7 great Hungarian wines from volcanic soil will be the protagonists of a masterclass organized by Slow Food Hungary and Collegium Hungaricum Berlin on 11th August. “At this event we present a selection of the best volcanic Slow wines from Hungary, along with their producers, to offer participants a different perspective on Hungarian wines. You will also get a small slice of the unique Hungarian gastronomy. One of Hungary’s best Slow food restaurants will offer Slow finger food with typical flavours of the wine regions from the finest local Hungarian Slow food ingredients.”

Date: 11 August, 5 pm

Venue: Collegium Hungaricum Berlin, Dorotheenstraße 12, 10117 Berlin

Participation is free, but registration is needed here.

Not only trendy

Volcanic wine is a hot topic all around the wine world, since winelovers have realized what our forefathers have already known for centuries: volcanic soil gives a unique character to the wines. Hungary is rich in volcanic mountains, in fact a long chain runs through the country from the western Austria, through Somló and the other volcanic mountains around lake Balaton, through Mátra and Eger on the east side of the Danube and as far as in Tokaj wine region in the north-east of Hungary. The Berlin masterclass features wines from all the above mentioned regions. As for the grape varieties, the emphasis is on local grapes, with varieties like the indigenous Juhfark or Kéknyelű.

List of wines to be tasted

1. Kreinbacher Prestige Brut – Somló
   2. Gizella Furmint-Hárslevelű 2019 – Tokaj
   3. Szászi Badacsonyi Kéknyelű 2020 – Badacsony
   4. Szent Donát Olaszrizling 2019 – Balatonfüred
   5. St. Andrea Boldogságos Grand Superior 2020 – Eger
   6. Tornai Top Selection Aranyhegy Juhfark 2019 – Somló
   7. Centurio Fáy-Domb Sárgamuskotály 2020 – Mátra

Juhfark – the wonder of Somló

Somló is the smallest wine region of Hungary (though at the moment Mór has less vineyards), but some of the greatest wines come from here. Tornai Winery is a family winery concentrating on local grapes with great success – they have won International Wine Challenge Trophy four times!

Juhfark (‘sheep’s tail’) is the most important grape of Somló, grown almost exclusively only here. Tornai Top Selection Aranyhegy Juhfark 2019 was born from the vines of the Aranyhegy vineyard, made with carefully selected ripe grapes and gentle processing. Barrel maturation further enriched the flavours, creating this special wine, available in a limited number of bottles.

“It delights the nose with the fruitiness of apples, mangoes, lychees and oakiness. In addition to the fruitiness, richer, ripe aromas appear on the palate, an exciting, complex wine. The barrel is distinct as well, hints of grapefruit and tropical fruits appear in the background. Closes with a long, mineral aftertaste.” Recommended with creamy pasta, grilled vegetables and matured cheeses.

More about Tornai Winery

Attila Fiáth, the host of the masterclass

Attila is a university professor at Corvinus University in Budapest. Trained at Cambridge and the Harvard Business School, he’d had more than 20 years of teaching and research behind him when he became Hungary’s leading expert on wine, wine strategy and wine business. He teaches wine related courses at the Burgundy School of Business in Dijon as a visiting professor, giving masterclasses frequently. He is the Chairman of the Hungarian Association of WSET Diploma holders, and currently a Stage2 Master of Wine student. In the last few years he put tremendous efforts into developing strategic frameworks to help build the identity of Hungarian wines and wine regions.

More about Slow Food Hungary