winery Archives : TRAVEL/FOOD

An Enchanting Journey: Exploring Hungary’s 1000-Year-Old Wine Culture

Castles, Gastronomy, Hotels, Uncategorized, winery

For over 1,000 years, civilizations have produced quality wine in the Tokaj region of modern-day Hungary. This area’s deep winemaking history and cultural significance in Central Europe have led it to be listed as one of the country’s eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The most revered wine from this area is Tokaji wine, a sweet dessert wine that is even mentioned in the country’s national anthem.

The region is comprised of 5,500 hectares of vineyards stretching across 27 municipalities, with volcanic soil that provides the ideal conditions for grapes to develop noble rot, a fermentation process characteristic of Tokaji wine that contributes to its distinct taste.

Today, these vineyards allow visitors to taste their wine straight from the source while taking in the views of Hungary’s historic rolling hills.

Here are a few of the vineyards that make Hungary’s Tokaj Wine Region special:

Götz Winery: Looking straight out of a movie, this vineyard’s “hobbit-hole” cellars contributed to the area’s UNESCO World Heritage Site status. Like many in the region, the Götz Winery’s specialty is the area’s distinct Tokaji Aszú grapes, producing the iconic Tokaji wine. The winery is located in the 18th-century village of Hercegkút, providing amenities to tourists who visit the region. The deceivingly spacious cellar can seat up to 200 people, making this a fantastic space for large events.

Disznókő Winery: Originally founded in 1413, Disznókő Winery is one of the Tokaj Wine Region’s most distinguished vineyards. This esteemed winery has gained national and international attention, having been named “Hungarian Winery of the Year” in 2005, cementing its place as a must-visit for enotourists in the region. Disznókő Winery’s 150 hectares of land make for an incredible visitation experience and allow for a large variety of grapes planted, creating special blends that can’t be found in other Tokaj vineyards.

Barta Winery: Home to a stunning 17th-century aristocratic mansion, this historic vineyard continues its timeless organic cultivating methods. As stated, Barta’s philosophy is: “If we cultivate the vineyard in an environmentally friendly way, we should also make our wine the most natural, most traditional way possible.” The mansion has three recently renovated suites for guests to spend the night, a built-in cellar carved into the bedrock, and a rustic tasting room.

Gróf Degenfeld Wine Estate and Castle Hotel: This spectacular vineyard is home to a 19th-century chateau hotel, a luxury restaurant, and all the wine anyone could dream of consuming. The sprawling 35-hectare property produces different kinds of wine, from traditional Tokaji sweet wines to dry wines like Muscat Blanc, all made using the same unique processes for over 500 years.

Exploring Tokaj is not only a journey through one of the world’s most historic wine regions, but also an invitation to experience Hungary’s living cultural heritage firsthand. With its award-winning vineyards, historic estates, and unforgettable flavors, Tokaj offers travelers a truly timeless taste of Central Europe.

Road Trip Through Golden Foliage in the Golden State

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Head to Sonoma this fall as leaves turn jewel colors and the vineyards abound with ripe fruit. Autumn isn’t just for serious leafers, it’s for foodies, outdoor enthusiasts and history lovers as well So grab your keys, turn on the GPS and head out into the glory colors of fall.

In the Sonoma Valley, Highway 12 is an incredible route for fall foliage, California-style. The road between the town of Sonoma and Kenwood winds through vineyards and picturesque hamlets. In fall, the rows of vineyards come alive in stunning shades of crimson, orange and gold.

Visitors can take in the scenery from the car before stopping at the area’s tasting rooms and restaurants such as Glen Ellen Star where the culinary team is led by Chef Ari Weiswasser and his wife Erinn Benziger-Weiswasser.

In Glen Ellen, Jack London State Historic Park offers 29 miles of backcountry trails that go through mixed forest, oak woodlands and grassy meadows. You’ll also pass the London’s charming cottage and burned-out castle ruins.

Nearby at Benzinger Winery, guests can enjoy a tasting outside among the oak trees and take the Biodynamic Tram Tour of the property to learn about their winemaking process. Tuscan-style Viansa Winery affords a stunning valley view that takes in the autumnal palette across the valley. Or at Kunde Family Winery, you – and your pup – can take in a vineyard hike pre or post tasting.

No matter what you choose, it’ll be a colorful confetti road trip.

Artful Aperitifs: New San Juan Island Wine Sparkles

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Archipelago Beverage Company Unveils New Label, New Wine, and New Shop

Galileo Galilei once said, “Wine is sunlight, held together by water.” In the San Juan Islands, local winemakers Marti McConnell and Chris Lawler have taken that sentiment to heart with their new label, new vintages, and new winery in Friday Harbor.

