Solano Cellars
Friday, July 19th
5-8pm
10 wines over 3 flights and food pairings
An Exploration of the Wine, Food, and Culture of Central Europe
Few wine regions can boast a more significant history than central Europe, and in particular, Hungary (and its historically fluid, ever-shifting borders). The terroir is diverse, the microclimates wildly varied, and the wines carry an astonishing sense of place and perspective (so much so that Louis XIV once dubbed it the "Wine of Kings, King of Wines"). But two world wars, the rise of communist rule, and the ensuing, constant strain of economic hardship took an (understandable) toll, threatening to completely erase the rich history of Hungary's once-prominent wine production. Unwilling to let hardship strip them of their culture - the central European spirit is, at its core, one of dogged resilience - winegrowers throughout Hungary and its neighboring states began to reinvest in indigenous grape varieties and old vineyards, building a slow but steady swell of support at home and beyond.
On paper, wines from Central Europe can be intimidating, even for more experienced wine drinkers. The varieties can be hard to pronounce, the language on the label difficult if not impossible to understand (these aren't romance languages, after all), and the impact of a decades long media focus on communism, conflict, and unrest still shapes the association most people have of the region. But in reality, these wines are remarkably familiar, even if you have no reference point for the sense of place that they evoke; the people are warm and inviting, passionate about their heritage, and invested in the survival of their traditions as they turn an eye towards the future.
In May, I joined our friends from Danch & Granger Imports on a road trip through Austria, Slovenia, Serbia, and Hungary while they made their yearly visit to their producers. We shared incredible, generous meals with the winemakers and their family (always with local ingredients, and more often than not, spiked with a heavy dose of paprika), hiked through a Serbian national park and drank sulfuric water from the natural springs dotted along the trail, picked just about every variety of fresh cherries from the trees on our vineyard walks, and listened to endless hours of Hungarian folk music on Radio Danko. It was the sum of these experiences that makes wine from this region so compelling - inextricably linked to its history, surviving in spite of turmoil and struggle, made by winemakers with an immense, respectful understanding of their land, and best enjoyed in communion with others equally committed to the preservation of this culture and tradition.
On July 19th, Eric Danch, Catherine Granger, and Brian Stapleton will be joining us for a celebration of Central European wine, food, and of the winemakers who so generously welcomed us into their home. We'll be pouring 10 wines over 3 flights as we trace the route of our trip, with each flight paired with our best recreation of the meals we enjoyed along the way - from cured meat and tomatoes with pumpkin oil, to strawberry soup and grilled sausage, to the paprika-laced Halász fish stew. Wines will be poured from Herrenhof in Austria, Valentan and Crnko in Slovenia, Tomcsányi, Apatsagi, Sziegl (+ more!) from Hungary, and the inimitable madman of Subotica, Serbia himself, Oszkár Maurer. Join us for an evening of diverse wines, delicious food, education, and Radio Danko!