A Wine Lover`s Weekly Guide To $10 Wine – A Sauvignon Blanc From Hungary
by
Levi Reiss
The central European nation of Hungary has been producing wine since the days of the classical Romans. This country has boasted extensive vineyards for well over 1500 years. Hungary is especially known for Tokaji wines, arguably among the world\\’s finest dessert wines. The Hungaria website makes reference to sparkling wines only. Their still Sauvignon Blanc carries a protected geographical indication but gives no hint to which geographical region is being expressed. Our companion wine is a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc costing half again as much.
OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.
Wine Reviewed Hungaria Sauvignon Blanc (no vintage) 12 % alcohol $10.
Let\\’s start by quoting the marketing materials. \\”Tasting Note : Pale straw colour; grass, lime and mineral aromas; light bodied, dry; soft melon, citrus and herbal flavours with crisp acidity. Serving Suggestion : Serve with poached or baked fish.\\” And now for my review.
At the first sips this wine offered sharp acidity and a tad of sweetness, which was accompanied by some lime. The main dish consisted of nicely spiced homemade chicken breast nuggets that managed to increase the libation\\’s sweetness while descending its acidity. My glass responded as before in the face of soybeans swimming in an oily tomato sauce. As well I tasted nuts in this liquid. A medley of sauteed red and orange peppers sharpened this liquid\\’s acidity. Chinese chili sauce liberally doused on the meat meant metal and lemon in the liquid. Dessert consisted of fresh pineapple that left the wine with not much, just a little taste of metal.
The second meal emerged from a box. It was vegetarian stuffed manicotti with Ricotta and Mozzarella cheese in tomato sauce, so soft as to be oppressive. The drink responded with a nutlike taste and not quite ripe apples. Whitey was feeble but its acidity was refreshing. Fresh strawberries for dessert increased our Hungarian friend\\’s acidity. It was woody but not oaky.
The final meal centered on an omelet that I spiced up with cilantro, celery seed, and chilies. The libation\\’s acidity was excessively sharp. I tasted lime and pleasant sweetness. When paired with a lettuce, tomato, and celery salad in a honey mustard sauce the liquid\\’s acidity lightened and I tasted some citrus. The zesty guacamole side rendered the drink\\’s acidity unpleasant.
Final verdict. I have no plans to buy this wine again. The pairings were simply too hit and miss for me.
Levi Reiss authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but prefers drinking fine wine. He teaches computer classes at an Ontario French-language community college. His global wine website
theworldwidewine.com
features a weekly review of $10 wines. Visit his wine, nutrition, and health website
wineinyourdiet.com
.
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