Dispite the tinge color sky in the Autumn sunset at Balatonalmádi welcomed visitors to the 2nd Balaton Wine Tasting Walking event. The goal to the event was to realize with the support of the Veszprém-Balaton 2023 European Capital of Culture program, and mainly to promote the cultured wine consumption and sustainable wine making within the Balaton Wine Region. Once again from the around Lake Balaton winemarkers and interested visitors came exchange thoughts from different regions and to enjoy the “BalatonBor” “BalatonWine” tasting and master class presentations. Also a great opportunity that during the off-season, wine lovers and wine producers, as well as domestic and international representatives of the profession, were able to personally meet eachother.
The event took place in the Pannónia Cultural Center at Balatonalmádi whereas 25 wineries attended and we could taste their beloved latest and unique wine products. The event was attended by more than two hundred professionals and interested folks.
Exhibited wines to taste by wineries were the following: Androsics Estate – Barcza Winery – Bezerics Vineyard – Dobosi Estate – Dörgicsélő – Garamvári Vineyard – Istvándy Winery-Badacsony – Balázs Káli – Károly Kolonics – Laposa Badacsony – Lázár Cellar – Mórocz Winery – Nagy & Nagy Winery – Nivegy-Völgyi Borgazdaság Ltd. – Yári Pince – Petrányi Cellar – Rádpuszta Vineyard – Tagyon 730 Bormanufaktúra Vineyard – Taverna Winery – Tornai Winery – Villa Gyetvai Winery
The wine tasting was opened both by Zsófia Bozzai editor-in-chief of Bor and Wine (Wine and Market) who greeted the pretty high number of the wine-loving audience and invited them to go for tasting all the six wine regions with their wines for presentationon the spot. Then enumerated the exhibited wineries: Androsics Estate – Barcza Winery – Bezerics Vineyard – Dobosi Estate – Dörgicsélő – Garamvári Vineyard – Istvándy Winery-Badacsony – Balázs Káli – Károly Kolonics – Laposa Badacsony – Lázár Cellar – Mórocz Winery – Nagy & Nagy Winery – Nivegy-Völgyi Borgazdaság Ltd. – Yári Pince – Petrányi Cellar – Rádpuszta Vineyard – Tagyon 730 Bormanufaktúra Vineyard – Taverna Winery – Tornai Winery – Villa Gyetvai Winery
Therafter Tamás Tornai owner of Tornai Winery at Somlójenő – President of the Balaton Wine Region took the floor. He said that it will not be easy to stand out from the current oversupply on the wine market. It requires unique, special things, such as Juhfark in Somló. The place and the breed are now connected in the minds of many people, and it has therefore become special. This specialty, the “Juhfark” wine produced there, stands above the huge competition resulting from oversupply. He stated that the Balaton wine region is a great treasure and it’s time to build a wine brand to stand out from the crowd. Of course, nothing is free… you need care, internal professional dedication, continuous improvement of wine quality by utilizing the qualities of the variety, continued to note that in recent decades, has had continuously won gold medals and awards for the best of the world’s largest wine competitions. At the wine serving table, the Tornai Top Selection wines were are/were to be tasted. A bunch of folks surely as was advised by the representative of the Tornai winery tasted them. At a previous visit to the Tornai winery and museum gathering already had a sip of my favorit the late-filtered “Aranykönny – Zeus” which was a trigger to fall in love in a minute with its ripened rich sunshine grape flavor. Nowonder the heavenly flavor, it is hadsted in November the dwarf berries, which on the tuff-basalt soil have an attractive honey scent. The high sugar content well balances the nice acid structure, and this makes it really magical, therefore it’s was no surprise to me that the product is enchanted. The Tornai wines participated in the world at numerous competitions, for instancethe London International Wine Challenge Tophy Award, for 4 times, which is a unique achievement in Hungary. Several European and American Michelin-starred restaurants offer Tornai wines Year-after-year are at the world’s most prestigious and longest-standing wine certification event, the Bordeaux Challenge International du Vin international wine competition. Also a regular participant of the Balatonfüred Wine Competition, which has been held for 30 years now.
Most probably needn’t have to introduce the already famous winemaker of the Istvándy Winery – Badacsony. At the wine tasting table had a glance on a bottle of wine without any sign nor label, it is this year’s new wine, no time to lbel it yet, but must admit without the label me simply called it now on the spot “No Name” … just thought for a second, those who taste it will say a word as decribing the yummy taste really exciting superb rich in flavor. He liked my flip idea and told, in wine not the greatness does not lie in volume, but in quality. He is convinced that creating something valuable and unique can only be done based on well-founded, in-depth expertise, with openness and creativity. They found the right raw material for this in the noble and special Kéknyelű. They want to discover the secrets of Kéknyelű, which will open up new horizons for the wine region.
The riport does not end here!
To be continued following: Part2 – “Also Balaton in the Fall” 2023
Riport and snaps by Aggie Reiter
Rolling in Budapest 