Traminer is a grape capable of great wines in great wine regions, but it can also give mediocre wines with excessed perfumy notes. Terroir and balance are the two keys to this wine. In case of Fehérvári Reserve Tramini both is given: the volcanic Somló terroir gives an extra touch to the wine, while meticulous winemaking results a balanced, aromatic, yet elegant wine.

1.
Tramin is a cute wine village in the Alpine region of South Tyrol, at an altitude of 276 metres, by the Lake Kaltern. Is it the origin of Traminer grape? Quite unlikely, Traminer was already cultivated by the Romans. However, the grape might have been named after Tramin, since in the medieval times it was a busy centre of wine trade.

2.
Rose petals, orange blossom, lemon zest with some spicy notes – these notes could well describe a perfume in the beauty store. Grapey aromas similar to that of Muscat, relatively high alcohol, many times moderate acidity. No wonder, in Russia Traminer is used to add a hint of “perfume” to sparkling wines.

3.
Mala Dinka, Savagnin Blanc (not Sauvignon Blanc) are all names for Traminer. In Hungary it is called Tramini. Gewürztraminer is a close relative, but they are not identical.

4.
In Hungary it is grown in several wine regions, mostly in Pannonhalma, Mór, Mátra and Eger. Only 700 hectares are planted with Tramini (in 2025), much less than other aromatic varieties, like Cserszegi Fűszeres (3380 hectares) and Irsai Olivér (2770 hectares). The amount is decreasing, in 2019 there were 740 hectares.

5.
In Somló wine region there is just a small amount of Tramini, only 9 hectares, while Olaszrizling leads with 98 hectares, then comes Juhfark with 77 hectares, Furmint with 76 hectares, Hárslevelű with 25 hectares, Chardonnay with 14 hectares and Szürkebarát (Pinot Gris) with 11 hectares. Yet, with the extra touch of the vocanic soil, Somló Tramini is a more than exciting wine, a true “must-try”.

Fehérvári Nagy-Somlói Tramini Reserve

“Our Tramini is recommended for those who like gastronomic specialties. The scent of Tramini Reserve is intense, rich and varietal. Each sip is a real flavour-journey, as the rose oil and rich aromas go down a perfect dance with the classic minerality of Somló lurking in the background. The aging in wooden barrels awakens the soul of the wine, at the same time giving it a sophisticated softness, which only makes the overall effect even more spicy.
This wine is the perfect highlight of the richly spiced Hungarian dishes as well as the exotic flavours of Asian cuisine.
The richness of the Tramini Reserve connects people, distant landscapes: whoever tastes it, returns to it again and again.”
The retail price in the winery webshop is only 3099 HUF / around 8.5 EUR.
More about Fehérvári Wine Estate

Fehérvári wines are available in some countries, for example in Poland on Wina Wulkaniczne webshop. If you are interested in importing, contact the export manager.

May is the favourite month of many–especially in the Northern Hemisphere–due to its beauty and its abundance in flowers. In the Ancient Rome, people celebrated Maia, the goddess of fertility and the coming of summer. In Hungary today we celebrate the beginning of a new era with a new government, and with the promise that we will never be oppressed again by our own politicians. Bubbles are to celebrate, so let us recommend three novelties from the sparkling scene

A. Gere, Kancellár and Sauska will be there

The most vibrant wine thing today – this is the tasting, where participants can indulge themselves in unknown varieties, fruits of remote, historic terroirs, ancient cultures. From Armenia to Poland, CEE Wine fair showcases novelties even for the seasoned British wine trade. Regarding Hungary, A. Gere from Villány, Kancellár from Somló, Gilvesy from Badacsony, Sauska from Tokaj and Villány have already confirmed their participation along with a Szekszárd regional table. Save the date!

“There’s almost nowhere left in the wine world that hasn’t been fully discovered – apart from the heart of Europe. The central and eastern end of Europe, from the Danube to the Black Sea, is home to a long, authentic wine history; a myriad of unique grapes; amazing personal stories and many dynamic winemakers producing great wines in all sorts of styles.
The Ultimate Central & Eastern European Wine Fair aims to give buyers, merchants, distributors and writers the chance to discover why Central & Eastern European wines should be on the radar of anyone seeking the next big wine story.”

