| Very early in this series I reviewed a very | | | | it with Thai shrimp on a bed of spicy noodles. And |
| inexpensive Hungarian Rizling, also spelled Riesling. | | | | now for my reactions. |
| And now it's time for another Hungarian white, | | | | My first sips revealed a wine that was light and |
| based on the unknown Irsai Olivér grape. | | | | yet long, with refreshing acidity. The initial meal |
| Given its name, we may assume that these | | | | consisted of barbecued chicken recooked in a |
| grapes come from near Lake Balaton, the | | | | stew pot with sliced potatoes. The wine remained |
| Hungarian sea southwest of Budapest. Given its | | | | long. It was grapey; not exactly a complement in |
| price, we may assume that these grapes don't | | | | my book. A spicy tomato salsa was too strong |
| come from valuable lakefront property. Of | | | | for this wine. |
| course, it may all be a marketing ploy and the | | | | The next meal centered around an omelet. The |
| grapes may in actuality come from a totally | | | | Irsai was nicely acidic without overwhelming the |
| different region of Hungary. I don't read or speak | | | | eggs. It half lost its acidity when faced with an |
| Hungarian, so I'll probably never know. By the | | | | artichoke dip. How much can one say about a |
| way, don't be shy about communicating your | | | | relatively tasteless meal accompanied by a |
| knowledge; I'll be glad to update this article. | | | | relatively tasteless wine? |
| Just a few words about Hungarian wine. Arguably | | | | My final food pairing involved a packaged |
| the finest dessert wine in the world is the Tokaji. | | | | vegetarian lasagna covered with grated Parmesan |
| The tsars used to drink the top of the line bottles. | | | | cheese. The wine was acidic and fruity and went |
| The Esszencias are out of sight, but the | | | | well with the tomato sauce, but it was far from |
| Puttonyos can be great. The higher the Puttonyos | | | | forceful. For dessert I had a slice of high-quality |
| number; the sweeter and pricier the wine. | | | | French style lemon pie with a very buttery crust. |
| Depending on your budget, look for a 4, 5, or 6. | | | | The wine remained acidic but too weak for the |
| And now back to our $10 wine. | | | | pie. |
| OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we | | | | As usual, I finished the tastings with two local |
| taste and review are purchased at the full retail | | | | cheeses. In the presence of a Marbled Cheddar |
| price. | | | | the wine was quite floral. But it didn't mesh with |
| Wine Reviewed: | | | | the cheese. With a Havarti, the Irsai became |
| St. Donatus, Irsai Olivér Balatonlellei, 2007 | | | | rounder but still didn't really go with the cheese. I |
| 12.5% alcohol about $10 | | | | am not a great fan of wine and cheese pairings |
| Let's start by quoting the marketing materials. | | | | and saw no reason to make an exception in this |
| Irsai Olivér is a cross between the | | | | case. |
| Pozsony and Pearl of Csaba grapes. It was | | | | Final verdict. I won't be buying this wine again. But |
| originally produced as a table grape, but proved to | | | | I will go for some Hungarians, probably red next |
| be quite adept at creating flavorful, Muscat-like | | | | time around. And sooner or later, I'll get another |
| wines. This floral, Muscat and spearmint-scented | | | | bottle of Tokaji. |
| wonder is an excellent example of the wine. Enjoy | | | | |