Portugieser – do you know it? If not, come and taste!

Portugieser du Monde International Tasting Festival

Date: 22 April (13.00–18.00)
Location: Palkonya, Villány wine region, Mokos Winery, Hungary
Type of event: informal tasting festival with artisan food exhibitors

The Portugieser variety is spread across Central Europe, called either Portugizer, Portugizac, Portugalka, Blauer Portugieser or Modry Portugal. It would be very nice to see all ranges of these wines at one. Therefore a local wine magazine called Pécsi Borozó has been organizing an international Portugieser variety competition for 5 years. This year there will be 96 Portugieser wines from 9 countries competing on 21 April, and the next day the winelover audience can taste these interesting wines within a festival in charming the village Palkonya. As the organisers say ‘We steadfastly believe: Portugieser is an essential and important grape variety in Central Europe, it is however unfortunately rarely celebrated in the world of wines. Portugieser is not just a simple, fresh red wine that could be ignored, it is much more important.’

Price: 3500 HUF (11 euros) in advance. 4500 HUF (14.5 euros) on the spot.
Ticket includes a voucher worth 1000 HUF which can be used at the food exhibitors.

Portugieser tasting event is held in Palkonya for the first time, in the theatre hall of Mokos Winery. The event is supported by Villányi Borvidék Hegyközségi Tanácsa (the council of Villány wine region) and Tenkes Borvidékfejlesztő Non profit Ltd. (Tenkes wine region developing company). The festival is a joint event with Stílusos Vidéki Éttermiség „Hú!SVÉT+Sweet” (Stylish Rural Gastronomy) gastronomy Easter festival with an expected 2500 people.

Tickets

Portugieser

Regions: In Hungary this grape variety is restricted to Villány wine region, rarely made elsewhere, if it is, in Eger and Kunság. Portugieser is grown in other countries in Central Europe: in Germany (more than 4000 hectars), in Austria (more than 2000 hectars), in Hungary (more than 1000 hectars, Croatia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Portugal, France.

Character: This productive grape ripens early and gives ruby red, fruity, velvety, easy to drink wines with sufficient acidity. Portugieser is to be consumed when fresh and young, it cannot be kept for long time.

Story: The grape variety is likely to be of Austrian origin, and despite the name it is not likely to derive from Portugal. In Hungary Kékoportó was the common name, but due to European Union regulations this name cannot be used any more, because it would refer to (mistakenly) the city and wine region of Port (Oporto) in Portugal.