Experts about the 1st edition CEE Wine Fair

The wines from the cover photo

Gere Kopar 2021, Villány
More

Kancellár Nagy-Somlói Juhfark 2021, Somló
More

Sauska Furmint 2025, Tokaj
More

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED TO PARTICIPATE AS AN EXHIBITOR, CONTACT US!

Natural, organic and biodynamic wines

Confetti claims to be the largest natural wine festival in Poland, but actually it is one of the largest in Europe for sure with more than 100 wineries from 16 countries, including Hungary. Csetvei Cellar (Mór / Somló) and Kristinus (South Balaton) will also be present at the 6th edition of Confetti. The event looks so awesome, that it might be worth converting to organic to be able to participate!

“Being precise does not mean standardizing” – it is an important sentence from Mirtha, an Italian winemaker. She means that natural wines are not accepted to be unclean, the era of the “funky” wines is over, natural wine lovers want great terroir wines without faults. You can listen to Mirtha and others talk about “that cool thing in wine that everybody loves and she does not” here, within the Confetti Questionnaire.

Date and time: 19 Apr 2026, 12.00–19.00 (from 12.00 for trade members and from 14.00 for all guests). There is an afterparty from 19.00 to 22.00!
Venue: Stara Zajezdnia, Św. Wawrzyńca 12, 31-060 Kraków, Poland
Tickets: trade: 129 PLN / person (approximately 30 EUR), 199 PLN / person (approximately 47 EUR)
More information

The wines from our cover photo

Csetvei Juhfark 2024, Somló

Csetvei Cellar is located in Mór wine region, but they own a vineyard in the volcanic Somló wine region as well. This wine is made of Juhfark, the emblematic grape of Somló. Gentle pressing, spontaneous fermentation on the skins, aged in stone clay amphora, unclarified, unfiltered, bottled without adding sulphur. Spiciness and dried southern fruits, raisins in the sip. A total of 340 bottles were made.
More about Csetvei Cellar

Kristinus Liquid Sundwoner 2022, Balatonboglár

An orange wine made of 40% Gewürztraminer, 20% Pinot Gris, 20% Welschriesling and 20% Chardonnay. Fermented spontaneously, long skin contact (30–90 days), aged in several vessels: amphora, used oak barrel, stainless steel. Unclarified, unfiltered, bottled with a small amount of sulphur (33 mg/L). “Sundowner means a drink that you enjoy in the late afternoon, around those few minutes when the sun disappears behind the horizon – a feeling that reminds us of this complex and structured orange wine.” (Movin Agency)

More about Kristinus

Wine & Painting at Tornai Winery

Zsuzsanna Kővári artist will share her passion of creation with joy at Tornai Winery on 11 April. Wine, wine bites and paint will be provided, guests only need to bring their heart. Plus: do not miss the chance to stock some of the 4 recent gold medal winner Tornai wines!

Date and time: 11 April 2026, 13.00
Venue: Tornai Winery, Somló hegy 1242., Somlojeno, Hungary, 8478
Participation fee: 12 000 HUF (approximately 30 EUR)
It includes: refreshing wines from Tornai, some wine bites, guided painting
Booking: +36 70 663 6641 / rendezveny@tornaipince.hu
More about Tornai Winery

Tornai Winery celebrates its 80th anniversary this year with several events all year long.

Painting with heart

Vivid colours, different techniques, several styles – Zsuzsanna “Zsanna” Kővári does not want to stay in her comfort zone, she wants to try herself in new techniques and genres to evolve. She grew up in Balaton Uplands, her love of the lake district is reflected in many of her paintings.
11 April is the Day of Poetry in Hungary, commemorating one of our most famous poets, Attila József, who was born on this day. Then why a painter? First of all, why not, secondly, Zsanna’s painting is poetry. She often reads poems for inspiration, because, as she says: “good things inspire me the most”. She “paints with heart”, and she can transfer this passion through a workshop like the one at Tornai Winery.

More about Zsuzsanna Kővári

Kancellár Estate, Somló: 7 gold out of 7 wines!

