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A day at the Year’s New Wines at the “Vineville” on the South Lake Balaton Wine Route.
Most of the foreigners, tourist visiting Hungary, perhaps already heard about the Hungarians namely Lake Balaton as the Hungarian Sea. It is a popular venue for locals and foreigners throughout the year. In the summer-time resting, golfing, fishing, splashing in the sweet water lake and in the wintertime when the lake’s temperature goes down to the frozen point, it invites the skater lovers, this is not all they offer, and the aim of the invitation was revealed … the importance to focus on bringing the attention to the representatives of the region’s excellent quality wines into the gastronomy field at the South Lake Balaton.
This meeting was organized for the 4th occasion by the South Lake Balaton Wine Route Association on November, 12. 2015.This year the Kristinus Wine Estate, the settlement at Kéthely housed the presentation and tasting area of the year’s new wines, where most of all the wineries, wine makers and representatives of the region were present as well.
Florian Zaruba – Managing-Director of Kristinus South Balaton Wine Estate said within his welcoming words that the former operating name under Ax & Ax brand at Kéthely winery is committed to the unity, and is an exclusive location at South Lake Balaton for that purpose. Continued by saying, his intention is to undertake these steps in the region, increasing the visibility of the venue in the future. Also described: Q.: “The main-part of the terrain is the man cultivating the land”. Furthermore by saying that the Lake Balaton is deep and shallow. Diverse and monochrome: turquoise. Serious as the fall’s storms, light as the sunset in July, just as the white, red, rosé wines from this area. They are one of a kind in each vineyard. A fine place to explore the harmony of mountain farming people, enjoying the each season’s climate and so forth … far more than that … watching the world go by with a glass of mouth-watering wines from South Lake Balaton!
Ferenc Bujdosó – winemaker – President of the Balatonboglári Mountain Municipal Council, underlined that the wine makers of this region should focus, bring forward the attention for the visitors to the South Lake Balaton Wine Road to its grand opportunity to get to know the regions wines and wine makers. So in the future the target is to be introducing the surrounding wineries as a map to the routes where, which winery can be found to visit. Also added, Q.: “There is a lot of potential in the south of the lake region, not just in and around the summer activities, providing to relax, enjoying the summer breeze and cooling down with a glass of excellent wine at one of the local wine cellars, but also in spending an excellent pastime allowing in the season of winter to visit the South Lake Balaton relaxing, hiking, hunting or enjoying the local gastronomy and wines. Without exaggeration, we can say that the Lake Balaton region is more than a unique place, and is not just about only wine, gastronomy, but also recreational opportunities for local and foreigner visitors as well. The locals at the southern shore of Lake Balaton has a long history in grape-growing and producing rich in flavor wines. The South Lake Balaton wines deserved to be recognized, and definitely to be promoted by the local restaurants, hotels and bars.”
The slogan of the Bujdosó wines is “The bottled Balaton Summer” and those who haven’t yet tasted them should keep in mind and go for it. They also hold wine tasting and gastronomy evening for small and larger groups at the wine cellar.
Coming to the point of the wine cellars taking part in the gastronomy-tourism is mainly visited throughout the summer season. The change is to bring in practise, to continue welcoming in the wintertime the locals and tourist visiting the surrounding areas, to continuously have the ability to keep open the cellars as opportunities to enjoy the gastronomy delights with regions wines.
Unfortunately, there are still quite a few catering facilities in the region where they serve wines from other wine regions of Hungary. Naturally, this does not mean a case of forbidding it, but as many other wine regions in Hungary they certainly offer their own region’s winemakers wines on the spot.
Dénes Gádor – president of the South-Balaton Wine Road Association said: Q.: „We believe that with the extraordinary talents and opportunities you need to offer the white, red and rosé wines of South Lake Balaton that already been successful prestigious at national and international accolades boast.”
The mission of the South-Balaton Wine Road Association holds Hungarian natural and cultural heritage of quality wine. These values can be measured from the culinary, hospitality culture to the wine route stations of which are selected and repeatedly checked by the South-Balaton Wine Road Association. The Association holds members of professional managers keeping strict qualification rules. The association was founded – 1999 by the Wine Road wineries, catering, as well as the area’s mountain villages and settlements. Along the southern shore of Lake Balaton there is around 40 qualified wine route stations awaiting to welcome throughout the year the visitors interested in the region’s „Grapevilles”, wine culture, their kept traditions, wineries, restaurants, accommodation establishments, craft workshops or just spending time to enjoy the peaceful sights of the local landscape.
After the speeches, and tasting this year’s new wines the group was invited for lunch served at the Kristinus South Balaton Wine Estate Restaurant and were able to consult on issues on personal conversation with the wine makers.
List of wine makers and representatives present of this year’s new wines: Bujdosó Winery, Buzás Vineyards, Dézsma Cellar, Fáncsi-hegyi Winery, Garamvári Vineyards, Gutman Wine Cellar, Hujber winery, Katona Winehouse, Kislaki Wine Manufactory, Koltai Cellar • Kristinus Wine Estate, Országh Cellar, Pócz Winery, Podmaniczky Winery, Rádpuszta Vineyards, Várszegi Winery, Veszprém Cellar.
Update and snaps:Aggie Reiter
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