You may not have noticed it if you're a Budapest-bound city slicker - or are reading from a far away branch of the world-wide Internet vine - but Hungary's 2006 grape harvest has begun in earnest. We know this because yesterday morning we found ourselves baking in the un-September-like sun, craning our necks to find the last few berries on some rows on vines in a small village southwest of Budapest called Csákberény. And not just us: The whole town was there, celebrating its annual bornap (wine day).

So what was it all like? Well, let's just say that in this case, it would probably take a thousand words to convey what a single picture can, and since we shot a whole bunch of pictures, we'll just give up now and let the camera do the talking. As for what the wine we helped make is likely to end up tasting like, one of the pictures should provide a pretty good clue to anyone who knows anything about enology. (Hint: Sometimes the sweetest things can end up giving you a big headache.) But when you're dealing with a tradition as gorgeous as this, who really cares if you need to add a splash of soda, or a handful of Advil? So on to the impossibly picturesque countryside color...