London
London Tasting
Monday 21st February at Merchant Taylors’ Hall, London EC2.
Over 150 sparkling, dry and sweet Furmint wines from 38 producers will be available to taste – some of the wineries are seeking representation in the UK. Producers include Royal Tokaji, Szepsy, Barta, Patricius, Zsirai, Dereszla, Tokaj Hetszolo, Grand Tokaj, Disznoko, Tokaj Nobilis, Sanzon Tokaj, Pajzos, Gizella, Kolonics and Gilvesy. This year, ten new producers will be in attendance showing Furmint (and a couple of their friends) from the Tokaj, Somlo, Balaton and Eger wine regions.
To keep numbers COVID-safe, Wines of Hungary will hold two sessions (with a maximum number at each) and encourage members of the trade and media to register in advance for a specific session:
Two masterclasses will take place:
1.) Furmint and Terroir, focus on single vineyards – Dr Caroline Gilby MW
2.) Sparkling Furmint, introducing Furmint bubbles – Dr Orsi Szentkiralyi
Dr Caroline Gilby MW
Caroline Gilby MW is a writer and consultant, specialising in Central and Eastern Europe. Among others, she has contributed to Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book, The Oxford Companion to Wine and the World Atlas of Wine. She also regularly contributes to Decanter Magazine and VinCE Magazine and she is the author of the book ’The wines of Bulgaria, Romania and Moldova’. She was the recipient of the award „Friend of Hungarian Winemakers” in 2019 and is a member of the Confrerie de Tokaj.
Prior to her career as a writer, Ms. Gilby spent seven years as a senior wine buyer at Augustus Barnet off-licences, where she became the first major buyer to import Hungarian wines to the UK. She initially studied plant biology, in which she holds a doctorate. She passed her MW exam in 1992 and has been visiting and tasting the wines of Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Romania for over 20 years.
Dr Orsolya Szentkiralyi
Orsi is a Hungarian-born wine professional based in London. She is a Doctor of Law, specialising in the protected origin of wines.
Her vinous career started in hospitality as a sommelier in top establishments around the world before moving to luxury wine retail and eventually starting her own consulting company, Liquid Talent. She is a judge at the International Wine Challenge and Decanter World Wine Awards, and in charge of tasting quality control at the Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships. She is currently a candidate for both the Master of Wine and Master Sommelier titles.