Vella Terra will have its 12th edition in Madrid with 89 artisan winemakers from 13 countries. Hungary will be represented by an amazing cellar called Csetvei, named after the founder, Krisztina Csetvei, who will pour the wines personally. Taste the “foxy” wines from Mór, a tiny Hungarian wine region!

Date and time: 26 October 2026, from 12.00 to 20.00
Venue: Próxima Estacíón event venue, C. de Aniceto Marinas, 10, Moncloa, Madrid
Tickets cost 25 EUR / person, and they include a tasting glass. Visitors will have the chance to buy directly from the exhibitors.
Exhibitors: Most of them (27) come from Spain, obviously, but Austria, Chile, the Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia will also be represented.
More information

Vella Terra credo:

“At Vella Terra, we value every winegrower committed to producing wine with the lowest possible level of intervention, and we stand against fake natural wine. We are the only natural wine fair in Spain, and one of the very few in Europe, that requires wine analyses from every exhibitor. We travel to visit wineries and follow one of the strictest participation criteria among natural wine fairs. We believe that until there is clear labelling within the wine sector, and as long as fake natural wine can still be easily sold on the market, those of us who organise fairs like this have a responsibility to provide clarity for the end consumer.”

Frittmann is just one of the 13 wineries pouring their wines on the board of Zsófia Event Boat next week in Budapest,on the river Danube, so that guests can enjoy great wines and the gorgeous view of Budapest simultaneously. At the latest edition of the Hungarian National Wine Contest the Frittmanns have won 4 gold medals, one for the Generosa. Read more about this unknown grape!

Update: Yesterday, when we posted this piece, only 2/3 of the tickets were sold out for the event called Borjour Borhajó, but by today the event got sold out, we are very sorry. We will let our readers know earlier next time.

Generosa, the generous star of our cover photo

Frittmann Winery in Kunság has released several wines made of unknown varieties, Generosa is one of them. There are about 400 hectares of Generosa in Hungary, however, Frittmann is the only winery producing it at quality level. At the latest edition of the Hungarian National Wine Contest the Frittmanns have won 4 gold medals, one for the Generosa. “Barely a generation has passed since its birth, so it was our job to discover its needs and ways to highlight its best qualities, the light, fruit forward character.” – say the Frittmanns.

So, what is Generosa?

The Portuguese Generosa is a cross between Fernao Pires and Sultana Moscata, and planted in less than 1 hectare. The Hungarian Generosa is a cross as well, but between Ezerjó (important in Mór and Kunság wine regions) and Piros Tramini (Savagnin Rose). This pink-berried cross was obtained in 1951 by Bíró Károly in Hungary, tested since 1976 by Edit Hajdú at the Kecskemét viticulture research centre, and finally christened Generosa in 2004.
Generosa resist winter, its buds survive severe frost. It has relatively high yield, and resistant to rot and powdery mildew. Its wine has aromas of that of the flower of the vine, juicy, grapey with vivid, crispy acidity. Frittmann Generosa is a great example.

More about Frittmann Winery

Frittmann Winery offers wine tasting and accommodation as well

An article about Frittmann wines on the GlassOfBubbly.com

 

Are you a wine enthusiast AND a vinyl collector? Then this project is meant for you. The last year’s first edition was great a hit, all the vinyl and wine packs were sold out in a few days. Nesta has a unique and subtle taste for the music of the world, he finds the most hidden gems with an unparallel instinct, while his wife, Kriszti Csetvei makes wines great with personality. In her winery, recently the focus has shifted to natural wines, this is what RAW/ka line represents. A vinyl of superb music, 6 bottles of stunning natural wines and two tickets to the summer party to celebrate all said earlier – this is what is included. We are happy to share Kriszti Csetvei’s announcement regarding the project.

Nesta DJ set vinyl with a selection of Csetvei RAW/ka wines

(The folowing text comes from Kriszti Csetvei)

Our second crowd funded vinyl is about to released soon paired with a whole line of natural wines (6 bottles of Csetvei RAW/ka wines). The name RAW/ka (the Hungarian pronunciation is ‘raw-ka’, meaning ‘fox’ in our language), refers to the vinification method and the winemaking process, as well as the colourful world of music and natural wines.
The music selection has been created by Frigyes Machán-Csetvei, aka Nesta, a recognised DJ in Hungary with refined taste of world music. Selecting music for this second LP, Nesta decided to stay within the borders of Europe, while I, the winemaker stayed in our Mór and Somló vineyards.
This time the creation process started with the selection of songs – we were listening to the songs and under the inspiration we have paired wines from our range. Our new NATÚRaBOR Pinot Noir 2024 was born during this work of creation!
Just like last year, we do not share any information about the music – the only key is trust, trust and trust! The title of the vinyl: NATÚRaLISTA x Nesta

Wine of the Week

The phylloxera plague devastated the majority of the vineyards in Europe, just a few survived. Kunság wine region in Hungary has sandy soil, a type that the evil bug is not keen on, therefore vines can grow on their own roots. The oldest parcels of Frittmann Winery are situated in Faluhely vineyard, the plantations are more than 60 years old. This is where grapes for the barrel aged Ezerjó Selection come from.

