Pelzberg Kékfrankos – Grál Winery

Tolna officially joined the ranks of Hungary’s wine regions in 1998 when it broke off from being part of its more popular neighbor, Szekszárd. As such, there are a lot of similarities between the wine styles and wine production traditions of these two regions. Tolna’s 2,900 hectares of grapes make it the largest member of the greater Pannon wine region, which also comprises the regions of Pécs, Villány, and Szekszárd. Tolna is definitely off the beaten path when it comes to popularity, but its excellent wines and rows of idyllic, historic press houses make it a place well worth visiting. Much like Szekszárd, Tolna’s primary soil type is loess and the grapes benefit greatly from the Danube flowing on the eastern side of the region. All in all, around 55 to 60 percent of Tolna’s plantings are white grapes. Alongside Olaszrizling and Rajnai Rizling, aromatic varietals such as Cserszegi Fűszeres, Sauvignon Blanc, and Grüner Veltliner are very popular. Kékfrankos leads the plantings of red grapes by far, but Kadarka and Zweigelt are also well-loved by vignerons in Tolna.