Furmint, Tokaj, Hungary

A dense, textured beauty that is equally at home refreshing you on a hot, summer, Café TO patio as it is keeping you company all snuggled up reading a novel in your favourite armchair. ‘Tempo’ drowns out the sound of cars and bicycles wizzing by and rewards you with its deliciousness as you finish another chapter in your book. Tímea Éless is the gentle soul behind Szóló, making biodynamic wines in the famous Tokaj region since 2013. Her vineyards - partly inherited from her grandmother - are located in the tiny village of Tállya, where she was born. If Szóló were a person, they’d be your cool older cousin who went to art school and majored in large-scale figure painting, just had a feature in the culture section of Vogue and is now secretly rich but doesn’t flaunt it. They look at you from over top their thick black glasses and invite you into their world. The entry here is marked by Tempo. Made solely from Furmint, the most widely planted grape in Tokaj and usually associated with the historic sweet wines of the region, Tempo’s dry, aromatic and lightly smoky vibe is everything you want, and only the beginning. Lime rind, pear, canned mandarin orange cocktail and a light waft of frankincense beckon you to follow along this adventure.