Savvy wine buys: Egri Merlot ‘01

Wednesday, April 9, 2003 | 8:27 a.m.

Hungary is an emerging wine country. It has a long history of winemaking, and it has always been blessed with good grapes, but until recently it has lacked the technology, the funding and the marketing expertise to make a splash in Western markets.

This wine is rich, full bodied and tannic, not a smooth operator like a California merlot, and nowhere near one from France, but consider the bargain-basement price. The wine comes from the city of Eger, already world famous for the wine Egri Bikaver, "bull's blood."

Available at Trader Joe's Markets, $3.49.

-- Max Jacobson

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