For the past 2 months or so I have been going to the gym again. I am tired of playing squash, skiing, cycling, or even just getting out of bed and hurting my back, knee, calf, whatever. I trying to get into shape, and as a goal, with my friend Kevin, we are aiming to do the Balaton Swim this summer. There is the 3.4km version across the bay, and the longer 5.4km swim which we will be doing. So far we are up to 2.5km a day in the pool, but it is very different in open water. I hate swimming in open water because there is never a good reference point to keep me going in a straight line, but I am told there will be a line of boats to our right for that purpose. So this weekend Kevin and I went down to Zamardi and braved the ice-cold water, and it was f*)&_&%%( frigid. It was miserable weather, no sun, cold and choppy, but we still swam a bit. However, we decided to skip the swim the next day and instead visited the Ikon Vineyard in Radpuszta. One of the founders of this 39 hectare vineyard is well-known vintner Janos Konyari. The place is in the middle of nowhere it seems, so that when you turn the corner your eyes bug out at the magnificence of the building. It looks like the outside of an arena, and you feel ready to go see a football game or see a U2 concert instead of a wine tasting. Walking through the gate you are confronted with a gleaming elevator and a line large wooden double doors. The first on the left reveals endless curving rows of wine casks, following the curvature of the building. The next, gleaming fermentation vats, and so on. It is truly an amazing sight. On the second and third floors, the company's offices are furnished with items from old Hungarian pharmacies, complete with those cabinets with 101 drawers. At last at the top you get the view and see what you are really in. The building does not complete the circle, but instead surrounds and embraces a hill planted with grapes. The view on the other side is Lake Balaton.
The wine tasting was held on this top floor, and included 6 wines from 2007. Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Rose, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet-Merlot.  For all the investment, the tasting itself lacked some of the attention to detail one would expect. There were no carafes of water to rinse your glasses, nor was there a carafe to empty wine from your glass if for example your were driving and just wanted to sip the wine for a taste. I preferred, and bought bottles of the Chardonnay and Cabernet-Merlot, while my companions preferred the Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc. I am very much looking forward to tasting this year's Syrah.

Oh, and come out and support us (preferably with a cold brew) on July 25th (weather permitting) for our Balaton Swim!