Enjoying Central European Wines
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Two quite different wine tastings in Washington recently gave us the opportunity to become familiar with some quality wines that deserve to be better known. More than that, the grape varietals, Kekfrankos, Gruner Veltliner and Chasselas, are largely unfamiliar, although they are grown in a belt of temperate climate between the 46th and 47th Parallels where fine wines are produced. This belt includes the great regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy. As I was soon to learn, however, wines from Switzerlnd, Austria and Hungary are produced within this same parallel. Exploring these areas therefore offers new possibilities for discovering fine wines.
The wine tastings were dissimilar in style. On the smaller, more intimate scale, a wine tasting well organized by Giramondo Wine Adventures (www.giramondowine.com) at the official Residence of the Swiss Ambassador was a delight. Ambassador Urs Zisweiller and his elegant wife Ronit greeted their visitors, and stayed throughout the tasting, graciously answering questions. There was a helpful general background lecture on the wines of Switzerland given by Giramondo President Laurent Guinand, and a welcome by Ambassador Zisweiller. The tasting that followed not only featured seven wines, but an assortment of Swiss foods, including as a special treat Swiss comfort food, a raclette, lightly heated cheese over potatoes with pickles and onions, that was individually prepared by the Embassy Chef.
Winemaking in Switzerland is an ancient tradition, we were told, going back to Roman times. There are four main regions for production, the Valais, Vaud, Neuchatel and Ticino, each with their own specialties and varieties of climate, the west and south accounting for most of the nation’s wine production. We were interested to hear that, by comparison with other regions (where cold climate dictates a short ripening season and early harvests), the warm Foehn winds in the southwestern Vaud region allow for more mature ripening. And not too far away, the Valais region at the foot of the Alps accounts for 40% of the nation’s wine production.
(It was those same Foehn winds, sweeping down from Austrian peaks onto the Hungarian plain, that would bring temperature changes of forty or more degrees in a few hours and were said to affect Hungarian behavior, when we resided in Budapest. I am not sure whether the Foehn winds were ever cited by the defense in a murder case, but it wouldn’t surprise me!)
The main Swiss white varietal grape is the Chasselas, accounting for 75% of production, and other white varietals include the Petite Arvine and the Pinot Gris, here called the Malvoisie. The 2007 Chateau d’Auvernier (AOC Auvernier, Neuchatel), 100% Pinot Gris, was a nice starter wine, with real substance and flavors of almonds and honey. It could either be enjoyed on its own, or served as a nice dinner wine to complement fish or white meats. The 2005 Chateau Lichten (AOC Valais), 100% Petite Arvine, was quite good, rather light and spicy, a bit sharp in the after taste. The 2005 Henri Badoud Les Murailles (AOC Aigle, Vaud), 100% Chasselas, was my favorite of this flight. It was refreshing, medium weight, and had a mineral character, almost bubbly.
We then tried two red wines, which I found quite light. The 2005 Rene Favre & Fils Pinot Noir (AOC Chamoson, Valais) was rather nice, but for a Pinot Noir, surprisingly insubstantial. The Pinot Noir is the predominant red grape grown in Switzerland, at 50% of production. The 2001 Delea Melot del Mago (Ticino), 100% Merlot, did have a flavor of berries, which I found went well with the cheese and meat platters that were passed.
But they had saved the best for last. There were two dessert wines, both from the Valais region. The 2004 Adrian Mathuier La Valaisanne, 100% Pinot Gris, was light and pleasant, with honey tones, rather like a young Sauternes from a good recent vintage. The 2005 Arvine MiFletrie Les Claives from Andre Roduit & Fils, 100% Arvine, was excellent. It was not overly sweet, and had layers of flavor. It went perfectly with the dessert of puffed pastry filled with candied walnuts and raisins.
On a far larger scale, the Washington D.C. International Wine & Food Festival was again a sellout success. Here, the scale is so large that one risks being overwhelmed by the many offerings. But the efficient organization, including a chart of the distributor tables, lets you map out where you want to concentrate your time and attention. And those pouring the wine were very knowledgeable. There was also a general wine lecture and tasting, with an assortment of good contrasting wines, as well as gourmet cooking demonstrations, with samples for tasting.
I was particularly interested to taste the wines of Austria, whose production areas would roughly fit within the same belt btween the 46th and 47th Parallels. Indeed, the exhibitor told me that proceeding due West, one would arrive at Beaune! I was particularly taken with the Gruner Veltliner varietal, Austria’s leading white grape. It is aromatic and refreshes the palate. The Steininger Loisiumweingater Gruner Veltliner 2007 was very refreshing, with notes of apple and a bit of spice. One can well imagine whiling away a carelfree hour or three in a Wine Garden Heurigen near the Vienna Woods sipping this pleasant wine.
I also sampled two red wines. The Leo Hillinger Pinot Noir Evelline 2005 had light berry notes and was rather soft. I wouldn’t really compare it to any Burgundy except Santenay, which pleases for its lightness. Trying to compare this wine to the deep Pinot Noir classic wines of the Cote d’Or would be a false comparison, I think. The Anton Baer Wagram Cuvee was a very interesting blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and local red grapes Blauer Zweigelt and Blaufrankisch, said to add cherry and blackberry aromas and tannins for structure. For a bonus for history buffs, the wine pourer, from Klaus Wittauer Selections, Austrian wine specialists, pointed out that Wagram, not far from the Vienna Woods, is also known as Napoleon’s final victory before his invasion of Russia. The Austrians in consolation now have this marvelous wine, medium weight with fine plum layers. It should age vey well indeed.
Then we enjoyed sampling some of the wines of neighboring Hungary. When we lived in Budapest during the communist era, the wines were generally mediocre. The white wines from the Balaton region were generally too acidic for my taste (and digestion), and the famous Tokaj wines were indifferently produced. At that time there was a rather indifferent Egri Bikaver, while one other red wine, Soproni Kekfrankos, I remembered as pleasant and well made.
The very knowledgeable Agricultural Attache from the Hungarian Embassy poured his country’s wines at the tasting, and brought me up to date on national wine production. The wine industry, he said, had been restructured, with sustained attention now being paid to modernization and quality control. Wines poured here were by and large inexpensive, with occasional samples of wines with more promise.
The Craftsman series of varietals ($11-$14 a bottle) were pleasant enough, and would neither disappoint nor break the bank. The white Craftsman Cserszegi Fuszeres 2007 was a smooth, pleasant dinner wine, while the Nyakas Pinot Gris 2006 ($10-$13), a medium weight wine, would make a distinctive aperitif.
I particularly liked two red wines. The Vylyan Pinot Noir 2006, from the southern part of Hungary ($29-$33), was simply excellent. Serve that wine when you would serve a Cote de Beaune, and your guests will admire your choice. Best of all was the Takler Regnum 2003 ($65-$73), a complete surprise. This wine is a blend of 37.5% Cabernet Franc, 37.5% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Kekfrankos, the varietal that I had admired many years earlier. The pleasant surprise, from the berry flavors, was that this was a grand vin in the making, that would hold its own with game at any distinctive table. I would keep it for several years, then serve it at a festive dinner to friends who appreciate the best.
All in all, it seems that these three Central European nations have, while eyes were elsewhere, produced a diversified portfolio of good wines. There are some distinctive national grape varietals that are worth seeking out, particulrly the Chasselas, the Kekfrankos and the Gruner Veltliner. Quality is being improved as well. So the next time you visit your wine retailer, don’t just stop at the usual national offeings. The wines of Switzerland, Austria and Hungary are worth trying and who knows, you may just find some new favorites, and save money in the process!