Irsai Olivér – Gál Szőlőbirtok
Aromatic wines are one of the most popular categories in Hungary, and are big sellers at our Budapest shop. These are wines made from intensely fragrant and floral grape varieties; often very fruity; and produced in a reductive style (without any oxygen or oak contact) to preserve the freshness and lively acidity. They are made to be enjoyed young, while their bouquet of aromas is still exploding. Irsai Olivér is the fifth most widely planted grape in Hungary, and is one of the favorite aromatic wines in Hungary. Irsai Olivér is a crossing of Pozsonyi Fehér and Csaba Gyöngye, developed by Pál Kocsis in 1930. Officially registered in 1975, it only started being used for wine in the 1980s. It has been gaining in popularity ever since, thanks to its delicate acidity, Muscat character, and fresh aromas and flavors. There are various stories as to how the grape ended up with a person’s name. Some say that Olivér Irsai (in Hungarian surnames come before first names) was a wine merchant who paid to have a variety named after him. Others say he won a card game. Most likely, Olivér Irsai was the son of Kocsis’ friend. This grape is resistant to many vine diseases. It ripens early (mid-August), and is one of the first wines released every year, usually around November. This particular wine is the virgin wine coming from Irsai Olivér vines that the Gál family planted in 2020 on Csepel Island, a large island in the Danube, south of Budapest. It’s light-bodied (and very refreshing), with fruitiness in perfect balance with acidity. This wine is intensely aromatic, and very grapey, with pronounced Muscat flavors. It has a myriad of floral aromas, including violet, acacia, and rose. There’s also honey, cantaloupe, green apple, eucalyptus, lemon, and gooseberry. But the flavors start and finish most prominently with elderflower. If you like Pinot Grigio, you’ll like this wine. You can also add a splash of soda water to make it into a fröccs (wine spritzer). Enjoy it with salads, cold soups, chips with guacamole and salsa, cured ham, or spicy dishes with ginger.
2,790 Ft
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*Prices shown include Hungarian VAT (27%). Final prices are calculated based on the VAT of your shipping country.
The Kunság PDO is Hungary’s largest wine producing area, with 23,300 hectares of vineyards. It lies in the larger Duna-Tisza közé PGI, which is the area lying between Hungary’s two great rivers—the Danube and the Tisza. This PGI is part of Hungary’s Great Plain (an area occupying nearly half of the country), the area is the country’s largest wine producing region, growing about half of Hungary’s grapes and encompassing several different PGIs and PDOs (Protected Designation of Origin area).
The land here is flat. It has mostly sandy soil due mainly to movement of the Danube River, which has left sandy deposits between the two rivers for thousands of years. Vineyards in the sand help prevent the spread of quicksand, and vines (unlike other crops) are able to thrive in this type of soil.
The sandy soil also heats up quickly, helping the grapes ripen. Another benefit of the sandy terroir is that there is no phylloxera (it can’t survive in the sand), so winegrowers don’t have to graft onto American rootstocks, making planting new vineyards more affordable.
The region is most known for the production of light, aromatic, and fruity wines which are made to be easy-going and immediately consumed (rather than aged). Grape varieties found in this region include lots of local and little-know types (including some only found here) like Bianca, Cserszegi Fűszeres, Aletta, Zalagyöngye, Kunleány, Kövidinka, and Arany Sárfehér. International varieties like Riesling, Zweigelt, and Kékfrankos are also grown. Though the area has long been known for its large wineries producing mass-market wines, there are some interesting winemakers to look out for lately (such as Szentpéteri Winery).
