Tóth Ferenc, Kadarka Siller, 2021

Tóth Ferenc Winery, Eger Region

This wine makes a statement with its outstanding color. It’s a vibrant hot pink—so pretty that it’s hard to take your eyes off of—like the color of cherry juice. The color is bolder than your standard rosé wine. That’s because this is not a rosé, it’s a Siller! Siller (pronounced Shiller) is a traditional wine style brought to Hungary by Swabian winemakers, who mainly settled in the southern part of the country. It’s neither a rosé, nor a red wine, but something in between. Lighter than a red, but darker than a rosé. In the past, Siller was made by blending red and white grapes, but today it’s only made from red grapes. It differs from a rosé in that skin contact during fermentation happens for a longer time, but not long enough to get enough color to make it a red wine. This wine is 100 percent Kadarka, from a small vineyard (less than a hectare) with 19-year-old vines. On the nose, it is all cherries, strawberries, and raspberries. And on the palate, this wine is dry and tastes of watermelon (and sour watermelon candy), strawberries, red currants, cherries, and grapefruit. A chilled glass of this Siller is perfect on a warm day with a picnic lunch, or in the backyard with dinner from the grill. But don’t fret if the wine warms up as you drink it! Like any good wine, the flavors really emerge as the chilled edge goes away. Don’t let the color of this wine fool you–though it’s fruity and refreshing like a rosé, it also has more tannins than its color suggests, and a nice long finish. We love this Siller with grilled shrimp, quiche, and pizza. Or drink it with Hungarian dishes such as eggplant spread (padlizsánkrém), chilled fruit soup, or körözött (Liptauer).

Read About The Eger Region

Read About Kadarka