Balaton
Wine regionHungary
Balaton is a broad Hungarian wine area around the lake, with several distinct districts and an especially rich white-wine tradition.
Olaszrizling is a particularly useful reference grape around the lake, including Balatonfüred-Csopak and Badacsony. It is also known as Welschriesling and is distinct from Rhine Riesling. Local varieties such as Kéknyelű add further interest, especially in the northern districts.
Treat Balaton as an umbrella rather than a single vineyard environment. A district name narrows the origin and makes a comparison more meaningful. Start with Olaszrizling from two different districts, then explore a local speciality to see how the lake’s surrounding wine traditions extend beyond a single grape.
Grapes grown
Sub-regions
- Badacsony
- Balatonfüred-Csopak
- Balaton-felvidék
- Balatonboglár
- Zala