Hungarian wine

Hungary’s most stunning vineyards of 2020

The winners of Hungary’s Most Beautiful Vineyards Awards were announced on September 29 in the Fióka Restaurant and Wine Bar.

The competition has been held every spring since 2012 by Bor és Piac (Wine and Market) magazine. Nearly 130 vineyards competed in the first round where the audience could vote on their favourites on borespiac.hu, reported Sokszínű Vidék.

The vineyards voted on by the audience were put into small, medium, and large vineyard categories, and three were picked in each category, which the expert judges then visited in person. The judges secretly voted in a 100-point system.

Szekszárd produced six out of the nine finalists and the winners in two categories. The third winner was from Tokaj.

The award ceremony was held at the Fióka Restaurant and Wine Bar, with a small number of people there because of the pandemic.

The winners:

Small vineyard category: 1st place – Dobogó Pincészet (Tokaj), 2nd place – Tringa Borpince (Szekszárd), 3rd place – Cseri Pincészet (Nyúl, Pannonhalmi wine region)
Medium vineyard category: 1st place – Eszterbauer Borászat, 2nd place – Vesztergombi Pince, 3rd place – Hetényi Pincészet (all Szekszárd)
Large vineyard category: 1st place – Bodri Pincészet (Szekszárd), 2nd place – Koch Borászat (Borota, Hajós-Bajai wine region), 3rd place – Schieber Pincészet (Szekszárd)

Read also“White wine, colourful culture” festival in Tokaj this week

Read alsoBalaton’s Garden of Eden renewed – Folly Arboretum and Winery rebrands

Read alsoThree Hungarian wineries with exciting contemporary design

October 2, 2020

“White wine, colourful culture” festival in Tokaj this week

Are you interested in tasting high-quality wines while learning more about winemaking processes? Do you need a tip for a great family event for the weekend? Or would you simply like to have a pleasant time in the company of your friends while casually sipping a glass of Tokaji? This article is for you.

THE HARVEST FESTIVAL OF TOKAJ-HEGYALJA, 2020 OCTOBER 1-4

One of the most famous wine regions in Hungary, Tokaj, is hosting its annual harvest festival, where they are awaiting curious visitors. According to tokaj-turizmus.hu, the organisers are keeping in mind the safety of people and also undertake some limitations because of the coronavirus. This traditional festival is continuously held for 88 years now!

The region of Tokaj is located in the north-eastern part of Hungary and is a UNESCO World Heritage location since 2002. The 5,500 hectares area of vineyards has always been famous for its wine, especially the Tokaj aszú, a unique sweet wine, which is made of the famous Furmint and Hárslevelű types. These base types are, of course, also available to those who prefer dry wines.

The event will take place in various locations around the village of Hegyalja (“Foothills”), where you can live through the full experience of how a Hungarian wine festival looks like.

On the main street, eight winemakers will present their products from their cellars.

After having your fill of the region’s premium wines, you can also eat something delicious: visit the gastro promenade, which will give you a sneak peek into the local cuisine and introduce some unique dishes made with the wine of Tokaj.

For children and families, the festival is organising numerous folk programmes, street theatre with puppets and folk tales, exhibitions and a “Street of Craftsmen” where you can take a look into how they make their products and even try to make them. Guided tours alongside the village are also offered to introduce the local landmarks.

Interesting concerts are awaiting you in the night. St Martin, the famous saxophone player, will entertain the guests on Saturday in Rákóczi cellar. If you are in the mood for Hungarian retro music, the Neoton Family concert is also recommended. Other performers during the event are Miklós Varga, Antal Gábor Szűcs, Misi Horváth & Tomi Kontor, Kelet Brass Band and the Melounge duo.

Well known among the younger generation, Punanny Massif, a beloved Hungarian band, will be responsible for the good mood on Friday (the concerts will be in a seated environment due to Covid-19).

Read alsoSweet moments! Try these unforgettable recipes flavoured with Tokaj Aszú

Translated by Réka Bogár

October 1, 2020

Balaton’s Garden of Eden renewed – Folly Arboretum and Winery rebrands

The Folly Arboretum and Winery, also known as the Balaton’s Garden of Eden, is a family business. Visitors can see exotic tree species in the garden and try delicious wines at the winery, now with a completely redesigned label.

After ten years, Folly Arboretum and Winery is renewing its brand. The arboretum was founded 115 years ago in Badacsonyörs, and the business incorporates the traditions of four generations, Sokszínű Vidék reports.

The labels on the Folly wine bottles are completely redesigned. The newly produced bottles come with the new labels, which have different bark patterns on them, representing the iconic tree species found in the arboretum. For example, their Kéknyelű (a citrus-scented white wine) has the bark of the Arizona cypress (Cupressus arizonica) on its label, a tree planted in the garden by Gyula Folly in the 1970s.

Folly Wine bottle — Photo: https://www.folly.hu/

Current owner Réka Folly said regarding the rebranding:

“We will never forget our family ties, where we come from, which values we learnt and which ones we will pass on, what influence we are going to have on the next generation. There would be no Folly wine without the arboretum and the 115-year-long dedicated work of our family. This way, we would like to honour the past, showcasing the garden’s treasures and the barks of iconic trees on the labels of our wines.”