MEET THE FRITTMANNS AND TASTE AT BORJOUR MAGNUM IN BUDAPEST ON 15 FEBRUARY.

Thousand reasons

The name Ezerjó literally means ‘thousand good’ and restricted to mainly two wine regions in Hungary, Mór and Kunság. As the Frittmanns say, “A thousand threads connect us to Ezerjó”.  Most of the Ezerjó wines are fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks, thus the barrel aged Frittmann Ezerjó Selection is a unique wine in this aspect. “Lemon in colour, this wine displays notes of honey, butter and vanilla, as well as some yellow-fleshed fruit. On the palate, the aromas echo those of the bouquet, with toasted notes appearing alongside apple, pear and mango flavours. The latter give the wine a particular creamy character, but the main structural element is the straight and lively acidity. A spicy aftertaste lingers on the palate.” Certainly, the winery makes stainless steel aged, easy-going wine as well, what is more the estate makes a bottle fermented sparkling wine of the variety as well named Frittmann Gold.

More about Frittmann Ezerjó Selection

Guest house in the estate

Frittmann guest house has an ideal location for those planning to discover the region and indulge themselves in Hungarian traditions. Paprika is our most important and wellknown spice, and the little town of Kalocsa is the epicentre of the magical red powder, the Paprika Museum is also worth a visit. There is a Lace Museum in Kiskunhalas, another nearby town, while Kecskemét, the largest town of the area offers plenty things to see among others with the ‘Cifrapalota’ (something like ‘Pretty Palace’). Frittmann Winery has a guest house with some cosy rooms, and the vicinity to the tasting room is a serious argument for the place (just a few steps).

More information about the accommodation

DOWNLOAD THE RECIPE BOOK HERE

This little collection of 12 recipes is not a serious cook book and it does not want to be one. Some of the recipes are not described in details with the accurate amount of the ingredients, since this is how I received them from the winemakers. But they have the extra value, that winemakers shared their own favourites, plates they often cook, and they are sure about the wine pair as well, since they have had many opportunities to try. We hope you will enjoy booth cooking and eating these dishes, plus you may try them with the recommended wines.

I like wine and despite some celebrity doctors with the No Alcohol-mantra, I drink wine with all my dinners. I also like using wine while I am cooking, the exciting taste of a good wine gives an extra touch to most meals. Let me share a simple recipe myself, from yesterday. We had some leftover pan-seared chicken liver from the day before, so I fried them in a little butter, added some rosemary and thyme (but you can use other green herbs to your liking), and I added just a dash of sweet Tokaj wine. With a hand mixer I made a smooth paté and, in five minutes the leftover, boring chicken liver was upgraded into a delicacy, my kids liked it a lot! It is a Christmas recipe, in a sense that it takes minutes to make, and it lets you enjoy the festive season without stress, as it is meant to be.

Have a peaceful Christmas!
Ágnes Németh
Hungarianwines.eu

DOWNLOAD THE RECIPE BOOK HERE

Borjour, a company organising wine events, holds its annual sparkling wine tasting on the 28th of December – just in time to taste and buy the favourite ones for the New Year’s Eve. Aerated or bottle fermented,fresh or long aged – visitors can taste a whole range of bubblies from several wine regions of Hungary and also from France, Italy and Spain. The venue is the “Whale”, the building called Bálna on the bank of the river Danube.

Date and time: 28 December 2024, 17.00–21.30
Venue: Bálna (‘The Whale’), Fővám square 11-12, Budapest, Hungary
Ticket price: 11 900 HUF / approx. 28 EUR (It includes all the Hungarian sparklings and some mineral water. Foreign sparkling wines are to be purchased on the spot.)
Get your ticket here (click on ‘Jövök’ meaning ‘I will participate’, first you have to register)
Glass rental: To rent a glass you should prepare 2500 HUF in cash, you will get it upon returning the glass.
Exhibitors: 17 Hungarian wineries plus Champagne, Prosecco and Cava
Food: Oysters will be available!

The sparkling wines from our cover photo

Click on the name of the wines for more information

– Babarczi Buborczi, an aerated sparkling wine made of Cserszegi Fűszeres, Irsai Olivér, Tramini from Pannonhalma
– Dubicz Zsizsi Frizzante, an aerated sparkling wine made of Sárgamuskotály, from Mátra
– Fehérvári Extra Dry, a method traditional sparkling wine made of Chardonnay grape, from Somló
– Fehérvári Brut Nature Grand Reserve 2021, a method traditional sparkling wine blend from Somló
– Frittmann Frisecco, an aerated sparkling wine made of Irsai Olivér grape, from Kunság
– Frittmann Gold, a method traditional sparkling wine made of Ezerjó grape, from Kunság
– Garamvári Brut Nature, a method traditional sparkling wine made of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grape, from South Balaton
– Garamvári Mimi, a method traditional, limited edition sparkling wine made of Pinot Blanc grape, from South Balaton
– Koch Chardonnay Brut, a method traditional sparkling wine made of Chardonnay, from Hajós–Baja

 

From today Csetvei Cellar is officially organic!

