The people behind Black Castle
Wines
Edward Schwartzenburg - Edward was born in
1966 in Southwest Louisiana. He is an
obstetrician/gynecologist in Baton Rouge. He married Cindy
Fodor in 1991 and they have three children: Candice, John
Edward, and Joseph. Edward's admiration and appreciation for
Hungarian wines developed as he and Cindy began traveling
and exploring the Hungarian countryside shortly after their
marriage.
Edward and
Cindy share a great affection for quality wines. In their
early visits to Hungary they witnessed the dramatic
turnaround of Hungarian wine culture. In 1989, the Iron
Curtain fell and Hungarian vineyards returned to
privatization. Prior to this, the state-owned vineyards
produced large quantities of mediocre wine. The transition
was dramatic and the quality of the wines is now
exceptional.
Edward and
Cindy wanted to be a part of this great transformation and
spread the news of excellent wines from Hungary. They
purchased a small vineyard in the Matrallja mountain region
in 2003. Their vineyard's first grapes were harvested in
2012 with an expected bottling for 2014. Not wanting to
delay the introduction of Hungarian wines, Edward befriended
many winemakers and decided to begin importing from these
vineyards under his label, Black Castle Wines. "I know that
you will enjoy these wines. I hope that they can be a part
of your celebrations with food, family, and friends. For
this is what life is about!" -Edward
_____________________________________________________________________________________
John Paul Fodor
- John Paul Fodor was born in 1934 in a small Hungarian farm
village called Visznek. He achieved his formal education in
the capital city of Budapest. His Civil Engineer training
was interrupted in October 1956 when he participated in the
Hungarian Revolution against the Soviet Union. This brave
uprising against the communist regime was successful for a
short while then quashed by a massive tank assault onto the
capital. As a major participant in the uprising, John was
forced to flee by foot, initially to Austria then to
Washington D.C. He completed his Civil Engineering degree in
Kansas where he met his wife. In 1960 he married Carmen
Martinez who was attending college in Kansas as an
international student from El Salvador, Central America.
They have two adult children, Candy Fodor Be, an attorney,
and Cynthia Fodor Schwartzenburg, an anesthesiologist.
John's love for his country is deep and
obvious. He speaks fondly of his youth here, the culture,
the food and especially the wine. He is now an enthusiastic
participant in the peaceful Hungarian Wine Revolution. As
our Hungarian Liaison, his knowledge of the regions and
their wines is remarkable.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Meszaros Pal
- The Szekksard wine growing region is one of
the oldest in Hungary, its history goes back to more than
two millennia. It is best known for bold well balanced red
wines. The land features a soft hilly landscape, excellent
soil, and a very special micro-climate. The recognition is
based upon the unique wines mastered here by blending
ancient traditions with modern wine-making art.
The Meszaros Winery
offers several varieties of the red wines. Viticulture and
oenology are transmitted in the Meszaros family, as a
precious heritage, from father to son. The familiar winery
ranks today among the best of the region, with a wine
growing territory of more than 30 hectares. Fermentation is
performed in closed system, in stainless steel tanks, under
continuous laboratory surveillance.
For ageing,
however, the traditional wooden casks are used. Ageing is
performed in the ancient caves drilled deep into the loess.
These caves, with their constant temperature and optimal
micro-climate, ensure the best possible conditions to have
only perfectly aged wines when one fills them into bottles.
This region is
famous for red wines which is why the Meszaros family
produces the Black Castle Cabernet Sauvignon, Bull's Blood
Bikaver, Cuvee, Merlot, and Pinot Noir.
http://www.meszivin.hu
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Szké Mátyás - The
Szoke
Matyas
family vineyard has become synonymous with the Matrallja
Region which has
been producing wines since the 11 century. Working with his
sons and family, he is the largest producer in the region.
Born in 1942,
Szoke
was a
machinist by trade and turned his skills to wine making in
the 1970's.
In Budapest
alone, his products are served in more than one hundred
restaurants. The Szoke wines are also well known abroad.
Szoke's white wines are also ambassadors of the
Matrallja
region as
they are served in countless Hungarian Embassies worldwide.
The winery's modern technology and the widely recognized
reliability of the wines have contributed to growing export
figures. The winery's success also is due to the grower's
sheer good taste and commitment to the vines. His products
are aged in oak barrels but do not develop an over oaked
taste. His beautiful underground cellar keeps the wines at
perfect temperature while aging. We are importing the Black
Castle Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon,
merlot, Meritage, Pinot Grigio, and Gruner Vetliner from this
fine vineyard.
|