Wine, Grapes & Vineyards Thread

[littleadanel]

I was lucky and found an English description, so I don't have to bother with dictionaries and unique names of grapes so here it comes

The Villány Wine Region
Area: 1,892 ha
Climate: Like the Mecsekalja wine region, Villány’s climate is sub-
Mediterranean, warm, quite dry, and with a relatively long growing season.
In terms of heat sum and light, it is one of Hungary’s best endowed
wine regions. The warmth of the slopes protected on several sides is
intensified by warm air from the Mediterranean.
Soil: Mainly loess and red clay, occasionally Triassic dolomite, limestone
and Jura limestone mixed with loess.
Recommended grape varieties: Chardonnay, Hárslevelû
(Linden leaf), Italian Riesling, Muscat Ottonel, Pinot blanc, Rhine
Riesling, Sauvignon blanc, Tramini, Cabernet franc, Cabernet sauvignon,
Kékfrankos (Blaufränkisch), Kékoportó (Blauer Portugieser), Merlot,
Pinot noir.
Description: Some sources suggest viticulture in this area can be
traced back to the Celts, but it certainly goes back to Roman times.
Following the Mongol invasion of Hungary in 1241-42, vines were mainly
cultivated near castles (in this particular wine region in Siklós and
Szársomlyó). This is supported by the deed of foundation of the
Szársomlyó castle in 1247, in which King Bela IV mentions the vineyards
of Harsány.
Under Turkish rule Villány was totally destroyed, but vinegrowing did
not stop as people from neighbouring villages carried on cultivating
some of the vines of Villány. The Turks resettled the ruined village with
a Slav and Serb population, who brought the variety Kadarka as well as
the technology of making red wine by fermentation on the skins. After
the victory at the battle of Nagyharsány in 1687, a new influx of Serbs
settled here.
From the end of the 17th century the depleted Hungarian population
was gradually and systematically supplemented mainly by Germanspeaking
people. They brought with them the "Portugieser"
(Kékoportó or Blue Oporto) grape variety. Rows of cellars were built
near the villages. The reputation of Villány wine grew steadily and it
soon became an important export product.
As elsewhere, phylloxera devastated the vines of the region.
Traditional varieties are Kadarka, Kékoportó and Kékfrankos, and following
the phylloxera disaster, the French varieties Cabernet franc,
Cabernet sauvignon and Merlot were introduced here. In the Villány
area red wines predominate, while in the Siklós area mainly white wines
are made.

Here's a map - the route of the wine tour



A pic of Kékoportó (Blue Portuguese) grape...



And some labels I found...





Hope this will do