A promising wine from the Balaton Uplands

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 05. 06. 11:30

Amid climate change and stricter plant protection regulations, more and more vineyards are looking for a way out towards sustainable winemaking. The Viticulture and Enology Research Institute of the University of Pécs, together with the Varga Winery, has bred resistant grape varieties that successfully defy not only diseases but also climate extremes. The goal: fewer chemicals, better wine, smaller ecological footprint.

Resistant grape varieties, digital research and sustainable technology: a new era begins in Hungarian winemaking

A new vineyard has been established in the Balaton Uplands, where varieties resistant to the most typical diseases have been planted. Wines made from grapes grown in this way can not only be produced in an environmentally friendly way, but also represent outstanding quality. The number of plant protection interventions can be reduced to two instead of the traditional eight, which is a significant step towards organic winemaking – points out Zoltán Madaras, president of the research institute.

Digital grape bank and 1600 varieties

The Pécs institute preserves more than 1600 grape varieties, of which ten are planted for research purposes. Long-term observations are recorded digitally, thus building a database that also enables research across generations. The main direction is now clearly the breeding of resistant varieties – this is not only in the interest of producers, but has also become inevitable due to EU plant protection regulations.

Increasingly extreme weather

Climate change has brought new challenges: drought periods, extreme rainfall and unpredictable temperature fluctuations characterize the everyday life of vineyards. The research institute therefore operates a model garden, where the adaptability of varieties is tested under different water supply conditions. Based on this, they recommend customized solutions to farmers – not only varieties, but also rootstock-vessel combinations.

Jasmine and its companions: a breakthrough in the wine market

The Jasmine grape variety has become the flagship of the research: it produces early-ripening, fragrant and playful wines, and can be a worthy successor to Irsai Olivér. The new wines created within the framework of the project – including the Jasmine standalone white wine, the Irsai–Jasmine blend, the Pinot Regina rosé and the Merlin–Merlot red wine – already promise market success. The international wine market is also increasingly open to such varieties.

Complete technology package for wineries

The research institute offers not only the variety, but also the matching cultivation technology and winemaking process. The goal is premium quality and for farmers to know exactly how to achieve the given wine style. The Jasmine, Pinot Regina and Merlin varieties are accompanied by a ready-made technology recommendation – which is a valuable help not only for small producers, but also for medium and large-scale enterprises.