Südliches Transdanubien

Wine-growing region in south-western Hungary, not far from the border with Croatia. It is one of the oldest and also one of the best regions for wine production in the country, and is also known as the „Bordeaux of Hungary”, because of the excellent red wines that are produced here. The red wine is made from the Kadarka grape, and was exported all over Europe in the 19th century. Among the fans of these wines were the composer Franz Liszt (1811-1886), who visited the region several times, as well as pope Pius IX. (1792-1878). The pope expressed the opinion that the wine preserved both his health and his spirit. Apart from Eger, this is the only region in which the traditional red wine Bull’s Blood (Bikavér) may be produced. The climate is characterised by dry summers with lots of sunshine and strong winds, as well as by long, mild winters. The vineyard area totals 2.300 hectares, the soils are mainly loess. The leading grape varieties are Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Kadarka, Kékfrankos (Blaufränkisch), Merlot, Olaszrizling (Welschriesling) and Sauvignon Blanc.