| Country | 1-3 bottles |
4-6 bottles |
7-12 bottles |
13-15 bottles |
16-18 bottles |
19-24 bottles |
25-27 bottles |
28-30 bottles |
31-36 bottles |
37 or more bottles |
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| Austria | 7,800 Ft | 8,300 Ft | 9,500 Ft | 17,300 Ft | 17,800 Ft | 19,000 Ft | 26,800 Ft | 27,300 Ft | 35,600 Ft | 28,500 Ft |
| Belgium | 10,200 Ft | 10,500 Ft | 12,200 Ft | 22,400 Ft | 22,700 Ft | 24,400 Ft | 34,600 Ft | 34,900 Ft | 45,400 Ft | 36,600 Ft |
| Bulgaria | 13,800 Ft | 14,500 Ft | 15,900 Ft | 29,700 Ft | 30,400 Ft | 31,800 Ft | 45,600 Ft | 46,300 Ft | 60,800 Ft | 47,700 Ft |
| Croatia | 10,200 Ft | 10,500 Ft | 12,200 Ft | 22,400 Ft | 22,700 Ft | 24,400 Ft | 34,600 Ft | 34,900 Ft | 45,400 Ft | 36,600 Ft |
| Czech Republic | 7,800 Ft | 8,300 Ft | 9,500 Ft | 17,300 Ft | 17,800 Ft | 19,000 Ft | 26,800 Ft | 27,300 Ft | 35,600 Ft | 28,500 Ft |
| Denmark | 13,800 Ft | 14,500 Ft | 15,900 Ft | 29,700 Ft | 30,400 Ft | 31,800 Ft | 45,600 Ft | 46,300 Ft | 60,800 Ft | 47,700 Ft |
| Estonia | 13,800 Ft | 14,500 Ft | 15,900 Ft | 29,700 Ft | 30,400 Ft | 31,800 Ft | 45,600 Ft | 46,300 Ft | 60,800 Ft | 47,700 Ft |
| Finland | 19,900 Ft | 21,200 Ft | 23,800 Ft | 43,700 Ft | 45,000 Ft | 47,600 Ft | 67,500 Ft | 68,800 Ft | 90,000 Ft | 71,400 Ft |
| France | 13,800 Ft | 14,500 Ft | 15,900 Ft | 29,700 Ft | 30,400 Ft | 31,800 Ft | 45,600 Ft | 46,300 Ft | 60,800 Ft | 47,700 Ft |
| Germany | 7,800 Ft | 8,300 Ft | 9,500 Ft | 17,300 Ft | 17,800 Ft | 19,000 Ft | 26,800 Ft | 27,300 Ft | 35,600 Ft | 28,500 Ft |
| Greece (mainland) |
19,900 Ft | 21,200 Ft | 23,800 Ft | 43,700 Ft | 45,000 Ft | 47,600 Ft | 67,500 Ft | 68,800 Ft | 90,000 Ft | 71,400 Ft |
| Hungary (outside of Budapest) |
4,000 Ft | 4,000 Ft | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Hungary (Budapest) |
4,000 Ft (free for orders over 20,000 Ft) |
4,000 Ft (free for orders over 20,000 Ft) |
4,000 Ft (free for orders over 20,000 Ft) |
Free | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Ireland | 13,800 Ft | 14,500 Ft | 15,900 Ft | 29,700 Ft | 30,400 Ft | 31,800 Ft | 45,600 Ft | 46,300 Ft | 60,800 Ft | 47,700 Ft |
| Italy | 13,800 Ft | 14,500 Ft | 15,900 Ft | 29,700 Ft | 30,400 Ft | 31,800 Ft | 45,600 Ft | 46,300 Ft | 60,800 Ft | 47,700 Ft |
| Latvia | 13,800 Ft | 14,500 Ft | 15,900 Ft | 29,700 Ft | 30,400 Ft | 31,800 Ft | 45,600 Ft | 46,300 Ft | 60,800 Ft | 47,700 Ft |
| Lithuania | 13,800 Ft | 14,500 Ft | 15,900 Ft | 29,700 Ft | 30,400 Ft | 31,800 Ft | 45,600 Ft | 46,300 Ft | 60,800 Ft | 47,700 Ft |
| Luxembourg | 13,800 Ft | 14,500 Ft | 15,900 Ft | 29,700 Ft | 30,400 Ft | 31,800 Ft | 45,600 Ft | 46,300 Ft | 60,800 Ft | 47,700 Ft |
| Netherlands | 10,200 Ft | 10,500 Ft | 12,200 Ft | 22,400 Ft | 22,700 Ft | 24,400 Ft | 34,600 Ft | 34,900 Ft | 45,400 Ft | 36,600 Ft |
| Poland | 7,800 Ft | 8,300 Ft | 9,500 Ft | 17,300 Ft | 17,800 Ft | 19,000 Ft | 26,800 Ft | 27,300 Ft | 35,600 Ft | 28,500 Ft |
| Portugal | 19,900 Ft | 21,200 Ft | 23,800 Ft | 43,700 Ft | 45,000 Ft | 47,600 Ft | 67,500 Ft | 68,800 Ft | 90,000 Ft | 71,400 Ft |
| Romania | 10,200 Ft | 10,500 Ft | 12,200 Ft | 22,400 Ft | 22,700 Ft | 24,400 Ft | 34,600 Ft | 34,900 Ft | 45,400 Ft | 36,600 Ft |
| Slovakia | 7,800 Ft | 8,300 Ft | 9,500 Ft | 17,300 Ft | 17,800 Ft | 19,000 Ft | 26,800 Ft | 27,300 Ft | 35,600 Ft | 28,500 Ft |
| Slovenia | 10,200 Ft | 10,500 Ft | 12,200 Ft | 22,400 Ft | 22,700 Ft | 24,400 Ft | 34,600 Ft | 34,900 Ft | 45,400 Ft | 36,600 Ft |
| Spain | 19,900 Ft | 21,200 Ft | 23,800 Ft | 43,700 Ft | 45,000 Ft | 47,600 Ft | 67,500 Ft | 68,800 Ft | 90,000 Ft | 71,400 Ft |
| Sweden | 13,800 Ft | 14,500 Ft | 15,900 Ft | 29,700 Ft | 30,400 Ft | 31,800 Ft | 45,600 Ft | 46,300 Ft | 60,800 Ft | 47,700 Ft |
| UK | See instructions |
