SeeUinHungary, Wine Regions, Somlo wine region

The smallest, but one of the most famous of our wine regions is located around an extinct volcano. There were times when its fame preceded even that of Tokaj. "Though every wine bears a social character and reveals its real nature when drunk in company, the wine of Somló is the drink of the lonely. It is so full of the oil of the ecstasy of creation that it is only to be drunk in devoted, definitely quiet, balanced loneliness. It is the wine of the wise, of those people who at last have learnt the greatest knowledge, serenity."
(Béla Hamvas)

Area: 690 hectares.
Climate: very windy region, so moderately warm, though rich in sunshine. Due to the slopes the sunshine is very advantageous.
Soil: loose structure, in some places clayey. Its composition is like to that of the Vesuvius - perhaps that is why the taste of the wine reminds of the Mediterranean wines.
Grape varieties, wines: In this region only white vine varieties are to be found: Furmint, Italian Riesling, Sheep's tail (Juhfark). High alcohol contents, strong acids, and hardness characterise the wine of Somló. As it is a typical aged wine, it achieves its character after several years of ageing in wooden casks. It would not permit blending.