Balaton Wines: The New Hungarian Revolution

Although white wines dominate the scene, particularly the floral Olaszrizling, the south shore of the lake is producing some remarkable wines that add a new dimension to international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. A distinctly spicy, deeply Hungarian personality.

Budapest exudes Modernity, a cosmopolitan and lively character, and the stunning and perhaps overwhelming weight of its history. Despite its multiple wars and revolutions, the city’s imperial stance is undeniable. The arts, gastronomy, and wines thrive in a city that boasts various sometimes highly ornate and asymmetrical architectural styles. Every year, over 4 million tourists stroll along the bank of the Danube, this literary river that separates Buda from Pest, filling up colorful restaurants and bars. and while watching the Buda castle that overlooks the hectic to-and-fro of the city, we opened a bottle of Tokaji Demeter Furmint 2008, a deliciously dry, fresh wine, a symbol of the before and after, and a true representative of the new winds of Hungarian winegrowing.

Hungarian wines are experiencing a new revolution. After sleeping on their laurels for nearly half a century, they are now awake, renewed and seeking to quench the unbridled thirst of the soviet empire. Tokaj, it most iconic region and the cradle of the world’s most sublime sweet wines, now welcomes change and innovation, occasionally leaving the noble rot aside, to produce dry, fresh and vibrant wines. The small region of Somló located at the foothill of the namesake volcano, perseveres in furthering the mineral character of its wines by bottling Furmint and Hárslevelű of striking quality. And the Balaton regions, only a hundred kilometers from Budapest, perk up to produce juicy whites and some of the best reds in the country.

UNPRONOUNCEABLE WHITES

Lake Balaton is rightfully known as the Hungarian ocean. With 77 km in length and roughly 7.8 km in width, this is the summer destination of choice among Hungarians and many of their neighbors and, at the same time, the meeting point of four important wine regions: Balatonfured-Csopak Badacsony and Balaton-Felvidék on the north and Balatonboglár on the south. Both shores feature dramatically different characteristics. Geography is more rugged on the north shore. With a volcanic backdrop, this region gives birth to white wines bursting with mineral, expressive and light wines but perhaps not as complex as the great wines of Somló.

In Badacsony, for instance, the most widely grown cultivars are Olaszrizling and Rajnai Rizling. For the most demanding palates, those constantly seeking for unusual wines, there is the briny Kéknyelű, the favorite wine Sándor Márai, the great Hungarian writer. Owing to the efforts of wine pioneers like Huba Szeremley, this native cultivar reaches unsuspected heights and an aging potential that can easily stretch past a decade.