When you think of parts of the world with a rich winemaking heritage, probably Champagne, Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Piedmont are a few of the legendary locales that come to mind. So you might be surprised to learn that Hungary has a history of winemaking dating back to before the time of Christ. But all it took was a few decades behind the Iron Curtain to obscure that entrenched Hungarian tradition from the world. Chalk it up to that curtain’s rising, or to globalism, but now a few Hungarian labels are cropping up in the American market. One to look for is Tibor Gal, named for the winemaker who in 1993 relocated to Eger, a region in his native Hungary, after spending four years plying his trade in Tuscany’s renowned Ornellaia vineyard. With the skills from European masters under his belt and centuries of tradition at his fingertips, he started his winery. It now boasts roughly 90 acres and seven vineyards, with one devoted exclusively to chardonnay.

I’m one who habitually shies away from the acidic tang of chardonnay, so I was thrown for a delightful loop when I discovered that a bottle of Tibor Gal barely tastes as though it comes from the same grape as the dry, full-bodied California chardonnays. Instead, it hits your palate with a crisp rush of apple and pear flavors, and takes its leave without the astringent tartness that is the mark of so many chardonnays. In fact, the taste evokes a German riesling.

Tibor Gal’s logo is a griffin rising like a phoenix. The griffin is the symbol of immortality in Hungarian folklore, and I, for one, am glad that Gal had the gumption to remind us of his country’s undying tradition.

Tibor Gal Chardonnay 2001 is available for approximately $11 at area liquor stores.