From the red wines of Villány to the volcanic vineyards of Lake Balaton, autumn offers a journey through some of the country’s most fascinating wine regions.
September and October mark the start of the grape harvest in Hungary and one of the busiest times in its wine regions. With a tradition that spans much of the country, wine offers the chance to explore very different territories, from the red wine regions of the south to the vineyards near the Austrian border. A route that, as well as featuring wineries and local grape varieties, takes in historic towns, villages, castles and some of the country’s most characteristic landscapes.
Villány, the region of great reds
Close to the Croatian border, Villány stretches across hills covered in vineyards and small villages where wineries line streets of white-washed houses. The warm climate has made this southern region one of Hungary’s leading areas for red wines, particularly Cabernet Franc, Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties. In autumn, with the grape harvest in full swing, the wineries open their doors and two of the region’s main events take place: the European Convivial Winesong Festival on 25 September and the Villány Red Wine Festival from 2 to 4 October.
About 30 minutes away, Pécs swaps vineyards for streets, squares and buildings that bear the marks of its Roman and Ottoman past. There you’ll find the early Christian necropolis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Zsolnay Cultural Quarter. Further south, the medieval castle of Siklós stands atop a hill, whilst Harkány, renowned for its thermal springs, offers another possible stop on a tour of this part of the country.
Balaton: vineyards on ancient volcanoes
On the northern shore of Lake Balaton, vineyards climb the slopes of ancient volcanoes such as Badacsony and Szent György-hegy, with the lake at their feet. The volcanic origin of the soil is also evident in its wines, particularly in whites made from varieties such as Olaszrizling, Kéknyelű and Szürkebarát. The grape harvest accounts for much of the autumn activity, with the Badacsony festival taking place from 11 to 13 September and other events in October such as the Murci Festival and FigFest.
Following the lakeshore also takes you to some of Balaton’s best-known spots. In Tihany, the Benedictine abbey occupies the upper part of the peninsula, with the lake stretching out on either side. To the west, Keszthely is home to Festetics Palace, a grand Baroque residence surrounded by gardens, whilst a few kilometres away lies Hévíz with its natural thermal lake. On the southern shore, the spherical viewing platform at Balatonboglár offers views across the lake to the volcanic hills and vineyards of the north.
Mór and Ezerjó
Situated between Budapest and Lake Balaton, Mór is a small region surrounded by vineyards and the wooded hills of Vértes. The star of the show here is Ezerjó, a Hungarian white grape variety whose name means ‘a thousand good things’ and which has been associated with the area for centuries. Autumn coincides with the Mór Wine Days, when the local wineries present the wines of the new season.
From Mór, the rural landscape stretches on towards Fehérvárcsurgó, where Károlyi Castle stands surrounded by a large park, and towards the forests and footpaths of Vértes. Also nearby is Székesfehérvár, the former coronation city of the Hungarian kings, with a town centre featuring pedestrianised streets and historic buildings. A little further west, the Benedictine Abbey of Pannonhalma sits atop a hill, towering over the surrounding plains.3
Sopron and Lake Fertő, near the Austrian border
The landscape changes once again as you reach the north-west. Sopron, on the border with Austria, is one of Hungary’s oldest wine-growing regions and is particularly associated with Kékfrankos, Hungary’s most important red grape variety. The climate is cooler than in Villány and its wines have a different profile to the reds from the south. This year’s harvest is being celebrated with the Sopron Harvest Festival, from 11 to 13 September, but the wineries are just one part of an area also characterised by its proximity to Lake Fertő.
Shared by Hungary and Austria, Lake Fertő/Neusiedlersee and its surroundings form part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a shallow lake, surrounded by vast expanses of reed beds and wetlands, with small villages and vineyards dotting the surrounding countryside. Nearby, Sopron boasts a historic centre of narrow streets, Baroque façades and medieval buildings beneath the famous Fire Tower. The journey can continue to Fertőd, home to Esterházy Palace, one of the country’s great Baroque residences and the place where the composer Joseph Haydn worked for much of his career.
Etyek: wine on Budapest’s doorstep
Just half an hour from Budapest, Etyek is the easiest way to visit a wine-growing region from the capital. The undulating landscape is dotted with small vineyard plots and old cellars hewn into the hillside, many of which are still used by local producers. Its cool climate has traditionally favoured white wines and, more recently, the production of sparkling wines.
The arrival of autumn coincides with one of its best-known events, the Etyek Picnic, which will take place on 10 and 11 October. Over that weekend, the wineries open their doors to the public and are joined by local food producers in a celebration that effectively marks the end of the country’s grape harvest season.
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The Hungarian Tourism Agency operates in international markets under the Visit Hungary brand. Visit Hungary carries out domestic and international sales and marketing communication activities relating to tourism, manages international tourism representation, runs image and product campaigns both in Hungary and abroad, produces publications on tourism and image, conducts research and analysis to support marketing communication activities, and participates in tourism fairs and exhibitions to promote domestic and international tourism.
Source: NEWLINK SPAIN