Balaton Wines - Badacsony and Balatonboglár

The Balaton - Hungary's "sea" - is home to two notable wine regions along its shores: Badacsony and Balatonboglár. These areas are not only flagships of Hungarian winemaking but also iconic symbols of the Balaton landscape. Here, the vineyards wrap around the lake like green pearls around a blue ribbon, where historical and modern winemaking techniques intersect. Discover the wines of Badacsony and Balatonboglár, and let them invite you for a tasting!

Badacsony: Volcanic Terroir

The Badacsony wine region is shaped by its volcanic past, where basalt-speckled hills and deep valleys provide a unique microclimate. Grape varieties, as ancient secret keepers, impart distinctive minerality and pronounced acidity to the wines. Varietals like Olaszrizling, Szürkebarát, and Hárslevelű have adapted to this rocky environment for millennia, resulting in wines that, like volcanic smoke, soar high in intensity and complexity.

Award-Winning Folly Winery

The Folly Arboretum and Winery was born in the heart of Badacsony, merging the love of nature with the art of winemaking, where vines and trees are both guided by careful hands. The Folly family’s seven hectares are nestled in the magical environment of the arboretum, where a passion for viticulture and winemaking is passed down through generations. The unique microclimate of the Kisörsi Hill provides ideal conditions for their flagship grapes: Szürkebarát, Ottonel Muscat, Kéknyelű, Rhine Riesling, Budai Zöld, and Olaszrizling. The Folly family’s commitment and expertise enable the harvested grapes to transform into the highest-quality wines.

In their winemaking, modern techniques blend with traditional methods. Most of their wines are made using reductive processes, though some exceptional bottles, like Cédrus, undergo barrel aging to enhance their character and depth. Kéknyelű, with its pale color and restrained aroma, hints at white-fleshed fruit, citrus, flowers, and green spices, maintaining its historical reputation and uniqueness. Rhine Riesling, made from grapes harvested at biological ripeness, features a fresh, slightly spicy aroma and a creamy, full, and richly fruity taste. This earned it gold medals in 2023 at the Berliner Wine Trophy and Vinagora for the 2020 vintage.

The new labels, depicting distinctive plants of the arboretum, highlight not only the quality of the wines but also the close relationship with nature, which is one of the cornerstones of Folly Winery.

Balatonboglár: The verdant vineyards of South Balaton

The Balatonboglár region on the southern shore of Lake Balaton is famous for its diverse wine selection. In these lush landscapes, white and rosé wines prevail, known for their freshness and fruitiness. From Chardonnay to Zenit, a wide range of light wines perfect for summer evenings offer the ideal pairing for Balaton sunsets.

Kristinus: Hungary's largest certified biodynamic vineyard

Situated in the heart of Balatonboglár, Kristinus Estate operates with principles of sustainability and minimizing its ecological footprint. In every aspect of winemaking—from choosing lightweight bottles to utilizing renewable energy—they strive for eco-friendly farming in harmony with nature. Since 2018, all vineyard areas have been cultivated according to fully biodynamic principles, treating the vineyard and its environment as a unified whole. Birds and four-legged animals are also involved in maintaining biodiversity.

These principles guide the entire Kristinus winemaking process. In viticulture, they use only natural plant protection methods, opting exclusively for biological preparations over chemical fertilizers and sprays. This approach ensures that their wines reflect the unique terroir of the Balatonboglár region as purely and authentically as possible. Kristinus not only innovates in winemaking techniques but also in daily vineyard operations. They bake their own sourdough bread and completely eliminate single-use plastics to show their commitment to sustainability.

Taste the masterpieces of sustainable winemaking: Kristinus wines!

The Balaton wine regions, Badacsony and Balatonboglár, await exciting exploration. Those who taste these wines will understand why these landscapes are so unique. It's the blend of innovative spirit, historical traditions, and nature's wonders that makes them truly exceptional.