It can’t be easy representing Vladimir Putin’s ally Viktor Orbán in Europe, but the Hungarian ambassador to the UK, Ferenc Kumin, has hit upon a novel form of soft diplomacy: wines made from the Furmint grape. Introducing a masterclass devoted to them in London recently, he pointed out that Furmint occupies a unique position among Hungary’s many native wine grapes. It’s the main ingredient in the country’s most famous wine, Tokaj — and it’s unusually easy to spell and pronounce (unlike, for example, Hárslevelű and Cserszegi Fűszerés). “Foor-mint, not fur-mint,” Kumin instructed us sternly, adding, “now comes the tricky part: we have to explain that there’s more to Tokaj than sweet wines.”
The Tokaj region in the far north-east of modern Hungary, once spelled Tokay and with a long history of producing an incredibly rich nectar, was once home to Europe’s most revered wines. By the 18th century, it was famously known as “the wine of kings and king of wines”. Fans included Frederick the Great, Louis XIV, Beethoven, Haydn, Napoleon III and Queen Victoria. More recently, sweet Tokaj was sold in Hungarian pharmacies, because of its reputation as being rich in nutritious minerals. (Most of the best vineyard sites are on volcanic soils.)
But 12 of the Furmints shown in this masterclass of 14 were dry, all chosen to exhibit the deliciousness of dry Furmint and its ability to age gracefully. The oldest of the dry wines shown was 23 years old and absolutely stunning.