…so no ! For sure, the Hungarian wines goes with Tokaj or even Bikaver for wine lovers. But what’s about Irsai Oliver, Hàrslevelu or Elvezet ? No, I don’t speak hungarian, but I drink it ! Welcome in the magyar country…

          Everything starts in the beautiful Cover Market of Budapest. Here, many caffs stand alongside to taste some local plates as the famous goulash ! Yes, you know this substantial soup based on meat, vegetables and the essential paprika ! Goes with a riesling-sylvaner (“rizlingszilvani”) from the Gyongyorstarjan region (bless you !), it lemon-green is really thirst-quenching but still light (11,5%) to struggle against the aromas and the zest of the paprika. But it’s still a good start.           On the road to admire the Parliament and the Fisherman’s Bastion in a sunny spring day (but wait, it’s better on the night…), the weather is perfect to sit on a terrace and taste a recent cepage (1930) but very widespread in Hungary: Irsai Oliver. And not anyone, but from , one of the most famous magyar wine-grower. Unexpectedly, the nose reminds me the tropical fruits of the Gewurztraminer but a palate more turned toward the muscat. It’s fresh and pleasant, so it’s an easy drink ! Enough to wait the night…                     It’s beautiful ! Then, it should be stupid to end the day like that. Way to one of the most popular hungarian wine bar: . With more than 150 glass of of hungarian producers, it’s an unavoidable place to polish his magyar palate ! Goes with a delicious plate of local cheeses, we could pass all the night…which starts with a white cepage, the Kiralyleanika (meaning “small queen”…mon hongrois s’améliore après quelques verres 😉 ) from Bolyki Estate. This estate is located near the Eger area, in the north-east of the country, not far from Tokay. Below, this is a map to locate you. I have no doubt about your hungarian geography knowledge, but in the interests of clarity, I prefer…Renowned region for its red wines, I tasted, however, the best dry white wine of my trip. A beautiful lemon colour with a good balance between the lemon acidity and ripe fruits (peach, apricot). An easy drink with the Kashkaval, a delicous ewe cheese. Thank you to the waiter for his warned advice! Then, I rely upon him for the red wine. The first one will be from Vesztergombi Estate, in the Szekszard area (south of the country): a single-variety Kardarka 2011. This local cepage is really hard to cultivate but gives incredible wines with sweet spices and black fruits. I feel better in hungarian…so, I order an other glass of borok (“wine” in hungarian). The waiter brings me a blend 2011 from Heimann Estate (Szekszard area), with a kind name: Birtokbor (carbernet franc, merlot, syrah and kékfrankos (cepage from Central Europe). Nothing more ! Here, degrees and tannins start to climb ! But this wine produces a malolactic, so it’s more elegant and subtle, no heady…this is for the next one ! Indeed, after this nice surprise, I wanted to taste one of the most famous hungarian wine: the Bikaver, meaning “bull’s blood” ! And, trust me, it makes sense ! Here, no need to speak hungarian ! You have to show that you are a man ! Speciality of the Eger region, the legend says that in 1552, 2000 hungarian civilians repeled the ottoman army with 80 000 soldiers. Related in the Geza Gardonyi’s book, the Stars of Eger, after drinking this wine, the civilians succeeded to stop the ottoman advance. And that’s true, after tasting it, to fight a small hungarian army didn’t afraid me anymore 😉 This “bull’s blood” from the Bolyki Estate is a blend between the kekfrankos, the merlot and the pinot noir. It’s dark, tense tannins, high acidity, pronunced fruits with a touch of kirsh cherry ! After that, I went rather to the bed and not to fight…And rendez-vous tomorrow, to go in the wine area Etyek, from an hour by bus in the west of Budapest. Egészségedre ! (“santé”).