Road trip to chuckanut drive, Deception Pass and to San Juan Island

Marti and Chris converged in Friday Harbor from different directions and with complementary passions for winemaking. The two joined forces, first at San Juan Vineyard and then as Archipelago Beverage Company in 2019.

Their joint venture began with a small stainless-steel tank that held their first vintage, Sparkling Siegerrebe, hand-harvested at Lopez Island Vineyards. It was a rock star beginning as their sparkling wine was selected as one of the top 5 white wines in Washington by Compass Wines in Anacortes and was on the menu at The Willows on Lummi Island in 2019. The few bottles that are reserved in the archives are quite ethereal.

The 2020 COVID shutdown offered Chris and Marti time to dream big and launch a distribution brand in cooperation with Orcas Island Winery. AO Wines, a new label, was born in the spring of 2020. AO is the superhero of the Washington wines they love and can be found in the Islands and the greater Seattle area.

Specializing in Sparkling Wines

Now in their fourth vintage together, that one little tank is still in use, but it is no longer alone. The new facility is an opportunity to expand and improve production. Archipelago purchases fruit from local sources whenever possible and travels as far as the Columbia Gorge for fruit that suits the Salish Sea food and beverage culture.

They specialize in sparkling wines made in the petillant-naturel style, with minimal intervention. The wines are lovingly hand-crafted: hand-picked, fermented and fed, bottled, and they apply their self-designed labels one by one. Their winemaking style lies somewhere between natural and international style wine, which they call analog wine. Much like a live music performance, their winemaking is a passionate expression—authentic, raw, not over-produced.

Unique Wine Experiences

Rather than conventional tastings, Chris and Marti create customized wine experiences.

“We’re inspired to make wine more approachable, more every-day, more casually enjoyable,: she says. “Appointments suggest some level of exclusivity…but this isn’t exclusive at all. It shocks people. It works. People come to a wine encounter expecting pompous wine makers and stuffy rules about wine and food, maybe even 4 forks at the place setting, and then we pull out the BBQ potato chips. Each encounter is about this place, this moment, these people, these memories we build with our guests.”

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HALL WINES HOSTS VIRTUAL CABERNET COOKOFF ‘HOME EDITION’ ON SATURDAY, MAY 30: Participants to Compete for a Charity of Their Choice

Cooking demonstrations

HALL Wines, one of the world’s most notable Cabernet Sauvignon producers, is hosting a Virtual Cabernet Cookoff: Home Edition, on Saturday, May 30. A virtual version of the winery’s annual Cabernet Cookoff that was cancelled due to the Covid-19 shelter in place orders, the creative Home Edition allows chefs to participate remotely.

To compete in the online food and wine pairing competition, contestants simply submit a recipe that pairs best with HALL’s 2017 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The recipes are then reviewed by HALL’s judging committee, consisting of HALL’s senior staffing with backgrounds in culinary arts. The top three dishes will be created by a guest chef and shared live for viewers on Saturday, May 30 at 4:00p.m. PT on Facebook Live. The event will be hosted by Vintner Kathryn Hall.

“It is more important now than ever to support each other,” says Hall. “The ravages of Covid-19 continue to devastate our families and communities. Holding a virtual Cabernet Cookoff this year means we and our friends can continue to support deserving charitable organizations across our nation. On May 30, let’s get creative in the kitchen, drink some fabulous wine, and have fun while we are at it.”

Kathryn Walt Hall, the proprietor of both HALL Wines and WALT Wines, has long been involved in the California wine industry starting when her family first purchased a vineyard in the 1970’s. Besides being vintner, her impressive resume lists a career as an attorney, United States Ambassador to Austrai and community activitist.

The 2019 HALL Cabernet Cookoff drew more than 800 attendees for a sold-out crowd and raised $106,000 for local charities. Since inception in 2010, the HALL Cabernet Cookoff has raised $1.2 million dollars for Napa Valley non-profit organizations.

Participants are asked to fill out an Interest Form to submit their recipe and select a non-profit organization (501c3) of their choice to compete for a donation to that organization. The competition is open to everyone. In total, the event will select three winners with prize donations for First Place: $5,000; Second Place: $2,500; and Third Place: $1,500. The donations will be paid directly to the non-profit organizations connected to the top three winning chef teams.

The wine selection for the event, HALL’s 2017 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($65.00 retail), offers effusive aromas of blackberry, black cherry, freshly turned earth and subtly warm toasty oak notes. The palate is dense and richly concentrated with fine grained tannin and good length. Flavors of dark chocolate, dark berry compote, and hints of dried thyme and leather are abundant, making this wine both versatile and expressive when looking to pair with diverse culinary dishes. During the contest period this wine will offered at a 10% discount as part of HALL’s virtual campaign.