THE PALINKERIE HOLIDAY BOX 2025

‘Tis the season!

Somlói Vándor “Hárslevelű”, 2024 Dry, Medium-Bodied, White

Kis Tamás (Somlói Vándor) is making small-batch wines from his organic 8-hectare property. Somlói Vándor means “the Somló Wanderer,” because when Tomi bought his first parcel on Somló he was also making wine for a large company in Eger and dating a woman in Zala (see Bussay below). He was a winemaking nomad in those days, spending hours behind the wheel, but his decision to invest in inconveniently-located Somló is a testament to his love for the region. Somló is Hungary’s smallest and most distinctive appellation; its soils, rich in black basalt and other volcanic minerals, give the wines a distinctively volcanic quality.

This wine is the current favorite of many clients and friends!  The Hárslevelű is aromatic and textured, with ripe honeyed peach, spiced passion fruit, and waxy quince.  Fresh and lively on the palate, with salt and a touch of smoke.  Fermented and aged in stainless steel (90%) and used Hungarian oak (10%) for 9 months.

Stats:

100% Hárslevelű

Organic, unfiltered and unfined

2000 bottles made

Athena’s pairing suggestions: “This wine is the more expressive of the two whites in our Holiday Box. This wine is great on its own, but can be a fun pairing with seafood, poultry or anything herbal. Try this with chicken in tarragon sauce, roasted asparagus, halloumi, sautéed spinach, or pasta with butternut squash, sausage and fresh sage.”

Villa Tolnay “Villera”, NV Dry, Medium-Bodied, White

Villa Tolnay is located at the foot of the volcanic Csobánc hill, on the northern shore of Lake Balaton in western Hungary. The ancient volcanic soils and primeval sediments of the former Pannonian Sea give the wines an unmistakably volcanic expression, with distinctive minerality and vibrant acidity. The winery was founded in 2004, and today is comprised of 25 hectares on and around Csobánc.

Winemaker Philipp decided to commemorate Villa Tolnay’s 20-year anniversary with this special “Solera” (a wine consisting of several vintages’ wines blended together), combining Furmint, Riesling and Olaszrizling from the vintages 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.  The resulting wine is a special one: flavors of yellow flowers, red apple, pear, lime and salt dominate on the nose and palate, with a lovely creamy minerality throughout.  Fermented in aged in stainless steel (50%) and used Austrian oak (50%).

Stats:

35% Furmint, 35% Riesling, 30% Olaszrizling

Organic

2500 bottles made

Athena’s pairing suggestions: “This wine really impresses me with its elegance and finesse. Pair this with classic white-wine dishes like pasta in cream sauce, lobster with drawn butter, oysters, roasted pork loin and fingerling potatoes.”

P.A.N.K. “Pink Pét-Nat”, 2024 Sparkling, Dry, Rosé

Attila Pálffy is a seventh-generation winemaker in the traditional winemaking village of Köveskál, north of Lake Balaton in western Hungary. P.A.N.K. (standing for Pálffy Attila Nemes Köveskál, or “Pálffy Attila Noble Köveskál”) is the natural wine project of Attila and his fiancée Orsolya, an homage to Attila’s punk rock past. They exclusively produce natural wines made in expressive, experimental styles. The P.A.N.K. Pét-Nats were the first Pét-Nats (pétillant naturel, or natural-style sparkling wines) to be approved for sale by the Hungarian government in 2018.

The Pink (formerly the “Pink Punk) is probably the most emblematic of the P.A.N.K. natural sparkling wine lineup.  This is a lively, terroir-driven Syrah rosé pét-nat.  It has flavors of smoky cherry and big juicy strawberry and watermelon, with a palate that’s fresh and herbaceous.  Fermented in stainless steel, with fermentation completing naturally in the bottle (hence the fizz).