Mór is the headquarters, but the vineyard in Somló is equally important for Krisztina Csetvei and her husband, Frici. And now both vineyards are officially organic, transition period is over! We celebrate this adorable couple and their estate with one of their latest releases: Csetvei RAW/ka KF 2023, a natural siller with all the fruit power of Kékfrankos grape.

“Fruit juice for adults”

According to label, this darker-than-rosé wine is ideal for those adults, who like drinking wine, but also appreciate the clean, intense fruit flavours. Red berry fruits, mainly strawberry is abundant in this wine, which fermented spontaneously, free from “added anything”, unfined and unfiltered.
The wine belongs to the RAW/ka family of the estate, a natural wine line and with a fox as a symbol (raw obviously refers to the natural character of the wine, while with -ka suffix together it sounds like the Hungarian “róka” word, meaning fox).

Congratulations to the Csetvei Family!

Have a happy “first-official-organic-day”!

More about Csetvei Cellar (on the website vintage 2022 is featured, but will be updated shortly)

Not only wine…

 

Raw/ka EzerYO IPA by Csetvei & Hedon

 

Castle of Bodajk, Hungary

We started celebrated Ezerjó Day (16 May) three years ago, and now the producers of Ezerjó in Mór have come up something new again: the first edition of Százszorszép Ezerjó Est will be held on 22 June in the gorgeous Castle of Bodajk. The elegant venue gives this rare grape variety the prestige it deserves.
Our cover photo above features Krisztina Csetvei winemaker, one of the organisers. Photo by Már Vártalak bakery and cultural space.

 

“I see Ezerjó as one of the most exciting Hungarian grape varieties, with great potential to make distinctive, intense yet refreshing wines in a very contemporary style.”

Wojciech Bonkowski MW, Poland

A little language lesson: Százszorszép Ezerjó Est

We are aware of the fact that our weird language is an enigma to every foreigner, thus the name of the event needs some explanation. ‘Ezerjó’ is a white grape grown only in a few regions, mainly in Mór wine region, and the name means ‘Thousand Good’ literally. ‘Est’ means ‘Evening’, since the event takes place in the evening (from 5 pm), it is the easy part. Then we have a lovely, long word ‘Százszorszép’, which literally means ‘Hundred times beautiful’. Now, you can do the maths…:)

Ezerjó Grand Tasting (I. Százszorszép Ezerjó Est)

Date and time: 22 June 2024, 17.00–22.00
Venue: Castle of Bodajk, near the city of Székesfehérvár
The castle is an hour’s drive from Budapest, 1.5 hours by train (change in Székesfehérvár).
Accommodation tip: The Castle of Bodajk is only 12 minutes by car from the town of Mór, so it might make sense to spend the night in Mór, and take a taxi to and from the event. Therefore, the next day (on Sunday) we can visit wine cellars in Mór.
Exhibitors: Brigád, Csetvei, Frey, Galambos, Holló, Lincz, Miklóscsabi, Spontán cellars and Végh-Tomcsik Family Estate.
Programme:
– 17.00–22.00: walk around tasting
– 18.00: Ezerjó masterclass by Zoltán Győrffy wine expert
– 18.00, 19.00 and 20.00: guide tour in the hunting museum of the castle
– Ezerjó Wine Dinner with exclusive guide tour in the hunting museum of the castle
Tickets: 3 types of tickets are available
– Walk around tasting ticket: 10 900 HUF
– Walk around tasting ticket + guided tour in the hunting exhibition: 14 500 HUF
– Tasting + guided tour + wine dinner: 24 500 HUF
Tickets are available on Országos Bortúra App (only in Hungarian).
If you can’t manage, ask help here.

Warming up with recipes of dishes paired with Ezerjó Wines

Find recipes on International Ezerjó Day website!

The Wine Merchant magazine survey

The British The Wine Merchant magazine has carried on a survey with the opinion of more than 200 of their readers. The magazine is for independent wine merchants, therefore the answers represent the independent wine business scenery.

There is some bright future according to the independent merchants: “Roughly half of all merchants saw sales increase in 2023, though with the average price per bottle of still wine rising by just 8p, to £15.78, the sector is not keeping pace with duty increases and inflation.“

The survey includes a ranking answering the question “Which countries or regions do you find most interesting?”Hungary ranks the 15th position with the same votes as California. While California went down by 5 spots, Hungary went up 5 positions compared to last year. What can be the reason behind? Probably the passionate Hungarian winemakers with their creativity, enthusiasm and dedication. (See chart below.)

Thanks to Malux Hungarian Wine and Spirits to share the chart.

In the cover photo above: Krisztina Csetvei from Csetvei Cellar (Mór) and Gábor Ádám from Sabar Wine House (Badacsony) – two great examples of the adorable Hungarian winemakers.

The summary of the survey is available here, the full survey is in the print version.

Are you interested to import wines from Hungary? Contact us, and we will find you the most suitable supplier.