HELLO FROM HUNGARY…

I know, it’s been some time since I’ve reached out with SHATTERED happenings — and for good reason! I am back in Hungary, the place where it all began; where my hopes and aspirations for being a steward of cultural exchange and interpersonal connection were jolted into action. Here’s where I’ve been…

I spent my first few days in the architecturally intricate capital, Budapest. I met with Erika, the winemaker at Sanzon who will be our very first winery stop on the SHATTERED Wine Tour: Hungary. We had lunch on a hot sunny day. I drank a cold glass of Zöldveltlini (Gruner) to cool down from the inside out. Erika and I talked about our coming-into-wine stories, hers reflective of her childhood in Tokaj working vineyards with her parents, eventually growing into a new sense of appreciation for the Tokaj and the wines made there in her adulthood. Her winery is a reclamation and preservation of identity, showcasing the quality and clarity of wines coming from Tokaj. We agreed that bringing people together is the beating heart of what we do in the wine world.

Later, I found myself back at Dúzsi Budapest, the family winery’s shop located in one of my favorite parts of the city (District VIII) where they sell only their own wines (with a few exceptions of Portuguese wines made by friends abroad). I spent a good 3 hours catching up with Tomi, who generously poured a collection of cold Dúzsi roze on yet another sweltering day. If you didn’t know, his father Tamas became quite well known for their hibiscus hued kékfrankos roze - filled with notes of wet rocks and raspberries, utterly thirst quenching.

After my visit with Tomi I took a 15 minute walk to Tasting Table for an in depth guided tasting to study the wine regions of Hungary, paired with an array of Hungarian cheeses, nuts, dried fruits, fresh sourdough, and a roasted pumpkin seed oil black enough to permanently stain anything it touches. Gábor and Carolyn Banfalvi, the owners of Tasting Table and the lovely shop across the street, Taste Hungary (only selling Hungarian wine, and a comprehensive selection at that), will be our co-hosts for the SHATTERED Wine Tour: Hungary. They have spent the last decade designing and executing experiences surrounding Hungarian culture, so it was only proper that they be an integral partner of this larger project of mine.

My last day in Budapest, before heading to the village of Mád in Tokaj, wrapped up well at a Vietnamese restaurant 8 min walking from the apartment I stayed at in the VII district. This district is filled with an Asian diaspora that fills every block with flavorful, affordable, heart warming food. I would certainly live here no problem.

Don’t wait to book your spot on October’s tour, there are only a few spots left! And stay tuned to here what happened in Tokaj…

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