The Folly Arboretum and Winery is a unique collection of cedars and cypresses. At the beginning of the 20th century, Dr Gyula Folly (1867-1915), a doctor from Pecs, decided to replace his native oaks with exotic tree species. The area where he started the planting covered only 0.4 hectares. He was eager to collect species which fitted the microclimate of Balaton and could tolerate dry conditions.

Today, the arboretum has approximately 400 different kinds of conifers and 200 broad-leaved trees and shrubs. All 25 cypress species and their three varieties are represented in the Folly Arboretum which is unique in Central Europe.

The arboretum has a lookout tower which offers a panoramic view of the landscape. And of course, to put the cherry on top, visitors can try the Folly winery’s wines after a tour.

Folly Arboretum and Winery Badacsony — Photo: https://www.folly.hu/

Address
8257 Badacsonyörs, Kápolnavölgyi út 25.

Opening hours:

Monday: 10:00 – 22:00
Tuesday: 10:00 – 22:00
Wednesday: 10:00 – 22:00
Thursday: 10:00 – 22:00
Friday: 10:00 – 22:00
Saturday: 10:00 – 22:00
Sunday: 10:00 – 22:00

Read alsoHungary’s most beautiful arboretums to visit in winter

September 24, 2020

Get to know the most famous wine of Lake Balaton and where you can taste it

Autumn is officially here as the weather gets colder day by day and nature dresses up into yellowish and brownish clothing. Autumn in Hungary can never happen without the excellent variety of Hungarian wines and the places where everyone can taste them. In this article, we would like to introduce one of the most famous Balaton wines, the Kéknyelű.

More about Hungarian wines HERE

Magyarországom reported that Badacsony is an exceptional place and the most well-known region of Lake Balaton. The view of the mountain, the shore of the lake, and the grape fields and vineyards are part of the true Badacsony feeling everyone is familiar with. This is the home of the excellent wine called the Kéknyelű.

Photo: www.facebook.com/csodasmagyarorszag

Kéknyelű is an ancient Hungarian grape type first harvested in the country in the region of Balaton before it was sold to the international market. The name of the grape comes from the colour of its leaf that is usually deep blue with some black colour as well. This is the main ingredient of Badacsony’s number one wine, and because the name of the wine is the same, the Kéknyelű can be eaten or drunk as well.

Kéknyelű, Laposa, wine, Hungary — *Photo: www.facebook.com/LaposaBirtok*

Badacsony harvests the Kéknyelű grape on 30 hectares, which is the largest field for this fruit type in the whole world.

In the old days, Kéknyelű was considered to be and also called the grape of aristocracy as harvesting and taking care of the fruit took many tiring months and preparations. Today’s modern technology has made the procedures easier. In 2013, the wine Kéknyelű was named as a Hungarikum and became one of the most well-known and best-selling wines of Hungary.

Kéknyelű, wine, Hungary — *Photo: www.facebook.com/borkommunikacio*

The best place to taste this exceptional wine is one of the wine terraces of Lake Balaton. In the linked article below, you can choose from some of the best ones to try one of the most famous wines of Hungary.

Read alsoHere are the top ten best wine terraces of Lake Balaton

September 19, 2020

A wine named after loess

The Szekszárd based Vida Winery is launching a new red in September that highlights the main soil type of the region, loess. The reason why the Vida Family decided to name their wine after loess is because it has a major influence on the style of Szekszárd wines.

In the world of wine it is a widely accepted view that the character of a wine is strongly determined by the conditions the grapes are exposed to during their growth and ripening process. A region’s microclimate, topography and the composition of its soil are the most important factors in determining the style of a wine, a winery and overall that of a wine region.

Loess is an important soil type in many leading wine regions of the world. It is the major soil type of the Rhône Valley in France, several regions along the Rhein in Germany, Wagram in Austria, Central Otago in New-Zeland and of course Szekszárd in Hungary.

Loess is a loosely packed soil type, therefore its water retention capacity resembles that of sponges.

Stored water is gradually released which is a benefit for vine plants. Because of its loosely packed nature the amount of air it contains is relatively high and that is vital for healthy soil life and great for vine roots.

Experts claim that wines coming from loess soils are typically expressive with fruity, floral aromas, round acidity and tannins. They don’t need particularly long ageing, even the more serious, weightier wines give full pleasure at a relatively young age.

„It’s been a few years now that we decided to concentrate our efforts on producing wines which are elegant and inviting and at the same time authentic expressions of the terroirs in the Szekszárd valleys. All this is based on loess. So having completed the blending of our new top red we made the decision to honour loess in the name as well”,

said Péter Vida Jr. who is in charge of the winery’s product range.

This classy red blend is mainly aimed at restaurants and specialized wine retailers. The Vida Family believes that this new wine is a follow-up to last year’s image update and will assist in popularizing Szekszárd wines and telling their story. ’Lösz’ is an important milestone in this story. „I don’t know why but ever since my childhood I’ve been attracted to soil, to terra benedicta. I have often noticed that for some reason I simply enjoy crumbling soil”, said Péter Vida Sr., the founder and winemaker of the winery hinting at a personal motivation in connection with the new wine.

The wonders of Hungary’s Tokaj region – Video

Read alsoA wine named after loess

September 16, 2020