William Penn Life, 2017 (52. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2017-01-01 / 1. szám
"Wine of Kings, The King of Wines," but the purpose of this Take is not intended to present the readers with technical aspects of Tokaji production. Once I completed my explanation of noble rot, guests said they were impressed by my vast knowledge concerning Tokaji. I stressed that my expertise was small in comparison to what my mother and father know about the wine. As the question and answer session continued, another participant asked how it became my parents' drink of choice? "As good American-Hungarians," I explained, "we feel it is our duty to know as much as we can about the culture." Although that answer satisfied my guests, the truth is I wanted a more satisfactory answer for myself. So, the next day I contacted my parents and asked them how Tokaji Aszú became their favorite wine? Surprisingly, their reply was not a straightforward one. Before my grandfather shared Aszú as a special occasion treat, my father's love for the delectable liquid formed when he served as an altar boy. At that time, altar boys were assigned the duty of disposing of any wine left over in the cruets once Mass was completed. Being a responsible server, my father, along with a fellow altar boy, would volunteer to conduct the task and did so not by dumping the leftover wine down the drain but rather by drinking it. The wine they "disposed of" was a sweet wine which the Hungarian pastor once mentioned was like a Hungarian wine called Tokaji Aszú. Let's hear your take If you have any questions or comments about me or my column, please email me at: silverkingl937@ gmail.com, or drop me a letter in care of the William Penn Association, 709 Brighton Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15233. Tibor s Take In several of my recent Takes, I have been sharing stories about the many items that have been stored away in my parents' basement. One such discovery felt as if I bad found a previously hidden chamber in an ancient pyramid. My siblings and I were given several bottles of Tokaji that until this time had been squirreled away in a remote corner of the cellar. Recently, it came to light that, for several decades, my parents have been sporadically obtaining wines that are predominately Hungarian and mostly Tokaji Aszú. I learned that my dad began collecting wine in the early 1970s. His first bottle of Aszú was given to him by his Aunt Gena after returning from a WPA tour. That inaugural bottle is still in his possession as are dozens of other vintages obtained for occasionspecific reasons (birthdays, anniversarys and graduations). My siblings and I each were given four bottles with my parents informing us that many more bottles were being held in reserve. Who knows what secret varieties lay hidden yet in the warrens of my parents' cellar? I learned that if stored properly, Tokaji Azsú can last for centuries and improves with aging. Tokaji is a perfect time capsule-type gift as it can be passed down generation to generation. For my 25th birthday, my parents presented me with a bottle of 1991 Puttonyos #6 Aszú (I was born exactly a 12:00:03 a.m. on Jan. 1,1991) and was told to open it on a special occasion. I served that bottle to my wine tasting group. My mom and dad were less than overjoyed about my decision to do so — though I suspect that they had secretly wanted me to serve it the next time they came down for a visit. I have learned my lesson and have stowed away a few bottles in my cellar—the apple does not fall far from the tree, I guess. Stay warm everyone, and see you in February! Boldog Új Évet 2017, Tibor II Tibor Check, Jr., is a member of Branch 28 and an attorney working in Washington, D.C. WILLIAM PENN LIFE 0 January 2017 ° 7
