It flows out into the Black Sea after
springing to life west of Munich in
Germany, flowing lazily eastward
through nine other countries;
Austria, Slovakia, Hungary,
Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria,
Moldova and Ukraine, all of which
are known for their winemaking,
and many of which have vineyards
based on the riverbanks.
Little did I know at the age of
seven that I would be writing fifty
years later about my experiences on
the Danube for Viking's magazine
and hosting Wine Wednesdays, the
popular Viking.TV series, in which
we feature the lovely wines of Erich
Machherndl in Wachau, in our
third episode. And perhaps this
childhood experience was the start
of my interest in this country and
its production. Austria's Wachau can
claim the crown, along with Tokaji,
as the other best-known wine region
within all the wine producing
countries through which
the Danube flows. Sadly
it would be impossible,
in a short article, to
articulate the incredible
diversity of the wines
grown along the great river Danube,
and in the countries through which
it meanders. ey are mostly
unknown regions, even within the
wine trade, but await discovery for
anyone with a wine interest and
fortunate enough to take a cruise
along the river.
In February of 2021, my sister,
Lady Emma Arbuthnot, Chief
Magistrate Judge of England and
Wales, was elevated to the High
Court. I wonder what she would
say to parents who abandoned their
children for a day, leaving them
alone, in a hostile foreign
country? No doubt she'd
be most disapproving.
But one glass of Tokaji
Aszú Essencia would
make any great wine-
lover more understanding of my
parents' decision back then. It was a
pilgrimage of sorts.
Clockwise
from top:
Winding rows
of vineyards in
Wachau valley;
Bartholomew
Broadbent enjoys
a Hungarian red;
a bottle of Tokaji
from the Tokaji
wine district
in Hungary
e Hungarian wine regions await
discovery and are oft overshadowed by
their European neighbours
German wines with Bartholomew
viking.com
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