Szekszárd is one of the oldest wine regions in Hungary, where viniculture is known to date back to Roman times. Its name is first mentioned in 1015, which presumably refers to King Béla I, who in 1061 founded the Benedictine Abbey there, where he was later buried. King Béla I was dark-skinned and bald, which in Old Hungarian were "szög" and "szár" respectively. Only since 1903 has the town been called Szekszárd, instead of Szegszárd, and we can still find the old spelling on a few wine labels.
Szekszárd is a true wine town which lives and breathes wine, and is home to at least 4,500 cellars. Its hills are dotted with cellars and there's even a street named Kadarka utca, named after the famous local red grape. The boundaries of the wine region have often changed: in 1893 it was attached to the whole county, while today it only refers to the eastern, narrow strip of the Szekszárd hills. Even though earlier the region was known for its white wines, red grapes were introduced during the Turkish occupation. Among others, Kadarka was brought to the region by the Serbian Raci, who were attempting, in vain, to escape the Turks. Although the Turks caught up with them in Szekszárd, interestingly enough, the vineyards were spared during the Turkish occupation. Furthermore, based on preserved records, some vineyards even had Muslim owners. Later, the local population's main source of income became viniculture. Owing to its well-known fame all around the Habsburg Empire, more and more families obtained vineyards in the region, and when the abbeys decreased the grape-growers tax called "ninth" to "tenth" at the beginning of the 18th century, German-Swabian settlers poured into the region in several waves.
According to records, in 1828, there were 37 white and 29 "black" grape varieties in the region (out of which six were Kadarka related). By today the proportion has turned the other way around, and blue grapes have become characteristic of the region. Bikavér originates from Szekszárd, according to winemaker Ferenc Vesztergombi, who says its name was coined by local poet János Garay. It is a blend of a minimum of three wines from among Kadarka, Kékfrankos, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Without Kadarka, which back in the 60s made up 60% of plantings but now takes up around 10%, there can be no Szekszárd Bikavér (Bull's Blood), he adds.
Szekszárd:… beautiful hills, 3-meter high "walls" of loess over terra rossa, cellar doors, Swabian families, fruity wines, Kadarka, Kékfrankos, Bikavér and, of course, the poet Mihály Babits who was also born here.
Area: 2625.78 hectares (ha)
Settlements: Alsónána, Alsónyék, Báta, Bátaszék, Decs, Harc, Kéty, Medina, Mórágy, Őcsény, Sióagárd, Szálka, Szekszárd, Várdomb and Zomba.
Centre: Szekszárd
Grape varieties: 70% blue, 30% white grapes. Characteristic varieties: Kékfrankos, Kadarka, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, Olaszrizling and Chardonnay, but rarer varieties such as Viognier, Syrah, Nebbiolo, Sagrantino and Tannat have also been planted.
Soil structure: One of the thickest loess soils in Hungary.
Landscape: Narrow gorges, mounds of loess strewn with dykes on what was once the flood plain of the Danube, Sárvíz and Sió, with its highest part being the 285 meter high Óriás-hegy (Giant Hill). Climate: Dunántúl-like, temperate, continental climate. Spring and autumn frosts hardly ever damage the grapes. Summers are warm. However, the micro-climate of the valleys can be extreme and diverse, thus defining the different characteristics of the single-vineyards. Coordinates: North: 46° 23.00’, East: 18° 42.77’.
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