Stats:

100% Syrah

Organic, unfiltered and unfined, with zero sulfur added

1020 bottles made

Athena’s pairing suggestions: “This is the perfect wine to kick things off. I love to open this right when guests come over, because it makes any situation feel like a party. (I’ve also been known to open it while preparing dinner, because who’s to say I shouldn’t party then too!) Continue enjoying with a cheese plate, crudité, garlic bread or caesar salad.”

Bussay “Charmes”, 2021 Dry, Lighter-Bodied Red

Dr. László Bussay founded the Bussay Winery in the village of Csörnyeföld in Western Hungary in 1989. The Zala region, once famous for its wines, had no notable wineries left in 1989, and the Bussay family was eager to see the potential of both white and red varieties on their estate after the fall of Communism. Today the winery is 5.5 hectares, and László’s daughter Dórottya is now the head winemaker. They certified organic in 2018.

The Charmes was the first organic Pinot Noir grown in the region of Zala, and one of the first red varieties revived in the area after the fall of Communism.  We would love to see how this wine performs in a blind taste test – we’d bet a lot on the Charmes!  It has baking spices, delicate pepper, violet, red cherries and strawberry compote on the nose and palate. Vibrant and elegant, with a long finish.  Fermented and aged in used Hungarian and French oak for 14 months.

Stats:

100% Pinot Noir

Organic, unfiltered and unfined

2000 bottles made

Athena’s pairing suggestions: “The Charmes is one of our most sought-after reds in fine dining restaurants in NYC. I think its versatility as a pairing wine certainly plays a part in its success. Taking inspiration from some of these restaurants, try it with vegetable fried rice, pork carnitas, farmers’ market mushrooms or bibimbap.”

Bukolyi Marcell “Mentha”, 2022 Dry, Medium-Bodied, Red

After 10 years making wine for the family winery in Eger, Marcell Bukolyi struck out on his own and formed his own winery in 2016. The winery is 14 hectares, and was the first fully certified organic winery in Eger. Marcell’s wines embody the “classically natural” style we love so much – low intervention wines that still feel traditional and sophisticated.

The Mentha is a Kékfrankos and Syrah blend from 2022.  A blend of Marcell’s two favorite varieties, the Mentha is a vivid, aromatic, juicy, and herbaceous treat.  Eucalyptus, red berry jam, raspberry coulis and a hint of root beer sassafras on the nose and palate, with a lengthy finish.  Fermented and aged in Hungarian oak for 12 months.

Stats:

60% Kékfrankos, 40% Syrah

Organic, unfiltered and unfined

1500 bottles made

Athena’s pairing suggestions: “The Mentha is supple, but the Kékfrankos brings a bright fresh acidity to the wine that can make it fun to pair with food. Let it brighten up fuller, meaty dishes like pork ribs, spicy brisket, or a duck burger.”

Wassmann Pince “Kékfrankos”, 2017 Dry, Fuller-Bodied Red

Ralf Wassmann and Susann Hanauer spontaneously bought a small old-fashioned winemaking property with grapes and peach trees in the region of Villány in 1998. Within two weeks of their first visit to Hungary, they packed up and moved from Germany (where Ralf was a winemaker) to Devecser. They came to natural winemaking quite instinctively, wishing to make delicious wines that respected the land on which they lived and worked. They were the first winery to certify organic (2003) and the second to certify biodynamic (2011) in Hungary.

Kékfrankos, Hungary’s most important native red variety (also known as Blaufränkisch), is a favorite of winemakers Susann and Ralf. This Kékfrankos from 2017 has meaty candied plums, boysenberries, blackberries and ripe blueberries on the nose. Juicy and dry, with bright berries and a lively spice on the finish.  Fermented and aged in used Hungarian and French barriques for 18 months.

Stats:

100% Kékfrankos

Organic, biodynamic, unfiltered and unfined

1300 bottles made

Athena’s pairing suggestions: “This wine is from 2017, but still feels so young in the glass! I would love this with a slice of everything pizza, meat sauce rigatoni, or steak in peppercorn sauce.”