Painters Hall in London is the setting for this year’s Wines of Hungary UK Furmint February trade and press tasting. To find out more and to register click here.
Awareness of Furmint has grown in the past few years, and it seems to be working strongly as a flagship and driver for Hungary’s wine sales – with the UK now the top destination for premium bottled wine exports.
Furmint may be closely associated with the cool, continental climate and landscape of extinct volcanoes that forms Tokaj, where the majority of its plantings lie today. However, it was historically grown much more widely, and several producers are now replanting in areas where it had virtually disappeared such as Somló, Badacsony and the Balaton Uplands on the north shore of Lake Balaton.
Hungary has more to offer beyond Furmint, though, and the country is rich in indigenous, high-quality white grapes. These can offer another dimension to Furmint blends, as well as making fantastic wines in their own right, expressing the variety of Hungary’s varied and often volcanic soils.
Chance to taste
The annual Furmint February wine tasting from Wines of Hungary UK is the chance to better understand this unique grape variety
This year’s tasting at Painters’ Hall will continue to showcase a great selection of Furmints, including single vineyard versions and winemakers from Tokaj, Somló and Balaton will also be pouring a range of other exciting varieties including Olaszrizling, Juhfark, Hárslevelű and more.
A new feature for 2024 will be a bubble bar, with speed tastings led by Sue Tolson (a Hungarian-based wine writer and MW student). The concept is to bring attention to Furmint’s potential as key ingredient for classy traditional method sparkling wines, thanks to its understated aromatics and lively, vibrant acidity. It can channel aspects of its half siblings Chardonnay and Riesling, working well with lees ageing in bottle.
I will also lead a masterclass on the theme of Furmint and Friends, introducing tasters to how how Furmint can work in blends in Tokaj (where there are six permitted grapes) but also showcasing some of the other amazing Hungarian white grapes, showing that the country is more than a one-trick pony.
Caroline Gilby MW will be sharing her expert insights into Furmint at a sold out masterclass at the Furmint February tasting
Hárslevelű is the offspring of Furmint, and its array of floral, fruity, saline characters adds another dimension to Furmint in blends. It also produces delicious wines in its own right, especially from old vines in volcanic soils (for instance in Somló and Badacsony).
The line-up will also showcase the aromatic yet mouth-watering, crisp Sárgamuskotály from Tokaj and the rare, fiery, mineral Juhfark (its name means “sheep’s tail” for the shape of its bunches) from the basalt of Somló, once famously dubbed “wedding night wine” for its ability to guarantee an heir.
The other local grape on the comeback trail is the great Central European grape Olaszrizling (also known as Graševina, Laški Rizling, Welschriesling and more) – it’s Hungary’s third most important quality grape, but has had a chequered history over recent decades, often used for spritzers and day-to-day drinking. It has so much more to offer when treated with respect. A Hungarian Olaszrizling, for example, picked up platinum at Decanter two years ago and a Serbian version won best-in-show in 2023).
The other important theme at the tasting will be the signficance of Hungary’s volcanic soils, which cover as much as 70% of the country, and work well with the array of exciting white grapes, whether it’s the andesite bedrock of Tokaj or the basalt-derived soils of Somló or the north shore of Lake Balaton.
- To register and find out more about the event click here.
