We had some fun last week exploring the red wines of Lebanon and this week Mike has followed it up with another esoteric selection… dry Furmint:

http://pleasebringmemywine.com/2014/05/13/nwtw-week-19-dry-furmint-from-hungary/

 

I bet most of you have tried Furmint without even realising it; Furmint is the principle grape in the fabulous, teeth-rottingly sweet dessert wines from Tokaji in Hungary. But Furmint, like Riesling and Chenin Blanc, can be produced in a multitude of styles from bone dry to the sweet dessert wines that have been a staple on every self-respecting wine list since, well forever!

Furmint contains high levels of acidity which balances beautifully with the sweetness of botrytisised grapes, allowing the best wines to age for decades, even centuries. However we aren’t talking about the stickies this week, we are exploring the world of dry Furmint. Actually the world of Furmint is basically Hungary and Slovenia, with tiny amounts to be found in Austria and South Africa.

Dry styles of Furmint are becoming more popular and (slightly!) more widely available. Words often used to describe the wines are rich and smoky, along with flavours and aromas of peach, lime, pears and oranges, sometimes with a finish of nut and spice. I also read it is a great match for Roquefort and pear salad… Salad????

I can’t ever remember having one myself so I’ll be heading down to the shops for sure this week… but you may have to look somewhere other than the supermarket shelves!

Tesco Finest Sauvignon Blanc Furmint 2012, Stajerska, Slovenia (Tesco £7.99)

Dveri Pax Benedict White 2013, Slovenia (The Wine Society £7.95)

Dveri Pax Sipon White 2011, Slovenia (The Wine Society £9.95)

MÁD Tokaji Dry Furmint, Tokaji 2012, Hungary (The Sampler £14.85)

St Tamas MÁD Tokaji Dry Furmint, Tokaji 2012 Hungary 2012 (Roberson £14.95)

 

So buy yourself a bottle and tell us what you think – the vote is on Mike’s blog this week:

http://pleasebringmemywine.com/2014/05/13/nwtw-week-19-dry-furmint-from-hungary/