Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/912565
december 2017 / the tasting panel / 91 On their recent visit to Las Vegas, the group met the MÁD Furmint Ambassador of La Cave at the Wynn Hotel. It isn't so much a single ambas- sador as a group of co-workers and friends who call themselves the "Four Musketeers": Richard Gallen, Brennan Flanigan, Mark Hefter, and Michael Smith (who was not at the restaurant the day we visited) are four men whose shared passion for wine comes through even during casual conversation. Describing the philosophy of La Cave, Hefter explains, "We try to separate ourselves from typical wine bars by carrying more esoteric, interesting wines. That's why Szent Tamás Winery's MÁD Furmint fits into our program so perfectly. It pairs with 90 percent of our menu, it's got an interesting label, and it's at a reasonable price point. People can be gun-shy about new varietals, but we like a challenge, and since we believe in it, we make other people believe in it, too." Flanigan adds, "We've only been carrying the wine for four months, but it's an insane value for what the wine is; despite it being a lesser-known varietal, it's an easy sell. Once you get the customers to try it, whether it's glass or bottle, there's a great payoff and they love it." With more than 50 wines on La Cave's by-the-glass list, choosing just one can be overwhelming. But all four gentlemen agree that having a wine that pairs with so many of their dishes is especially beneficial. "I love that MÁD Furmint makes the food taste better," Gallen proclaims. "The wine's light style matches well with our tapas- style menu, and its vegetal qualities work well with our diver sea scallops with polenta cake and shrimp sauce, while it really brings out the citrus of our jumbo lump crab lettuce cups with grapefruit segments." Hefter adds, "Once you have a special wine like this and you personally believe in it, it's easy to translate it for the guest so that they will enjoy it as much as you do." The group also cites the story behind Furmint as a selling point, from the unique glass stopper—a more elegant alternative to cork closures than a screwcap—to the history behind Hungarian's gradual shift in focus from quantity to quality in terms of the country's wine production. Nagy agrees that emphasizing the story behind the wine and its home region—Tokaj is the oldest classified wine region in the world—is intrinsic to building those business relationships. "Having a story and a unique history with more than 500 years of viticulture and winemaking is what differentiates our wine from all the other options out there," he asserts. The Hungarian team led by Balla and Magyar, who also serve as the market and brand builders of Furmint, has directed an impressive amount of attention to the Tokaj region. That includes an increase in marketing and promotion delivered by Vinum Tokaj International's North American campaigns, which aim to translate decades of viticultural experience and the outstanding quality of the new-style dry Tokaj wines to the U.S. Regardless of dry Furmint's evolving popularity stateside, it's clear that it's already found a home at La Cave. Las Vegas meets Hungary at La Cave: Brennan Flanigan, Sommelier; Mark Hefter, Wine Director; Attila Balla, President of Vinum Tokaj International; Eniko " Magyar, Project Director of Wines of Excellence; Aaron Murighan, General Manager; Richard Gallen, Assistant General Manager/Sommelier; and Genevieve Hopkins, Manager.