Hungary

„After the tasting walked back to the hotel, checking food prices at the local Spar supermarket on the way home. Dr. Oetker pizzas are half the price here. Dropped into an excellent wine shop in Pohány utca, the same street as my hotel, called In Vino Veritas. Asked for some recommended producers.

Checked emails and then walked back to the Corinthia hotel for the opening VinCE party held in the ballroom. Curiously, there was no wine available, only soft drinks, but a magnificent buffet of hot and cold food plus a sweet table. Too tired to join Stephen Spurrier, Siobhan Turner and Peter Peter Csizmadia-Honigh (who writes a bilingual blog called Wine World) for dinner. In bed by 9:30 pm.

Saturday, March 24: Bad night’s sleep. There were people talking loudly in the street below my window all night until four in the morning. Breakfast of fried egg and bacon then walked to the Cornithia Hotel to taste Hungarian wines at VinCE. Spent the day tasting over 80 wines, interrupted by lunch at the Brasserie in the hotel with Steven Spurrier (goulash soup). Then back to tasting. I was impressed by the Cabernet Francs from Villány (although all the accents in the Hungarian language are driving me nuts) and Takler in Szekszard; and the Bordeaux-style blends from Kiss Gábor, Matatinsky, Kúri, Heimann’s Barbár and Villa Tolnay in Szekszard, Vida, Gróf Buttler’s Bordeaux varietals. Enjoyed the Furmints from IFDTa, Vylyan, Szent Benedek. Loved the Szamorodni from Tokaj Kereskedöház (like a vin jaune).”