, Central Europe: Come and taste

In Budapest, busy stands at the Borfesztivál, with the statue of Eugene of Savoy on Buda Castle Hill.

Stretching some 1,500km from the Czech Republic and Austria to Serbia, passing through Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine and Romania along the way, the Carpathian mountains are Europe’s third-longest mountain chain after the Urals and the Scandinavian mountains. These majestic and mysterious mountains have arguably played as significant a factor in the development of the region’s history and culture as Europe’s second-longest river, the Danube, and the encroachment and retreat of empires Roman, Ottoman and Habsburg, not to mention the more recent impact of the Soviet era. They also have a remarkably long winemaking tradition, dating back several thousand years.

The Carpathian foothills experience a relatively mild climate with plenty of both rain and hot, sunny days, while also possessing a diversity of volcanic soils, and today they represent a versatile paradise for wine lovers, where the ancient art of winemaking is grandly celebrated. In this wine haven, the old ‘New World’ of varieties such as Furmint, Welschriesling, Kadarka, Kékfrankos and other discoveries await, along with rich historic cultures, breathtaking landscapes and the broadly undiscovered wine scenes of central Europe. With only a small percentage of the local wine leaving its respective countries, there’s a vast tapestry of labels waiting to be explored.

For wine enthusiasts, an excellent way to discover this expansive area is by visiting one or more of the region’s regular wine festivals. Many of the countries through which the Carpathians

This Article was originally published on Decanter

Similar Posts