Top 100 wines of Balaton - Page 2

Discover the top 100 best wines of Balaton as well as the best winemakers in the region. Explore the varietals of the wines that are popular of Balaton and the best vintages to taste in this region.

Discovering the wine region of Balaton

Balatonboglar (South Balaton) is one of several wine regions on the shores of Lake Balaton, in the Transdanubia region of western Hungary. Lake Balaton is a Long, thin freshwater lake measuring almost 80 kilometers (50 miles) in Length, sometimes referred to as the 'Hungarian Sea. ' It is the largest lake in Central Europe and Hungary's most popular tourist destination. A wide portfolio of the popular, internationally recognized Grape varieties are grown here, including a number of the French classics.

Balatonboglar's Sparkling wines are increasingly successful, many of which are based on the classic Champagne recipe of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The region also produces a range of ripe, Fruity reds, mostly from Gamay, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Syrah grapes. Dry whites from Balatonboglar are likely to be based on Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Muscat Blanc, which are also popular on the western side of the lake. The lake also plays a vital role in moderating the Climate in western Hungary.

It is largely due to the presence of the lake (as well as Lake Neusiedl, or the Neusiedlersee) that high quality viticulture is possible here. Without the moderating influence of these two bodies of water, the climate would be more continental, with soaring summer temperatures and very cold winters. The significance of the lake is reflected in the fact that Balaton is referenced in many of the names of the regions, towns and villages in the area. The two other winemaking regions in the area are named Balatonfured-Csopa and Balaton Felvidek.

Discover the grape variety: Cabernet franc

Cabernet Franc is one of the oldest red grape varieties in Bordeaux. The Libourne region is its terroir where it develops best. The terroirs of Saint-Emilion and Fronsac allow it to mature and develop its best range of aromas. It is also the majority in many blends. The very famous Château Cheval Blanc, for example, uses 60% Cabernet Franc. The wines produced with Cabernet Franc are medium in colour with fine tannins and subtle aromas of small red fruits and spices. When blended with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, it brings complexity and a bouquet of aromas to the wine. It produces fruity wines that can be drunk quite quickly, but whose great vintages can be kept for a long time. It is an earlier grape variety than Cabernet Sauvignon, which means that it is planted as far north as the Loire Valley. In Anjou, it is also used to make sweet rosé wines. Cabernet Franc is now used in some twenty countries in Europe and throughout the world.

Food and wine pairing with a wine of Balaton

wines from the region of Balaton go well with generally quite well with dishes of veal, pork or game (deer, venison) such as recipes of osso bucco, pasta carbonara almost like the real thing or aiguillettes of duck with paprika and pan-fried ceps.

Organoleptic analysis of wine of Balaton

On the nose in the region of Balaton often reveals types of flavors of citrus, oak or non oak and sometimes also flavors of red fruit, vegetal or tropical fruit. In the mouth in the region of Balaton is a powerful with a nice balance between acidity and tannins.

News from the vineyard of Balaton

Platinum: The 97 point wines of DWWA 2022

The largest-ever year for entries, an incredible 18,244 wines were judged at the 2022 Decanter World Wine Awards – with just 163 wines awarded a Platinum medal. ‘Winning a Platinum medal is something really exceptional’ said Decanter World Wine Awards Co-Chair Sarah Jane Evans MW. ‘Platinum is like the stratospheric level’ she commented, ‘so it’s really saying to the winemaker: this is a great wine.’ Making up just 0.87% of the total wines tasted at the 2022 c ...

Platinum: The 97 point wines of DWWA 2022

The largest-ever year for entries, an incredible 18,244 wines were judged at the 2022 Decanter World Wine Awards – with just 163 wines awarded a Platinum medal. ‘Winning a Platinum medal is something really exceptional’ said Decanter World Wine Awards Co-Chair Sarah Jane Evans MW. ‘Platinum is like the stratospheric level’ she commented, ‘so it’s really saying to the winemaker: this is a great wine.’ Making up just 0.87% of the total wines tasted at the 2022 c ...

Rare whiskies and DRC excite buyers at Sotheby’s HK auctions

A methuselah of Romanée-Conti 1976 from Burgundy’s vaunted Domaine de la Romanée-Conti was among the highlights in a two-day series of Sotheby’s wine and spirits auctions in Hong Kong last weekend. The six-litre bottle sold for HK$1.25m (US$159,350), against a pre-sale estimate range of HK$1m to HK$1.4m. In a separate spirits auction, a single bottle of Yamazaki 35 Year Old Japanese whisky fetched HK$1m (US$127,440). Rare white Burgundy was also in-demand during the weekend event. Top lot in a f ...