CleverRoot

Hungarian cuisine is celebrated at The Coolinary with dishes like Hungarian-style chicken paprikash with homemade spaetzle and lángos, a fried flatbread served with sour cream and cheddar cheese. s u m m e r 2 0 1 8 | 5 9 Beyond the meticulously selected ingredients, the wine list at The Coolinary also features thoughtful choices on par with the di- verse food options. "Our multinational, colorful menu needs a care- fully designed wine list," Bottyán explains; that includes "comfort wines" like "Californian Chardonnay, New Zealand Okiwa Bay, and Malbec from Argentina," he adds. Two of the more eye-catching wines on the menu, though, hail from Bottyán's home country: the St. Andrea Winery Áldás Bikavér from Eger and the Patricius 2006 Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos from what he refers to as "the world-famous Tokaj wine region." Harvested in October and November 2006, the Tokaji Aszú consists of 70 percent Furmint and 30 percent Hárslevelu " ; aged in Hungarian oak barrels for three years, the wine begins with a bouquet of berries before slipping into delicate layers of peach, apricot, and fig with a full body that leads into a long, smooth finish. Bottyán introduced Aszú into the restaurant's menu following a February meeting in Washington, D.C., with representatives of Vinum Tokaj International (VTI), the California-based company working to promote Hungarian wines in the North American mar- ket. VTI, in partnership with The Clever Root's sister publication The SOMM Journal and the Hungarian Embassy, had launched the "The Year of Aszú" campaign at the Embassy of Hungary alongside wine buyers from the East Coast. The campaign seeks to elevate premium Hungarian wines in the minds of North American consum- ers who are largely unfamiliar with this lesser-known yet prestigious European wine region. Not unlike The Coolinary itself, "The Year of Aszú" aims to cross borders by facilitating a broader understand- ing of Hungary's rich gastronomic culture and viticultural traditions spanning more than five centuries. Regarding pairing possibilities, Bottyán says the wine's ability to complement desserts makes it an ideal match for the rhubarb panna cotta at his restaurant, but it's a great dessert on its own, as well. "It is a very unique treasure," he notes. "It's a wine that cannot be produced elsewhere in the world than in Hungary. It proves to be an exciting pairing part- ner with all dishes and offers such a distinct experience that our guests should definitely discover it, too." While he plans to maintain its spot on his wine list, Bottyán also has plans to feature Aszú on future tasting and pair- ing menus in the coming year and join VTI's program for serving Aszú and Eszencia with crystal spoons. Ultimately, Bottyán says he sees the expanding pres- ence of Hungarian wine as an almost transportive experience for consumers and industry members alike. "We do believe people can understand each other much better and that gastronomy can be a kind of magic ship where people can travel around the world: The wine and food can show the soul and the body of a nation or a certain region," Bottyán explains. "They represent the nature of the surroundings, the weather, the ingredients, the knowledge of the people, and cultural traditions. The most important thing is that a good wine or a fine food is always a good cause to have a nice con- versation and learn more about each other. Seeing also the devotion of VTI makes me confident that all of us working on promoting Hun- garian wines and gastronomy are aiming to build bridges between our nations at the same time." A star on The Coolinary's wine list, the Patricius 2006 Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos makes for an excellent pairing with the restaurant's rhubarb panna cotta. ■cr

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