A Wine Lover's Weekly Guide To $10 Wines - A Rizling (riesling) From Hungary

In this article I taste a Hungarian white wine based on the Riesling grape (they spell it Rizling) an international grape that produces some extraordinary wines, especially in Germany. This wine was produced by Hungary's number one sparkling wine company, Torley which makes 12-14 million bottles of the sparkler a year. Their vineyards are located in the Etyek-Buda region overlook the hilly, lovely part of Budapest. Hungary makes a sweet wine Tokaji that many, myself included, compare favorably to French Sauternes. Let's see how this very inexpensive wine turned out.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed Torley, Hasberenyi Rizling, 2007 11.5% alcohol about $8 (for a liter)

Let's start by quoting the marketing materials. Tasting Note: Straw yellow color; delicate peach and pear fruit on the nose and palate; well balanced with refreshing acidity. Serving Suggestion: Serve with grilled white meats or fish. And now for my reactions.

I first tried this Riesling with a commercial shepherd's pie (in the interest of full disclosure, no shepherds were harmed in the making of the pie). It was lightly acidic and palate cleansing but a bit sour and thin. This is not a fine Riesling (could we expect one at the equivalent of $6 a bottle?). The acid seemed somewhat harsh, and yet the wine was refreshing. It flattened out in the presence of fruit-juice candy.

The next meal consisted of stuffed peppers with rice, cinnamon, onions, and crushed almonds but no meat. The wine tasted of green apples. It was thin and yet moderately long. While this time it wasn't harsh it was slightly too acidic. The wine is not complex.

My final food pairing involved homemade chicken breast nuggets that were lightly sauteed in curry powder, white, and black pepper accompanied by green beans in a stewed tomato sauce. The wine tasted of green apples that were slightly unripe, and tart, but not pleasantly tart. The acidity was less pronounced with the beans, and provided a better combination.

I completed my tastings but not the bottle with two local cheeses. When paired with a white Muenster the wine seemed round. At first it tasted a bit sweet and was lightly acidic. The second cheese was a Provolone. It was fairly long and yet feathery and appley. Once again it was slightly sweet.

Final verdict. I wouldn't buy this wine again unless I were doing a wine and cheese and wanted to save money on the wine. By the way, given that it was a liter bottle I had some left over after the tastings. Guess where it went.