Olaszrizling grape variety is the most widely planted white grape in Hungary. (In fact not exactly, the so called Bianca took the lead, but that one is a grape for mass production, thus Olaszrzling is No1 regarding grapes for qualitywines.) It is an amazingly versatile variety. Lovely when consumed young and crispy and it matures nicely in oak barrel. It can also give a stunning late harvest dessert wine.

A grape with thousand – or at least 9 – faces

Most wineries have their own style, some make reductive wines while other prefer ages. However, if you want to taste the different “faces” of Olaszrizling, you should taste the wines of Borbély Family Winery from Badacsony wine region. At a recent tasting at Pláne wine terrace Tamás Borbély presented 9 (!) different Olaszrizling wines! The flight ranged from the easy going ‘Fröccsnekisjó’ (something like ‘it’s-good-for-a-spritzer-as-well’) through different vintages of different single vineyard wines to a late harvest wine and a dry Olaszrizling from 1991.
More about Borbély Family Winery

17 October, Budapest – a grandiose tasting

If you feel like tasting this exciting variety with Tamás Borbély, the grand tasting on 17 October is a great opportunity. In 5 star Hotel Corinthia Budapest more than 80 wineries will present more than 150 Olaszrizling wines. Early bird ticket is 7900 HUF (22 euros) on the spot it costs 10.900 HUF. The walk around tasting is the main attraction, but there will some exciting workshops as well. Participants can taste Olaszrizling wines from Croatia (the Croatian name is Grasevina), from Sudsteiermark(Welschriesling in Austria), and there will be a workshop with sparklingOlaszrizling wines and some unique wines which reflect the terroir. The workshops are free and the speaker is Kristian Kielmayer DipWSET.
More information and tickets (the website is in Hungarian, if you need help, write to us)