Best of Budapest & Hungary

At this time of the year everything around us is adorned by festive decorations, our homes and the streets are beautifully illuminated, and love is in the air. One of the crowning glories of this festive period is the intimate and cozy family dinner featuring carefully prepared, mouthwatering dishes which are best accompanied by a truly amazing wine: Tokaj aszú.

What makes aszús so special?

To many, the price of a bottle of aszú may come as a shock. However, it will come as less of a surprise once you’ve learnt how many conditions need to be fulfilled for proper aszú berries to form.
The Tokaj wine region situated in North East Hungary has a long tradition of wine making, in fact it was the world’s first delimited wine region with records dating back to 1737. The secret to its exceptional sweet wines with their incomparable character lies in the coexistence of five factors: soil, microclimate, botrytis, native varieties and technology. Botrytis cinerea is a fungus that infects healthy and ripe grape berries: it punctures the grape skins thereby assisting the evaporation of liquid matter and by doing so increasing the concentration of sugar, acidity and flavor compounds. The proximity of two rivers, Tisza and Bodrog – thus the location – is very important within the process: the morning fog ascending from the rivers followed by dry sunny days create ideal conditions for ‘shriveling.’ However, infection does not happen to all berries, so the shriveled ones need to be picked one by one over a prolonged period. This is an extremely labor-intensive process; even experienced pickers can gather only 6-7 kilograms a day.
Even though the climate of Tokaj is particularly suited to aszú production it is still not uncommon that in certain vintages some wineries cannot make aszú at all. Tokaj aszú is not a wine for everyday drinking, however it can create an unforgettable experience when you uncork it for a special occasion.

Culinary tips for the festive season

There is no better loved holiday than Christmas, therefore this is a highly appropriate occasion to open a bottle of aszú. In fact, no table laid for a Christmas dinner is complete without a bottle of aszú. Thanks to the rich diversity of Tokaj aszús there is no limit to the number of potentially exciting combinations with food. Though aszú is a sweet wine its unique aromas and high acidity makes it a good companion to dishes other than desserts. This characteristic is most welcome as it means that an aszú can accompany all the courses of a Christmas dinner. Aszús are great with foie gras served either roasted in slices and garnished with candied fruit, or prepared as paté, served with jam, chutney or brioche. A glass of aszú is an excellent partner for saline, pungent blue cheese. Take a star form to cut smaller bites from toasted bread, cover them with spread made of Roquefort, Stilton or Gorgonzola cheese and garnish with dried fruit. Another suggestion is to remove the seeds of dates, fill them with the cheese spread and then wrap them in thin slices of Serrano ham. Aszú might also work with the main course. It goes well with chicken stuffed with tangerine, raisins and thymes especially if you’re willing to sacrifice a glass of wine for the roasting of the bird. Likewise, with mango and duck or partridge accompanied by apples and grapefruit. The most suitable garnishes are the ones made from vegetables which can easily get caramelized and are slightly sweeter, like carrots, sweet potatoes or pumpkins. Should you want to completely steer away from traditional, classic dishes to the intensely spicy Chinese cuisine with its mix of sweet and hot flavors, aszú is once again a great accompaniment. The above examples represent real culinary adventures but let’s not forget about desserts. Classic Hungarian Christmas cakes like bejgli, zserbó, gingerbread, fruit loaf and Florentine biscuit are all heavenly matches for aszús. It can also be paired with non-traditional cakes, be it an elegant French crème brûlée or an English rustic pecan pie, and it is certainly no sacrilege to dip your almond biscottis into aszú, instead of vin santo.

A bottle of aszú is a wine for all seasons and especially for the festive season. Make sure you buy one and enjoy the happy moments. Should you open a bottle of aszú during the holidays, please use the #ToastWithAszu hashtag and share your experience with others!