Eastern Europe Flashcards
At the confluence of what two rivers in Hungary does the commune of Tokaj lie
The Tisza and Bodrog Rivers
What does Aszú mean
Aszú used to simply mean dessicated grapes but now means grapes of high sugar levels affected with botrytis cinerea
What mountain range shelters Tokaj
Carpathian Mountains
Name the two growths of Tokaj designated “Great First Growths” and where are they located
- Szarvas (Tokaj)
- Mézes Mály (Tarcal)
What are the authorized varieties of Tokaj
- Furmint
- Hárslevelu
- Kabar
- Koverszolo
- Sargamuskotaly (Muscat Blanc a Petit Grains)
- Zéta (Oremus)
What is a puttony
A puttony is a container in which aszú grapes are collected.
This vessel holds 25kg
Describe the wine making technique of Tokaji
Aszú grapes are made into a paste and then loaded up into gonci barrels (Plural of Gonc, 136L barrel) which contain normal grape must or base wine from non-aszú grapes
What is the capacity of a gonc
136L
What are the minimum aging requirements for Tokaji
Aszu wines spend 18 months in barrel with 3 months total aging. Szamorodni, Maslas, and Forditas wines are aged for 2 years with 1 year in barrel
Describe the wines of Esszencia/Naturesszencia
When aszú grapes are brought in their puttony, there is a tiny fraction of syrupy free run juice that is vinified separately from the rest of the tokaji. This wine can take up to a decade to ferment to miniscule amounts of alcohol (1.2-8%) The wine has a minimum RS of 450g/L but can even reach upwards of 800g/L
What does Szamorodni indicate on a bottle of Tokaji
This translates to “as it comes” and is produced from a mixture of aszú and non aszú grapes.
The wine is often oxidative in style and sometimes is aged under a film of yeast similar to flor
The two styles are édes (sweet) or száras (dry)
What does Forditás indicate on a bottle of Tokaji
The wine has been re-fermented with the pressed paste of Tokaji Aszú
They can be édes(sweet) or száras(dry)
What does Máslás indicate on a bottle of Tokaji
The wine has been re-fermented with the spent lees of Tokaji Aszú
They can be édes(sweet) or száras(dry)
What style of wine is Pezsgo
Sparkling wine from Tokaj in Hungary
What are the three main geographical zones of production in Hungary
- North Hungary
- Transdanubia in the West
- Southern Great Plain
What is the Hungarian synonym for Blaufrankisch and where do you often see it used
Kéfrankos used in Egri Bikavér in Eger
What are the only 2 PDOs in Hungary allowed to use the term Bikavér on their label
- Eger in North Hungary
- Szekszárd in Transdanubia
What is Kadarka
A grape that historically dominated the wines of Bikavér but have now taken a back seat to Blaufrankish (Kékfrankos) and other varietals
Name the 5 main regions of Bulgarian wine production
- Danubian Plain (North)
- Thracian Lowlands (South)
- Black Sea Region (East)
- Struma River Valley (West)
- Rose Valley (Middle)
Out of the 5 main regions in Bulgaria, which are the only two recognized by the EU as geographical designations
- Danubian Plain
- Thracian Lowland
What does the term Barik indicate on a bottle of Bulgarian wine
The wine has been fermented in an oak cask of 500L or less in volume
What is the parentage of the Rubin grape
Nebbiolo X Syrah
Name the two most important Controliran appellations in Bulgaria’s Danubian Plain
- Suhindol
- Svichtov
Name the most important Controliran appellation in the Bulgaria’s Rose Valley
Sungurlare
