Wine & Culture
In an unrivalled meeting of wine and culture, the country's
biggest wine fair is held every September in the imperial majesty
of the Buda Castle. Like the Hungarian fine wine industry, the Buda
Castle has been destroyed several times but has come back stronger
than ever. Wine once again flows through the very heart of
Hungarian society, especially now that Hungarians have come to be
proud of the quality their wines have reached in the 20 years since
the end of communism, and its associated collectivisation.
Whether attending the opera where the audience indulges in the
local sparkling wine or a glass of Tokaj szamarodni or Aszú in the
intervals, or drinking fröccs (spritzer) in the Bohemian hangout of
one of Budapest's kert (garden) bars, wine is a key part of
everyday life. Hungarians blog and debate about wine on internet
chat boards in the same way as other nationalities interact about
sports. Budapest hosts countless classy wine dinners whereby dishes
are matched with a flight of wines in the presence of the winemaker
who made them. Often at these dinners a much in-demand group of a
cappella singers sing centuries old songs about the joys of making
and consuming wine. The winemakers themselves are held in awe and
regarded like movie stars.
Hungary and Hungarians have always been close to wine which has
deep and unbreakable roots in every aspect of cultural life from
the church to folklore, arts, literature and music. New wines are
eagerly awaited on St. Martin's Day on November 11 and it is still
hotly debated whether the name Bikavér (Bull's Blood) came from the
defence of Eger Castle or from Szekszárd poet János Garay.
Sparkling wine made by József Törley in the méthode Champenoise
from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes from Etyek-Buda vineyards
provided the fizz to fuel the good times after the Compromise of
1867 with Habsburg Austria. Törley spotted that Hungarian
aristocrats loved Champagne and found they were totally open to the
locally produced version, which was made on the edge of the capital
in Budafok. Their influence filtered down through Hungarian society
and soon it was popular among the rising classes created through
the new wave of prosperity. It was just the stuff with which to
toast the joining of Buda and Pest in 1873.
While sumptuous Tokaji Aszú was the wine of the Russian, Polish and
even French courts in centuries past, as well as described in 1551
by Pope Julian III as fit for a pope's table, now in 2009 a more
modest traditional aspect of wine consumption is coming back to
prominence. Five to ten years ago a waiter would have probably
frowned at you if you'd ordered a fröccs in a trendier place in
Budapest. Fröccs, i.e. spritzer, is wine (usually white but often
rosé or red) mixed with soda in a plethora of variations regarding
the proportion of wine and soda. It was considered to be a "proli",
i.e. working-class cheap drink until recently. However, legend has
it that this extremely refreshing way of drinking wine got its name
from one of greatest Hungarian poets and dramatists - Mihály
Vörösmarty - who composed the second most important Hungarian
national anthem, the "Szózat" (Appeal) in 1836. Fröccs has
certainly succeeded in casting off the misconception that diluting
the wine with soda is the best way to make a poor wine more
palatable. In fact, many of the country's leading winemakers will
secretly tell you that their drink of choice is nothing other than
a rosé fröccs.