Masterclass
Mr Kristian Kielmayer (Dip WSET) will be your guide in exploring Hungary’s excellent range of wines.
Profile: Kristian Kielmayer was born in Germany, holds degrees in economics and oenology. He is a Dip. WSET expert on wines and spirits, lecturer in Hungary and abroad, member of the National Wine Committee, advisor to the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture.
Hungary’s wine culture is characterized by personality, originality and diversity. There are six wine regions and 22 wine districts in Hungary. They all have their unique identity in terms of location, orientation, soil, geology and history. For our tasting, we have selected six samples from three wine regions and six wine districts that are characteristic of their respective growing areas:
Balaton wine region:
Pálffy Pince – Káli Mál Olaszrizling 2018
Tornai Pincészet – Top Selection Aranyhegy Juhfark 2018
Pannon wine region:
Vida Péter – Hidaspetre Kékfrankos 2016
Bock Borászat – Hermitage 2015
Tokaj Wine Region:
Tokaj-Hétszőlő Birtok – Furmint Selection BIO 2017
Chateau Dereszla – Tokaji Édes Szamorodni 2013
Balaton: Surrounding Lake Balaton, there are six wine districts forming one wine region with more than 8,500 hectares of vineyards. One of the most popular varieties of the region is Olaszrizling (also known as Welschriesling), but there are also lesser known but highly characteristic varieties grown such as Kéknyelű (’blue stalk’) and Juhfark (’lamb’s tail’). We are going to taste wines from two wine districts in the region: Balaton-Felvidék (Balaton Uplands), we’ll learn about the Káli Mál Olaszrizling from the Pálffy Winery (Pálffy Pince) and Nagy-Somló will be represented by Top Selection Aranyhegy Juhfark from the Tornai Winery (Tornai Pincészet).
Tokaj: Tokaj-Hegyalja was the first closed wine region in the world and UNESCO has listed the area as a world cultural property in 2002. Today there are 5,700 hectares under vine. The region’s flagship varieties are Furmint, Sárgamuskotály (Yellow Muscat) and Hárslevelű (Linden Leaf). During the masterclass you will get to know the region through a Furmint Selection BIO 2017 from Tokaj-Hétszőlő (Tokaj-Hétszőlő Birtok) and a Tokaji Édes Szamorodni 2013 from Chateau Dereszla.
Pannon wine region: On the southern side of Lake Balaton, the soils are gentler and allow riper, more balanced dark grapes to ripen than in Hungary’s northern wine ditricts. Full-bodied red wines with a pronounced tannin content thrive here including Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, but you will also find Kékfrankos and Kadarka, two grape varieties typical of Hungary. The Pannon wine region is represented by the wines of Péter Vida from Szekszárd, a Kékfrankos from the Hidaspetre Vineyard and by the Bock Winery’s Cuvée Ermitage from Villány.
Our masterclass is for the professional public, buyers, wine dealers and journalists who are interested in Hungary’s winemakers and wines and who have an eye for the potential of Hungarian quality wines.