We’re excited to announce that two wineries we are fortunate to represent will be attending the 11th Annual Washington D.C. International Food & Wine Festival this February. Coto de Gomariz located in the D.O. Ribeiro region of Spain and Alana-Tokaj located in the Tokaji region of Hungary will be presenting their wines this year and we hope many of you will be able to attend and taste the amazing wines these two wineries are producing.  While the event will be featuring more Spanish wine than any other region (the Kingdon of Navarra is a major sponsor) there will be wineries from all over the word, including France, Africa, New Zealand and right here in the U.S. Many local restaurants will be holding cooking seminars and tastings as well, including local celebrity chef José Andrés who lives in the D.C. area. If you happen to live in or be visiting our nations capitol the weekend of February 12 through the 14th, I encourage you to attend the event and be sure to visit and taste the amazing wines Coto de Gomariz and Alana-Tokaj will be pouring- I can assure you they won’t disappoint!!

Cheers,

Michael

After along and anxious wait, Alana-Tokaj wines have finally hit the shelves in Utah and Pennsylvania. It was quite the ordeal getting the shipment out of Hungary and clearing not only Hungarian customs, but also US customs. It was well worth the wait, however, as we recently sat down for a wonderful dinner at Fresco to celebrate with Andras and Allison of Alana-Tokaj and enjoyed the first bottle opened in Utah!!

We enjoyed just one of three different wines being imported from Alana-Tokaj, the 2006 Furmint. It has an incredible nose of intense pear, delicate quince and wild herbs. On the palate it has characteristics dried stonefruits, mandarin and lindenblossom.

The 2006 Cuvee “Autumn in Tokaj” is another beautifully made wine, with notes of tropical fruit and floral touches on the nose. A pure, elegant wine, this wine has all the characteristics of a late harvest Tokaj wine.

Last but not least, the 2005 Betsek has already raised some eyebrows in its home country, as well as in Austria where it scored 94 points by Peter Moser of Falstaff Magazine. Here are his tasting notes-

“Glowing yellow gold. On the nose subtle nuances of nutmeg, a little cumin, anise and marshmallow, a very welcoming bouquet. On the palate, juicy, racy, pure yellow Muscat fruit, beautiful balance, with a convincing length, marked by terroir; spicy finish, very very big presence and great aging potential. So balanced that the residual sugar is perceived no more than a fine touch; fascinating wine.”

If you’d like to purchase any of these fantastic wines, they are currently available in select stores throughout Utah and Pennsylvania. Here is a list of their respective PLCB or UDABC codes- 

2006 Furmint- UDABC: 916992 /  PLCB:10762

2006 Cuvee- UDABC: 916994 / PLCB: 10735

2005 Betsek- UDABC: 916995 / PLCB: 10699

If you’re interested in learning more about Alana-Tokaj and Tokaji wines in general, please feel free to contact us and we’ll be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.

Egészség!!!

 –Michael