Mundus Vini Spring Tasting results are out. Unfortunately, the search field of the contest does not function well, we simply cannot find all the Hungarian results of the latest tasting, so we cannot share any statistics at the moment. We wrote to Mundus Vini tasting team, they replied, but their reply did not include the requested information. We wrote again, so far, we have not received any answer. If we get any list or the search field is fixed, we will update this article.
Bacground photo of the cover picture: Pexels / Monica Silvestre

Champion wine at champion price

What we can surely confirm – based on the information sent to the winery by Mundus Vini team –, Kancellár Estate from Somló entered 7 wines and received 7 gold medals. What is more, Olaszrizling 2022 has been selected the best Hungarian white wine. “Pale yellow, citrus colour. Lime blossom, citrus, and flint lead the nose. Light on the palate, medium-bodied, minerals and white fruits, with a fresh finish. Youthful and lively, yet complex and long-lasting, a well-balanced wine.” And it costs only 7-8 euros in retail! If interested, contact Gyula Bertalan, the export manager of the estate.

All the 7 gold winner Kancellár wines

Nagy-Somlói Magna Cuveé 2023
Szent Ilona Késői Szüretelésű Édes Fehérbor 2024
Nagy-Somlói Juhfark Prestige 2022
Juhfark 2022
Nagy-Somlói Olaszrizling Barrique 2023
Olaszrizling 2022
Irsai Olivér 2025

12 years, 22 hectares, countless medals

Kancellár Birtok is one of the youngest wineries in the Greater Somló wine region. Ferenc Horváth, Chancellor of the Somló and Environs Wine Route Association and Order of Wine Knights, together with his family members, launched the wine estate of Somló and its surroundings in 2014, which were then 11 hectares, now cultivating grapes on 22 hectares and producing characteristic wines from Somló. “Making Somló wine should only be done responsibly. We are committed to the place of production, the terroir. In addition to the geological, climatic and other conditions, we believe that terroir includes the respect and rich experience of the people who work here.”
The winery received the White Revelation trophy at Concours Mondial de Bruxelles last year! And it is just one of the many international acknowledgements.
More about Kancellár Estate

Kancellár Estate will exhibit at ProWein, find them at HALL 3 / C41. More information here.
6 Kancellár wines will be available to taste at Mundus Vini Tasting Zone at ProWein:

Kancellár Olaszrizling 2022 Best Of Show Hungary White
Kancellár Irsai Olivér 2025
Kancellár Juhfark 2022
Kancellár Nagy-Somlói Juhfark Prestige 2022
Kancellár Szent Ilona Late Harvest 2024
Kancellár Nagy-Somlói Magna Red Cuvée 2023

Does it give you a boy?

Spoiler: no. The myth has been debunked. The wine of the indigenous grape of Juhfark from volcanic Somló does not give you a baby boy, but it gives you pleasure, so enjoy it, even today, on Valentine’s Day.
Background photo of the cover: Pexels / Foundertips
Author: Ágnes Németh

The following article of mine was written 10 years ago, I won Millesima Blog Awards in Wine Reporter category with this article in 2017, so it might be worth republishing it. The wines are different from the ones in th original article.

Make love and drink Juhfark – does it help if you want a baby boy?

Well, the first action definitely does. The most important indigenous grape variety of Hungary’s smallest wine region, the volcanic soiled Somló is said to have a positive effect on women who long for a son. The legend goes back to the XVIII. century, when Maria Theresa, Habsburg archduchess of Austria and queen of Hungary ordered the young Habsburg archdukes to drink Juhfark wine from Somló on their wedding night so that they would have an heir as a fruit of the night. The argument was backed by the local observation, that four times more baby boys were born then girls around the hill of Somló.

Endre Czeizel, Hungary’s most famous geneticist, who has passed away recently, commented the belief. ‘Stomach is very far from the womb’ – said he undermining the myth immediately. The professor claimed that certain diets might influence the sex of the baby, but these researches still lack evidence, and some of them are too long and hard to keep. Intimate irrigation may have significant influence, however, if the irrigation liquid is acidic, it helps to find their way for X chromosomes, which are for girls, and alkaline environment helps Y chromosomes, and therefore the boys. The grape Juhfark is highly acidic, thus if it has an influence, it has a reverse one: it might enable women to give birth to girls! It is enough to look at Maria Theresia’s family: she had 16 children, and 11 of them were girls! The message of the story is that one should enjoy Juhfark for its own merit, not for family planning.

