Last year we went on two tours in Budapest with Taste Hungary - we went on the only Hungarian Vegetarian Food Tour in Budapest and the famous Thursdays at the Tasting Table where people gather to eat, drink and learn about Hungarian cuisine.
This winter, my mum came to visit, and when she said she wanted to learn about Hungarian wine, we knew there was one place we had to head to - back to the Tasting Table. This time we tried the Wine, Cheese and Charcuterie Tasting and this is what we thought:
The Location and Decor
I love the atmosphere and decor of the Tasting Table - it's in a semi-underground cellar and is warm, inviting, relaxed - and not to mention super classy. The location is superb - it's in a quiet area, and is easily accessible by public transport.
Wine, Cheese and Charcuterie Tasting
Taste Hungary offer many different tours and tastings for all tastes and preferences. We went for the Wine, Cheese and Charcuterie Tasting, which involved five wine tastings, finger snacks and some expert information on the wines.
What I particular like about it is you are given your five glasses at the beginning, which means you can choose the order you drink them, go back to one at the end if you prefer it etc. For example I liked my sparkling wine and sweet wine the best, so it was great that I was able to save them until the end (as opposed to other wine tastings where you have to finish your wine/ get rid of your wine, before you're allowed your next wine).
As for our wine expert, Gergely, he was perfect! He was so knowledgable and his English was impeccable.
Here's what we thought of the wine and foods:
The Sparkling Wine
First up was the sparkling wine - it tasted like an insanely amazing mixture of Prosecco and Champagne.
This sparkling wine was from the Tokaj Region - it was a Brut Nature Sparkling from 2014, made in the Pelle Winery. I loved it! 10/10
The White Wine
Next up was the white wine. We tried a Juhfark from 2015, it came from Kolonics Winery which is in the Somoló Region.
Although I liked this white wine, I didn't love it as much as the other wines of the evening. I would still give it a strong 8/10 because it was delicious.
The Red Wines
We tried out two wines at the Tasting Table and they were both incredible. The first was a Rhapsody Bikavér, 2014, from Kovács Nimród Winery - Eger Region (north east Hungary).
The second was a Villányi Franc 2013 from the Stier Winery in the Villány Region (south Hungary).
The difference between these two wines was incredible - they were both so tasty but completely in their own rights. I gave them both 9/10.
The Sweet Wine
Last, and certainly not least, came the sweet wine - from the Tokaj Region of course. Specifically this was a 5 Puttonyos Aszú 2009 from the Royal Tokaji Winery.
Having already spent a week with us in Budapest at this point, my mum had already tried a number of Tokaji sweet wines and learnt that whilst they are all yummy, they're certainly not all created equally. We all liked this one so much - it was delicious! A solid 10/10 - we even took a bottle of it home.
The Cheese and Charcuterie
Traditionally at the Wine, Cheese and Charcuterie at the Tasting Table, guests are served cheese and meats from Hungary. But as we are vegan we were not interested in this. Luckily I told the Tasting Table ahead of time, because they went all out to accommodate us - honestly, I'd have been happy with bread and oil, so I was super impressed that they made the effort to serve us something more interesting. We had a great selection of fruits, nuts, vegetables and pastes from Hungary. It was all delicious and they'd made a conscious effort to pair the snacks with the wine. It was great!
Conclusion
Yet again, Taste Hungary has gone above and beyond our expectations and still remains our number one recommendation for people who are visiting Hungary and want to learn more about Hungarian wine and cuisine - this is the place to go, there's no competition!
To book your own tasting session, or to browse their other tours, head on over to their website.
Disclaimer: Travelling Weasels + mum were invited as guests of Taste Hungary, but as always all opinions are our own. We would never recommend anything we haven't personally tried out and loved ourselves because that's lame.
ABOUTME
We overland. We eat plants and fungi. We live outside as much as possible. We are all connected. A female travel blogger overlanding and writing about ecotourism, ethical and sustainable travel, socially conscious travel and housesitting. An online travel magazine since 2015.
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