Grape varieties and wine styles
Due to its varied topography and climate, almost all imaginable styles of wine are produced in Hungary, from hearty reds through fizz to the stickies. The different styles are nicely balanced vy an quilibrium between interational and local grape varieties. International varieties are headed by the ubiquitous, trendy Cabernet Sauvignon, Franc and merlot, with Pinot Noir increasingly coming into vogue. Ont he white side, there is Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris (or s it is called in Hungary, Szürkebarát), the two Muscats (Muskotály), and Tramini (Gewürtztraminer). The regional prape varieties are also widespread: Kékfrankos, the German Blaufränkisch, probably the most widely planted black grape variety and the most important constituent in many blends, Zweigelt, Kékoportó (same as Portugieser, or Blauer Portugieser), and Kadarka among the reds, and Olaszrizling (Welsch or Laski Riesling, nothing to do with the Riesling of the Rhine or Alsace) among the whites. And last, but not least, there are a number of mostly white grape varieties not found anywhere else int he world: Furmint, Hárslevelu, Kéknyelu, Juhfark, Irai Olivér, Cserszegi Fuszeres, Királyleányka and Leányka, all of them capable of yielding, int he right hands, enticing and seductive wines: a real hidden treasure for those in the know or with an ABC (anything but cabernet/chardonnay) gusto.
This text is a part of a short insider.s guide THE WINES OF HUNGARY writtened by István Bárány.
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