Juhfark takes its name from the sheep’s tail, as the long cylindrical shape of the bunches resemble the sheep’s tail. Juhfark has a rather neutral, restrained nose with some flowers and green apples. High, sometimes brutal acidity. It is really difficult to tame this variety, but there are amazing examples of it in history! If you are not afraid of straightforward acidity, take a chance on it. In Somló, the minerality paired with high acidity results some outstanding wines with great aging potential.

More than 60 exhibitors

Taste Furmint wines from at least 60 wineries in one place, with one ticket. Certainly, Tokaj wine region will be represented with the most wineries, like Béres Vineyards in our cover photo, but participants can taste Furmint wines from other regions as well. Steigler Cellar will be there from Sopron, Kovács Nimród Winery from Eger,Borbély Family Winery from Badacsony and Tornai Winery from Somló.

Date and time: 26 February 2026 (Thursday), 16.00–21.00
Venue: Hungarian Heritage House, 1011 Budapest, Corvin tér 8
Tickets purchased in advance: 21 900 HUF / approximately 58 EUR
Tickets on the spot: 25 000 HUF / approximately 66 EUR
For the full list of exhibitors scroll down
Get your ticket here (at the bottom, page is in Hungarian, but google can help or you can contact the organiser here)

Furmint in a nutshell

– Furmint is one of the few grapes allowed to use under the appellation of Tokaj, it is the main grape of aszú wines along with Hárslevelű.
– Tokaj winemakers answered with stunning dry Furmint wines to the decrease of sweet wine consumption.
– Furmint is grown all over Hungary, marvellous Furmint wines are made in Somló, Badacsony, Balatonfüred–Csopak, Mátra and Eger.
– It ripens late and has a nose of fresh fruits, often compared to ripe pear. Its significant acidity and alcohol produce characterful wines sometimes with a touch of tartness.
– Furmint originates from Tokaj, and there are several evidences to prove that, one of them is the mention of the variety as early as 1611 in a document from Erdőbénye, Tokaj region.

The latest discovery about furmint, announced yesterday:

Turkish Kolorko grape variety is identified as Hungary’s Furmint

A Turkish grape is actually Furmint!

Béres Lőcse Furmint is available in magnum format!

“This wine was made from the selected harvest of Furmint vines from the Lőcse vineyard. The must, gently pressed with a maximum pressure of 1 bar, was settled for one night. The clarified must was fermented in new wooden barrels. After fermentation, it was aged for 6 months in barrels of various sizes (2 and 5 hectolitres) with different toasts. During aging, the wine developed its harmonious, rounded, mineral character due to constant lees stirring and micro-oxygenation processes. After the aging process, we crafted the final blend by skilfully marrying the best barrels.”
More about the wine and Béres Tokaj

Exhibitors of Furmint February Grand Tasting 2026

Angyal (Tokaj)
ÁTS (Tokaj)
Babits (Tokaj)
Bardon (Tokaj)
Béres (Tokaj)
Bodrog Borműhely  (Tokaj)
Boldog Balaton (Balaton)
Borbély (Badacsony)
Bott (Tokaj)
Dénes (Somló)
Dereszla (Tokaj)
Disznókő (Tokaj)
Dobogó (Tokaj)
Dorogi (Tokaj)
Emerencia (Tokaj)
Erzsébet (Tokaj)
Eskol (Tokaj)
Espák (Tokaj)
Frikker (Tokaj)
Füleky (Tokaj)
Gapa (Tokaj)
Gizella (Tokaj)
Grand Tokaj (Tokaj)
Gróf Degenfeld (Tokaj)
H-négyzet (Mátra)
Heidrich (Tokaj)
Holdvölgy (Tokaj)
IN Borok
Kálvária (the organiser’s own cellar in Budakalász, near Budapest)
Kikelet (Tokaj)
Kolonics (Somló)
Kovács Nimród Winery (Eger)
Kvaszinger (Tokaj)
Lenkey (Tokaj)
Mádi A (Tokaj)
Maison aux Pois (Tokaj)
Mariasy (Tokaj)
Montium (Tokaj)
Naár (Tokaj)
Napvirág (Badacsony)
P.A.N.K. (Badacsony)
Pálffy (Balaton Uplands)
Patricius (Tokaj)
Paunoch (Tokaj)
Pelle (Tokaj)
Pendits (Tokaj)
Préselő (Tokaj)
Rózsa (Tokaj)
Samuel Tinon (Tokaj)
Sanzon Tokaj (Tokaj)
Sauska (Tokaj)
Serpens Wine (Tokaj)
Somlói Vándor (Somló)
Steigler Pince (Sopron)
Szűcs (Tokaj)
T3 (Tokaj)
Tokaj Drei (Tokaj)
Tokaj-Hétszőlő Organic Vineyards (Tokaj)
Tokaj-Oremus  (Tokaj)
Tokajicum (Tokaj)
Tornai (Somló)
TóthBorbirtok (Pannonhalma)

