Csókaszőlő

We're in an interesting wine region today. In southwestern Hungary, near the border with Croatia, lies the largest freshwater lake in central Europe -- Lake Balaton. Once a thriving wine region, the vineyards were ravaged by phylloxera, the mite that threatened to wipe out the European wine industry in the late 19th century. Enterprising businesspeople saw this, however, not as a disaster, but as an opportunity and they converted the area around the lake from vineyards to a tourist region where central Europeans could enjoy the wonderful beachfronts around the lake. Except on the northern side where the neighboring mountains shielding the north shore from some of the sunlight that beachgoers treasure and where the lake itself, from its cool waters serves to provide a morning fog and often overcast days. This microclimate is ideal for growing all but the warmest climate of the vitis vinifera grapes.

One of the grapes that prospered until the late 19th century was Csókaszőlő, and no, I have no idea how to pronounce it. Perhaps the reason this grape was not immediately re-planted was that nobody would possibly know how to order it.

Tongue out of cheek now, just like yesterday's Kabar-predominant blend, another inexpensieve bottle that appeared on my doorstep recently was one from Lake Balaton that is 100% Csókaszőlő. I have never tasted this varietal before, so let's drink it together, right on these pages.

Upon opening the bottle, we get a waft of red burries and lush currants with just a bit of smoke, likely from the volcanic soil that predominates on the north side of the lake. The southern exposure with what sun there is radiating off Lake Balatoon allows the grapes to ripen quite early with the August harvest resulting in fairly low alcohol, typically around 12% ABV, nicely acidic wines.

In the glass, our Csókaszőlő is a shimmering ruby red with only minimal legs coating the edges due to the lower alcohol content [Note: when I first began drinking wine, people noted the legs on wine as a sign of a great wine, but I later learned that they are a sign in dry wines of higher alcohol content and nothing more]. On the palate, we get a wine with notable natural smoke, red berries much in the vogue of Pinot Noir, but having a special earthiness reminiscent of a well-aged Burgundy, despite the youthfulness of this bottle.

Today, we pair this wine with a lamb tenderloin, but imagine that it would do wonderfully with a traditional middle eastern dish of kebabs and felafel. Drink it cool, perhaps 59F/15C without the need to decant and on the young side.