Duna

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The elevation of the area is below 200 metres above sea level, not reaching 150 metres in most places, and the relief is essentially flat, with height differences of only 10–20 metres.
• The majority of soils are calcareous sandy soils, with smaller areas of brown forest soil, chernozem, meadow soil, and alluvial soil also occurring; the formation of the sand was largely determined by the alluvial deposits of the Danube.
• Sandy soils are immune to phylloxera owing to their quartz content, warm up quickly, and, due to their light colour, reflect solar radiation more effectively, which aids the ripening of the vines.
• The climate is continental, characterised by hot summers and cold winters; mean annual temperature is around 10–11 °C, and the annual average of sunshine hours exceeds 2,000.
• Average annual precipitation is 450–500 mm, which broadly meets the needs of the vine, though its distribution throughout the year is uneven, and spring and autumn frosts are also frequent.

• The earliest written record of viticulture in the region is the 1075 foundation charter of the Abbey of Garamszentbenedek, corroborated by further documents from the thirteenth century onwards.
• Because of the phylloxera immunity of the sandy soils, the phylloxera epidemic that devastated the country from 1875 left viticulture here almost entirely unaffected, and in 1883 a research centre was established at Kecskemét-Miklóstelek to combat phylloxera.
• From the 1960s, alongside the traditional varieties such as Ezerjó, Kadarka, and Kövidinka, the planting of varieties originating from other wine regions — including Kékfrankos, Leányka, Muscat Ottonel, and Olasz rizling — also began.
• Currently, within the framework of structural restructuring, an increase in the area planted with the domestically bred variety Cserszegi Fűszeres is being observed in response to market demand.

• The wines are elegant in appearance, fresh and lively in character, with a fine acid structure and a moderately long finish.
• In the case of varietal wines, the wine displays the floral and fruit aromas and flavours characteristic of the given variety.

• As a result of the sandy soils, the wines have a lower mineral content and are lighter in body; owing to the ecological characteristics of the area, the wines generally mature more quickly and are moderate in alcohol.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in Hungary

Sources

• Specification (EUR-Lex, single document)
• National product specification (PDF) — agrarminiszterium
• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-HU-A1345
• Official trade body site — Kunsági Borvidék Hegyközségi Tanácsa