Trifecta Wines (Tokaj)
Wine Mission

Zsirai (Tokaj)

 

If you have never heard of Csomorika, don’t blame yourself, this variety is a rarity even in Hungary. At the end of the year, Tornai Winery in the volcanic Somló wine region released a sparkling wine – in two versions depending on the dosage – made of this ancient, yet unknown grape.

Hungary made sparkling wines well before the Spanish

Whether it was Dom Perignon abbey in Champagne or British merchants in London, who invented sparkling wine – or who realized the bubbles appear when wines referment –, we will never know, that dispute will hang in the air forever. The Catalans also claim that an abbey in Mallorca and another one in Girona discovered bubbles in wine, well before Dom Perignon – again, there is not much evidence. However, we know that the first officially recorded sparkling wine in Spain was made in 1872.
And in Hungary? Almost 40 years earlier! The first Hungarian sparkling wine factory was founded in 1834, by Ignácz Prückner in Budapest, and the second one was founded in 1859 in the southern city of Pécs, by Lőrinc Littke. This latter was the sparkling winery that used Csomorika grape as base wine for sparkling wines.
And it was Endre Tornai, founder of Tornai Winery in Somló, the present owner’s late father, who introduced the variety in Somló winer region. And it was Tamás Tornai, present owner, who created the first Csomorika sparkling wine in Hungary, after the change of the regime (Ottó Légli also has plantations of Csomorika, but his sparkling wine is not released yet.)

Forget all other sparkling wines!

Csomorika is quite likely to have Hungarian origin, though it has a German (Swabian) name as well: Lammerschwanz. Csomorika is a wine rich in flavours and with quite high acidity, which makes it an ideal base wine for sparklings.
Borsmenta Hungarian online wine magazine published a panel tasting of Hungarian sparkling wines in December, here is their opinion about Tornai Brut: “The sparkling wine opens with a pleasant, sugary aroma, followed by white flowers, ginger, peach, pear, and finally citrus. The taste is elegant, floral, citrusy, slightly bitter, with persistent effervescence and a beautiful bubble structure. Well chilled, it makes a perfect welcome drink, but it will also go down well on summer evenings in the garden or on the terrace.”
Tornai Winery itself describes it with the following sentences:
“The bouquet bursts with lively citrus aromas, reflecting the unique character of this rare Hungarian grape variety. On the palate, delicate creamy effervescence accompanies an almost bone-dry profile, where vibrant lime and subtle grape blossom unfold beautifully across the palate. The long, graceful finish lingers with notes of grapefruit zest and hints of dried chamomile.”
We also tasted it at an event before New Year’s, we agree with both of the descriptions, but most of all with the unique character. It cannot be compared to a sparkling wine of Chardonnay, it is not only a different style, but a completely different genre. It is definitely worth trying, especially for winelovers with thirst for adventures!
Brut has 5 g dosage, while the other version, Extra Dry has 15.5 g/L sugar.
Retail price on the winery webshop: 4990 HUF (approximately 13 EUR).

More information about Tornai Winery and the sparkling wines

Tornai Wines are available in several countries, for example in the United Kingdom at Astrum Wine Cellars. If you are interested in importing, contact Éva Dományházi commercial manager.

“…eclectic but increasingly exciting”