Xpat Wine Club, Buda Castle, 8 Sept 2006

Izabella Zwack’s 'Xpat Happy Hour' on September 8th at the International Wine Festival in Buda Castle was a cozy affair full of good wine, fun food, and high spirits despite the biting wind that plagued the festival that night.

XpatLoop's group met outside of the festival grounds in the castle and then proceeded in to Izabella’s booth to enjoy both her hospitality and the festival’s charms.

The happy hour was a successful mix of expats, Hungarians, and Hungarian-born Xpats, and the atmosphere was both comfortable and classy.

The group was diverse and the conversation varied from Hungarian politics and Xpat life stories to the Budapest rugby scene and cooking experimentation. Izabella and her crew bustled around the group.

Four wines from Izabella’s collection were sampled: two whites, a red, and a dessert white. The first white was voted as the best (nearly unanimously), and a second bottle of it was generously procured for the group by Mark Davies, ensuring good cheer and extended psychological fortification against the weather.

Izabella’s team also provided two generous nibble trays, with a swanky mixture of dried fruits, cheeses, and nuts, including her own special blue cheese. The group was wholly spoiled, and enjoyed both the wine and the food immensely.

Wines tasted : Pécsi Cirfandli 2004 (Lisicza Sándor) Barát-szikla cuveé 2004 (Szent Ilona Borház), Kreinbacher Birtok (Somló), Depardieu - red - (Les Landes), Late harvest Furmint 2004 (Disznókõ Szõlõbirtok Tokaj).

Words by Anna Angeli for XpatLoop.com