A winery with no name

My experience during a stay at Aria Hotel Budapest (by Library Hotel Collection) began in the music-inspired lobby where a spaceship-shaped Bogányi piano was being played. Guests were gathered at various bistro tables to enjoy complimentary afternoon wine and cheese in the indoor music garden. I accepted a cool glass of Sauska Rosé, an award-winning wine from Villainy, in southwest Hungary. It was a delightful refresher.

The next day, I set out to explore Etyek, a village in Fejér county in Hungary, less than 20 miles from Budapest, where it’s a good idea to taste wines. Etyek is, after all, a wine region in Hungary where cool climates produce fruity wine varietals such as Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

While visiting Anonym (translation: no name) Winery in Etyek, owned by Áron Szövényi and his family, I was treated to tastes of its rosé of pinot noir, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay and pinot noir. But it was the egyböl kettö blend of 40% pinot gris and 60% zenit (a varietal grown in Pázmánd, located about 40 miles south of Etyek) that stole the show, at least for my palate.

I had never heard of a zenit grape, but was informed that it is a rare, black-spotted, white grape varietal developed in 1951 by Hungarian viticulturist Dr. Ferenc Kiraly, who crossed Ezerjo, a local variety, with Bouvier, a grape cultivated in modern-day Slovenia.

I sipped a 2017 made using a reductive technique (when a winemaker ferments in stainless steel containers). These grapes were incredibly fruit-forward and brought forth a buttery mouthfeel of a “wow” factor. I purchased a bottle for $9 and took it home to enjoy later during a dinner party with friends. And now it’s gone forever with no hope of finding this wine in the U.S.

Although Anonym produces 23,000 bottles annually, they don’t export to the U.S. or anywhere else in the world because THEY RUN OUT OF WINE. They admitted to actually importing wine for local consumption.