Traditionally our society views sparkling wine as a luxury to be enjoyed on special occasions but with Hungaria coming onto the market at $15, I've decided that every occasion can be made into a special occasion!
I wasn't sure about this wine when it was recommended to me. It's made from the same grape varieties as the most famous sparkling wine, Champagne, with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay dominating the blend. It's made in the traditional method, like they do in Champagne, the big difference is geography - where the grapes are grown - and that Hungaria is not aged on the less (dead yeast cells) for the minimum ageing period of 18 months that real Champagne is left for.
Time to try this wine that I'm absolutely skeptical about and my first impression is that it's absolutely amazing!! And not just for $15. It's actually pretty good and can stand up to a lot of new world traditional method sparkling wines as well as some cava's. The best Champagnes still knock it out of the water, but I guess that's why some people pay over $100 for those. It had similar fruit characters as other traditionally fermented sparkling wines and it was a bit fresher in the fruit, largely because it was lacking some of the yeastyness of a sparkling wine aged for a long period of time on the lees.
For quality, style, typicity and value for money, this wine gets my vote with a solid A+. Next time you're looking to celebrate, or just looking to drink some bubbly, search out Hungaria and give it a shot. It's worth the hunt!!
And a note to my Ontario friends, you can get this wine at the LCBO for $12. You lucky.....
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