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A wine tour of the Balaton Uplands region including a cellar visit or two will reinvigorate the body and soul alike. It serves both as a worthy leisure activity and an opportunity for some profound conversation over a glass of wine.
These tours offer visitors excellent opportunities to experience the unique beauty and tranquillity of the region after the buzz of the summer season has gone, providing first hand experience of the history of local winemaking during the wine cellar tours.
The Balaton region offers unique conditions for viticulture. The volcanic soil adds special minerality to the wines produced here while the mild climate and the proximity of the lake give them a unique character.
Balaton Uplands is obviously the home of white wines. Unique to the region is an ancient Hungarian grape variety, the Kéknyelű. The Zenith variety of fruity freshness in the aroma is also considered a curiosity. But the “trademark” variety of the Balatonfüred–Csopak Wine District is undoubtedly the Welschriesling (or Olaszrizling as it is called in Hungarian).
Few people know that the soil structure of the Nagy-Somló Wine District – a stump-shaped volcanic inselberg – is rather similar to the Tokaj Wine Region. A visit here must include a taste of the Juhfark, the trademark wine of the district. You might as well stock up on a few bottles, as they keep their freshness for years due to their reliable acidity.
The wine aficionado should not shun the south coastline of Lake Balaton: the lavish sunshine, mild climate and good soil make the Balatonboglár and Zala Wine Districts ideal for the production of red wines of light elegance.
The Balaton Uplands region is rife with family‑owned wineries where the traditions of the wine‑making trade are passed generation to generation. They will readily share their accumulated knowledge “infecting” visitors with the love of wines during cellar tours, a must among programmes in the region.
These visits offer the perfect opportunity to learn about the process of wine making and gain exciting first‑hand insight into the secrets of storing and maturing wines from the local winemakers. And the “compulsory” conclusion of such cellar tours, wine tasting is made even more special by the opportunity to have met the winemakers and learned about the history.
A proper wine tour of the Balaton, however, goes beyond wines, also indulging the visitors in unique gastronomical experiences that go with them. Well, good news: beyond the well‑known establishments the number of restaurants, bistros and bakeries in the region keep growing year by year. Finding the right eatery and exquisite food to go with your choice of wine here is thus really a walk in the park.
Changing season to season, the beauty of the landscape around Lake Balaton leaves visitors to the region with long lasting memories. The terraces of hillside wineries offer breathtaking vistas of Lake Balaton, the surrounding hills and wineyards. The closeness of nature and the tranquillity of the countryside make a perfect atmosphere to relax and enjoy the moment in its fullness.