Consider Hungary.
Forget what you may have known about Hungarian wines produced during the communist era. There have been many changes since the Iron Curtain lifted over Hungary-and, happily, one of them is now enriching the wine scene in the United States. In the mid-90s vineyard land became available to ambitious Hungarian vintners, and a new era of quality wine production began. .
In 2000, Hungarian-American businessman Nimrod Kovacs founded Monarchia Wines, planning to feature the best winemakers of Hungary and to introduce their products to a wider world. Monarchia is now into its third year of distribution in Europe, and they began to sell in the U.S. in the fall of 2002.
They're taking a measured approach here, limiting distribution now to the New York metro area, with plans to expand to retail stores in five or six other states eventually. Their products are in several stores (listed below) in the New York metro area. They have been served in prestigious New York City spots such as the Waldorf and the Plaza, and they're on the wine list of Michael's, a restaurant recently featured in the The New York Times and the Wine Spectator.
These artisan, handcrafted wines, featuring unique Hungarian grape varietals as 100% varietal or as blends, are produced in 500- to 1000-case lots. Bottle prices for the red varietals range from 15.99 to 33.00, a white varietal for 13.00, and dessert wines from 33.00 to 59.99..
Members of the Hungarian Wine Club get samples of monthly selections and the opportunity to purchase cases at a discount. In addition, they receive a complimentary subscription to the quarterly bilingual (English and Hungarian) publication Friends of Wine (Borbarat).
The wines are sold in Manhattan at Astor Wine & Spirits and Bacchus, in Harrison, NY, at Select Wines LLC, and in Tappan, NY, at Wine For All. You can also purchase the wines by ordering online or by phone. Be sure to call 1-88-421-WINE (9463) to ascertain whether or not shipments are made to your state.
Monarchia's Web site (www.hungarianwineclub.com), due for expansion soon, is an excellent source of information on club membership, purchasing, catered wine tastings, tours, and special events. You can also E-mail for information to hungarianwines@cs.com
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