Bull's Blood.

When is the last time you drank bull’s blood? Hebrews tells us that ‘it is impossible for the blood of bulls…to take away sins,” but apparently, it makes a pretty fantastic wine, metaphorically speaking.

While it’s doubtful you’ll find any bottles at your neighborhood grocery store, the country of Hungary actually has a rich tradition of growing and producing world-class wines… one of which is named for this unlikely elixir. From crisp, dry Furmint whites to cold-macerated Pinot Noirs to creamy late harvest Tokaji desert whites, Hungary was one of the most important wine producers in Europe a hundred years ago.

One of our best friends (and part of our Portland Seminary cohort) generously brought us a handful of bottles from her home in Budapest, and we had our first taste of a dense, spicy red from the Bikavér (BEE-kah-vaer) grape this evening. What a delight! Ruby-hued and opaque, the nose was perfumed with black fruit, dried herbs, cedar chest, and mushroomy forest floor. On the palate, it was sour blackberries, burnt marshmallow, and savory jam… and yes, that was a good thing. A very good thing.

Bikavér” means bull’s blood, and legend claims that this wine gets its name from a famous incident during the Ottoman siege of Eger in 1552, when the Hungarian troops were caught drinking copious amounts of spicy red wine by Turkish onlookers. Seeing the bloodshot eyes, red-stained beards, and fiery temperaments of the wine-drinking Hungarians, the Turkish soldiers rushed back to their captain, insisting that the Hungarians were not to be messed with for they had been drinking the blood of a bull! I don’t know about all that, but I can tell you that this is one potent red wine in all the right ways.

The 14% 2019 Bolyki Egri Bikavér would have overpowered our grilled salmon except that you always pair wines, not to the protein but to the sauce. In this case, it was my favorite marinade of orange juice, soy sauce, spicy brown mustard, sherry, honey, and fresh ginger. These bold flavors served as the perfect foil to our first Bikavér, enjoyed around a table of friends in Seaside, Oregon as cold rain pelted the roof.

If your local wine shop can’t get you a good bottle of this luscious varietal, try ordering the St. Andrea Aldas Egri Bikaver from Total Wine or the Sebestyén from Vivino. The complex flavor profile and long finish won’t disappoint.

Egészségére! ("Cheers" in Hungarian)