Furmint

The white Furmint grape variety has flourished in Eastern Europe for centuries. It’s best-known for its wines from the Tokaj wine region of Hungary, where Furmint is particularly susceptible to the Botrytis fungus. Botrytis dries out the grapes and concentrates their sugars, leaving them in the ideal condition for world-class, lusciously sweet Tokaji dessert wines. Similar to Sauternes of Bordeaux, Tokaji wines are aromatic and elegant, with aromas of fruits and honey.

Hungarian winemakers also use Furmint to make dry white wines. In the Cold War era, few of these were produced, and even fewer were exported. Today, however, delicious, dry Furmint wines – offering bright acidity, floral aromas and tangy fruit notes – are increasingly available in the United States.