> (puttonyos) of botrytized grapes thrown in with the rest of the crush.

I have been reading the 10 pages which Karen MacNeil devotes to the
Tokay wines; quite fascinating.  The story of the origin of the
botrytized wines ranks with the origin of champagne.

"...in the mid-1600s a priest named M té Szepsi Laczk˘ began
experimenting with furmint, an indigenous grape still used in Tokay
today.  The priest's experiments included letting the grapes begin to
raisinate on the vine.  At this pint, history intervened.  As the crop
was about to be harvested, the Turks swept through in one of their
periodic invasions.  Hungarians were called to war or fled, leaving
the grapes on the vine.  When the hungarians returned late in the
fall, the grapes, shriveled completely, had also begun to rot (the
Hungarians called the dry, rotting grapes `aszŁ').  In desperation,
Szepsi instructed the harvesters to pick the moldy grapes anyway.
Miraculously, the small amount of liquid that oozed from them tasted
like honey.  When the priest blended this nectar with the regular
table wine from the previous year, the prototype of Tokay AszŁ was
born."

In her book, "The Wine Bible", MacNeil says, "... another type of wine
made in the Tokay region is Szamorodni, which means as it is grown or
as it comes.  When vineyards are not sufficiently affected by botrytis
to get enough aszŁ berries to make Tokay AszŁ, a blended wine from
Tokay's three main grapes is made.  The Szamorodni may be dry (sz raz)
or slightly sweet (édes).  The slightly sweet version is made by
arresting the fermentation of the wine before all of the sugar is
converted into alcohol."

Of the Diszn˘k˘, she says, "At 6 puttonyos, Tokays begin to be so
concentrated they are literally syupy and their aromas have an almost
frightening intensity.  Diszn˘k˘'s 6 puttonyos is a deeply profound,
lush wine with flavours that suggest honey mixed with orange
marmalade.  A mere thimbleful is exquisite and satisfying, though who
could stop at that?"

I only wish I had had more time and money to explore the Hungarian
wines!  I took photos of the labels of the ones I did drink, which you
might find interesting.  One which I tried, and everyone liked was the
Nyakas Budai Chardonnay 2005.  Drunk cool, but not cold, it was
full-bodied, un-oaked, luscious, mellow, and went well with the
paprika chicken (which was short on paprika flavour).  Cost Ft2200
(US$10), restaurant price.   On the way home I bought a bottle of
Teleki Vill nyi Pinot Noir 2003 (Ft1300 = US$6).  The English version
of the Hungarian description on the back label included, "Its
velvet-like character, high alcohol content is glaring.  It is a
gentle wine with a deep ruby colour, it can accompany a fine garden
party.  We recommend it beside grilled roasts, but it gives a
glamorous experience itself, cooled at a temperature of 18-19C."   We
enjoyed that glamorous experience back at the Star hotel/hostel.

___ Blue Wave/DOS v2.30 [NR]

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 * Origin: Braintap BBS Adelaide Australia (3:800/449)