Taschner Irsai Olivér from Sopron

Kurt István Taschner is well known for being the first to release a wine of the new vintage, and a regular winner of the “National New Vintage Wine Contest”. The contest will take place later, but Taschner Irsai Olivér from Sopron is already available!

The winemaker about the wine

“The intensity with which the aromas—reminiscent of grapes and flowers—burst from the glass is particularly striking. A hint of ginger complements the fresh, fruity notes. The aroma is so inviting that you almost want to take a bite. The palate is lively, with wild, spirited acidity; its flavour profile evokes green herbs, grass, and citrus, and it has a slender body. The aroma is enchanting, while the palate is more playful, but both embody the unique character of aromatic grape varieties.” And it costs only 1950 HUF / 5-6 EUR!
See the wine on the webshop of the winery (in Hungarian)
More information about Taschner Winery and Sparkling Wine Cellar
If you are interested in importing, contact Kurt István Taschner

The ‘fav’ grape of many wine lovers

Irsai Olivér is planted widely in Hungary due to its popularity. Wonderful examples of the grape are produced in Kunság region, where the best winemakers can hold in check the aromatic character of the variety. Also popular in Mátra, Balaton, Etyek–Buda, Neszmély, Sopron. Ripening early, it gives a very aromatic, intense wine with grapey aromas, delicate spices. Easy drinking wine with medium-low acidity and alcohol, almost always vinified reductively for instant consumption.

Irsai Olivér – it wasn’t because of gambling debts

For a long time, the legend persisted that Irsai Olivér was a merchant who bought a grape variety for 100 ‘pengő’ (the currency of Hungary at that time) so that his name might be remembered by future generations. It is also said that Pál Kocsis, who bred the Irsai Olivér grape variety in 1930, did not name the variety – created by crossing the Csabagyöngye and Pozsonyi Fehér – after himself because he was a passionate card player and had gambled away even the right to name it.
He may well have played cards, but a more likely explanation is that Kocsis’s simple surname (meaning ‘coachman’) would not have suited this aromatic, fragrant, almost flamboyant variety, so he chose instead to name it after the son of a merchant friend, Olivér M. Irsai. In this way, the grape variety was indeed given a more exciting name, and he also paid a truly kind gesture to his friend. Olivér M. Irsai’s son was also given the name Olivér; we knew someone who knew him, and it is possible that he is still alive.