Last night Dutchman Table Tom in cooperation with the Boregyetem (Wine University) held a huge wine and cheese tasting. Table Tom has been working in Hungary since
1986 promoting Hungarian wines in The Netherlands and Dutch cheeses in Hungary. But most importantly, he has been teaching Hungarian farmers how to make Dutch-style cheeses! Last night rocked, but it rocked so much I had trouble walking. Twelve wines and eleven Hungarian and Dutch cheeses in the span of 3 hours. Now, I am a peasant and a hedonist when it comes to food and drink, well, life in general. It is my heartfelt opinion that we work hard so that we can eat good cheese and olives and drink good wine - everything else is just a distraction. Maybe this does not make me a food writer like M.F.K. Fisher, but I can at least tell you what I liked and disliked:
Wines

• *Bujdoso Pince Rose 2007 from Balatonboglar - very good rose
• Szike Matyas Kekfrankos 2005 from Gyongyostarjan - didn't like it, too light to carry the smoky barique flavour well
• *Kemendy Selection Cabernet sauvignon-Pinot noir cuvee  2005 from Pazmand - good/very good
• *Puklus Pince Furmint (dry) 2007 from Bodrogkeresztur (Tokaj region) - didn't like it
• Csutoras Pince Leanyka 2007 from Eger - nothing special
• Toth Sandor Zoldveltelini 2003 from Monostorapati - ok
• Kalo Imre Leanyka 2001 from Szomolya (Eger region) - bad
• *Tiffan Ede and Zsolt Regimodi Cuvee (portug.+Kadarka) 2006 from Villany - very good, dark aroma and color with a lighter taste
• Chateau Dereszla T10(Tarcal/Kabar) 2005 from Tokaj region - good
• Arvay Janos Forditas 2003 from Tokaj - excellent
• *Polgar Zoltan Kadarka Siller 2007 from Villany - good

Cheeses

• Kiss Ferenc 1-week old Alfoldi Cream cheese - very good fresh cheese with no aftertaste
• Bukki Sajt (Sandor Tamas) 3-week old cow cheese in tree ash - good, and very rare in Hungary, slight goat aftertaste even though it was from cow milk
• Mo. Bukki Sajt (Sandor Tamas) 3-month old mountain cow cheese - very good, young, soft, with a bite
• Kiss Ferenc 1-week old Parasztgomolya - nothing special
• Balogh Erika 3-6-month old Nagykorosi aged sheep cheese - almost asteless trappista or export edami
• South Holland 4-month old Boeren Stolwijker - slightly better than above
• South Holland Captein Family 1.5 year old Zoeterwoude - ok, like young emental
• South Holland Captein Family 2.5 year old Zoeterwoude - EXCELLENT, just hard enough so as to be on the good side of chewy, with crystaline bits nd a good bite
• Holland/Gelderland/J.D. van der Voort-de4 Groote Voort 2-year old Oude Remeker - good
• Mo. Balogh Erika 2-3 month old Nagykorosi Blue cheese - EXCELLENT, maybe even too powerful
• Holland/Noord-Brabant/Wanders-Saanenhof Family 4-week old organic hard goat cheese - EXCELLENT, with a good bite, almost like a softer Parmesan
• Holland/Noord-Brabant/Wanders-Saanenhof Family 6-month old organic soft goat cheese, EXCELLENT

* = these are available from the Bitch Moan and Wine Society at significantly discounted prices. Contact: wine@bitchmoanwine.com