Furmint Fever in Budapest – One day dedicated to furmint

1st of February is officially the International Furmint Day. If you are visiting Budapest, keep in mind that this month is all about furmint wine. Restaurants and bars all across the country organize special tastings and dinners. Here I’m reviewing the most precious event, the Furmint February - Grand Tasting in the Vajdahunyad Castle.

Furmint grape – The notable white

Since I’m writing a book on the most important sights, wineries, cultural heritage and gastronomy in the Tokaj region, I spend a lot of time with traveling around and discovering all the beauties of this place. I must say, that the ultimate Tokaj lifestyle hit me and I totally fell in love with it. I learned that furmint is a dominate and incredibly versatile grape in the region, it covers almost two-thirds of the vineyard area.  Outside of Tokaj, you will find this signature grape in the Somló area (the smallest wine region in North – West Hungary). I consider furmint as our flagship wine, I’m sure that this type will gain increasing attention in the future.

Historical venue

Every year in February a special grand tasting is organized in the Museum of Agriculture, the place itself is fascinating as well. Vajdahunyad Castle is a complex of different kind of units. The original castle was built in order to present the architectural values of Hungary in the frame of the Millenium Exhibition in the 19th century. Did you know that the building was a temporary construction only made of wood and cardboard? Finally it got so popular that it was rebuilt from durable materials. I love this place, it’s one of the most romantic spots in the city surrounded by a little lake and the City Park. Perfect venue for a fabulous event!

Let's taste furmint!

This is the 10th occasion already that furmint gets the attention of all wine lovers across the country, over 100 wineries were represented mainly from the Tokaj region.  They all gathered in the enormous hall and downstairs in two smaller sections. You had the chance to learn about wine, the wine-making process and talk to the wine makers directly. The entrance ticket can be purchased online, it includes the glass, unlimited tasting from 4 pm till 9 pm and some snacks. Foodwise, delicious cheese from Mád and small sandwiches by the Ororszlános Vendéglő could be brought in the main hall,  LaBor Bistro from Tokaj served free bites with different ham versions and fresh bread. For those who wanted to take gastronomy to a higher level, oyster and salmon could have been purchased downstairs.

Yummy bites

LaBor snacks

The event is very popular, it’s highly recommended to go there on time, it gets more crowded in the evening. I arrived in the afternoon and I met some fellow winemakers, I already know from the Tokaj region.  The impressive place and the smell of wine set the mood already.

It's revolutionary that this whole month is dedicated to one special variety, therefore you can get to know the different vintages from small or even big wineries. You can compare, taste, decide what kind of furmint is your type. I prefer fruity aromas with oaky spice and rich minerals, which is very much showing you the traditional character of the region. My absolute favorite one is the Szepsy Furmint from 2009. It's a unique old wine with honey and apricot aromas. My other favorite winery is Chateau Dereszla, its wine cellar is more than 600 years old and proves to have an excellent climate inside.

If you have passion and interest in wine, here you can learn a lot and taste all kind of furmint wines from the top wineries in Hungary. The best way to understand the wine and the wine-making process is to visit the Tokaj region, enroll for tastings on the vineyard, book a cozy room and be amazed by all the beauties that this UNESCO World Heritage Site could offer to you. It's always a pleasure to be there! A tour guide book, mobile application and e-book version on the region will be ready in spring. Join me for a pleasant Tokaj discovery! I can't wait to show you the neighbourhood through my eyes!