Christmas Tree of Balaton Wines and a serious legal initiative

Balaton, the biggest lake of Europe is known as a summer destination, however The Circle of Balaton fight against this perspective and work for having a ’whole year season around the lake’. This year a skate rink has been opened in BL Yacht Club, and with a symbolic ’Christmas tree’ of wine bottles, the winter season was opened at the beginning of December. The wines in the ’tree’ are the new vintages of the so called Wine of Balaton (’Balaton Bor’), fresh, easy drinking wines made of the most typical grape of Balaton: Olaszrizling.

The Circle of Balaton has not only organized a fancy festivity, but has initiated serious changes of attitudes towards the lake. As Gábor Kardos, spokesman of Circle of Balaton pointed out, Balaton is a unique system of living creatures. Unlike concrete, man made beaches, it is a natural resourse that should be protected. Sustainable development is the main goal, but it cannot be carried on if we ’use the lake’ for our own purposes. The Circle initiated to change the legal status of Balaton to name it a legal entity so that Balaton would have the same rights as that of a human being. The Circle has handed the petition to the Hungarian Government, the Constitutional Court and the President of the Parliament.

Circle of Balaton: The founders and members believe that Lake Balaton is not five wine regions, but one great wine area which should act likewise. The members’ aim is to change the attitude towards the lake: visitors should be attracted all year, not only in summer. They managed to create a common brand in 2016: ’Balaton Bor’ (Balaton Wine) is a fresh, easy drinking wine made of the most typical grape of the lake, Olaszrizling (aka Welschriesling).