Hungarian Wine

North-Transdanubia

This region binds together wine districts with a climate somewhat cooler than the average temperature in Hungary. Precipitation is average, winters are mild with spring and autumn frosts rare. The typical soil here is brown forest soil and rendzina usually formed on loess, limestone, sand or dolomite. An exception is Etyek-Buda, where it is rather chernozem that dominates. In Mór, Pannonhalma-Sokoróalja and Sopron, besides these, Oligocene and Pleistocene sandy soils can also be found.

With the exception of Sopron, the natural conditions of the region are mostly favourable for the production of fragrant white wines. After the phylloxera disease which killed off Sopron's late-harvest and Aszú white wines, Sopron became "the capital of Kékfrankos" with it now accounting for 60% of plantings.

The calcareous soils of Etyek-Buda provide great acids that have long been utilized for making sparkling wine, with its production centred in Budafok. At present, the leading variety of the district is Chardonnay (13.6%), followed by Zöld veltelini (10.5%), then by Sauvignon Blanc, Rajnai Rizling (Riesling), Szürkebarát, Olaszrizling and Rizlingszilváni, each representing about 5-6% of the total. These are mostly used for making fruit-forward reductive wines.
Ászár-Neszmély, which has the best rate of new plantations (20.6%), is the home of light and fresh wines. Chardonnay is grown on the largest area (19.9%), which is followed by Ezerjó (13.2%), Szürkebarát (12%) and Rizlingszilváni (6.3%). Its largest producer, Hilltop Neszmély, has achieved great success abroad with the hybrids Cserszegi fűszeres and Irsai Olivér.

Mór is known for Ezerjó, which accounts for 20.5% of its vineyard and in favourable vintages, late-harvest and botrytized wines can be made from it, while Tramini has Olaszrizling dominates in Pannonhalma, claiming 26.7% of plantings. Tramini is also prominent in both areas, while Pannonhalma Abbey Winery also makes red wines.