Short excursion through Sopron and Burgenland, Austria
Many people ask me about new and interesting locations to visit while they are making a tour in Europe. I understand that there are some cities which highly ranked by tourists, such as Paris, Munich, London, etc… But I promise you there is much more things to see in Europe – more interesting, cheaper, “off the beaten path” ones.
Since I live in Vienna, it is very easy to reach other European countries. From Vienna you can easily travel to Prag, Budapest, etc…Vienna can be easily reached by train, airplane (you can either fly to Bratislava or do directly to Vienna), by car, etc…
Hungary & Austria influence
I learned to love Hungary many years ago because my father visited this country many times during his business trips. My grandmother used to have a nice granny as neighbor who immigrated from Hungary during her youth and she used to bake the best cakes ever. The cinnamon smell from her kitchen will always be on my mind. Many years before she died, she gave my mother her recipe and I am glad she did it.
Hungary is strongly linked to Austria, since they used to be a whole imperium. The Emperor Franz Joseph I was the King of Hungary and the Emperor of Austria at the same time. I will not write a lot about it because it is complicated, but you can imagine that the countries are very similar to each other. The Austrian cuisine is full of Hungarian elements, the architecture from Budapest and from Vienna are similar – although one can notice that things have been far better preserved in Vienna than in Budapest.
The climate in Hungary is mostly pannonic: a kind of continental climate with warm and long summer days and warm evenings with a long vegetation period. The region is protected by hills, but it´s center lays deeper like in a small pan. At the same time there is the influence of the Neusiedl Lake, a flat lake that divides Austria (Burgenland) from Hungary.
This climate condition here is perfect for growing wine, which they have been doing since the Roman time anyway.
In Burgenland, Austria, you will find great and full-bodied reds and powerful whites. The same applies to Hungarian wines too. If you like dessert wines, you should them too: ice wines, TBA, BA, Schilfwein (=Strohwein), etc. Not to mention the delicious Tokaj wines from Hungary.
Sopron/Balf wine regions
Yesterday I have been to the winery Weninger, an Austrian entrepreneur who does not only produces wine in Austria but in Hungary too. He recognized many years ago that the soil and the terroir in Hungary were really good and pricy so that he decided to grow wine in this region too.
His wine estate is located about 10km far away from Rust, Austria, where we visit the Austrian Wine Academy (WSET Diploma). Once you are in the vineyards you will have a beautiful sight from the Neusiedl Lake.
22 hectares of schist soil, warm climate gives as a result ripe red wines. The grape varieties are Syrah, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc and Fehérburgundi.
There are other wine growing areas in Hungary and one day I will write more about it. Actually, there are more then 2o regions, each one of them with a specialty that is worth trying.
Hungarian tasting
At Weninger we became a wine tasting with many other Hungarian winemakers. Here is the list of wineries and wines we have tasted.
I like the whites made of Furmint, Háslevelü (Lindenblätrigen), Sárgamuskotály (Gelber Muskateller or yellow muscat) because of its different flavor. Instead of fruity bouquet, they deliver a much more “iced tea” aromas of gras, peppermint, herbs and pears. Some of the wines can be really exotic and taste more like pineapple with a floral touch.
The reds are great and show firm tannins and are medium to full bodied. Some of them are very elegant and can even be stored for a long time. I was astonished to taste some of the older vintages and to notice they were still really fresh.
Do not be impressed by the names of the grapes! Take your chance and try some of these:
Pannonhalmi Apátsági Pincészet, Pannonhalma
Sauvignon Blanc 2014
Tajnai Rizling 2014
Pinot Noir 2014
Weninger Pincészet, Balf
Steiner 2013
Steiner 2009
Steiner 1999
Szeremley Pincészet, Badacsony
Kéknyelü 2013
Kéknyelü 2009
Kéknyelü 2006
Weninger & Gere Pincészet, Villany
Cabernet Franc 2009
Cabernet Franc 2000
Cabernet Franc 1999
Sebestyén, Szekszárd
Bikavér Ivánvölgy 2012
Bikavér Ivánvölgy 2011
Bikavér Ivánvölgy 2009
Heumann Pincészet, Villány
Cabernet Franc 2012
Cabernet Franc 2011
Cabernet Franc 2008
Heimann Borászat, Szekszárd
Bikaver 2013
Bikaver 2012
Bikaver 2011
Homonna Attila, Tokaj
Birtokbor 2014
Birtokbor 2013
Birtokbor 2011
Pendits Szölöbirtok és Pincészet, Tokaj-Abaújszántó
Krakó 2013
Krakó 2012
Krakó 2011
Tokaji Aszú Essencia 2008
Losonci Bálint, Mátra
Pinot Noir 2014
Pinot Noir Selection 2014 (Gereg)
Pinot Noir Selection 2011 (Gereg)
Leticia Nöbauer 
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