One of Hungary's undeservedly forgotten wine districts, which boasts excellent terroir. It has exciting soils and a solid past and offers real opportunities for determined wine producers. Taking the wine district as a whole, many people probably know its western villages, such as Bogács and Cserépfalu and their enticing surroundings for those wishing to relax. Unfortunately, many people no longer know what significant terroir and untapped potential Miskolc can conjure up in the theoretical contest for sophisticated consumers. It produces unique, modern white and red wines with wonderful acidity and vibrantly lively character.
GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION
It is located at the southern foot of the Bükk Mountains, between Eger and Miskolc. Administratively, it belongs to Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County. The total production area of the Bükk wine district is huge, at about 17,636 hectares. only 1,011 hectares of this are under vine.
SOIL
It is a diverse landscape in terms of its geological conditions. In the north, at the foot of the Bükk Mountains, Triassic and Jurassic rocks, black shale and limestone dominate, although there are very few vineyards in this area. Further south, similar to the Eger wine district, there is an area of Miocene rhyolite tuff, covered by Pannonian clay, sand and lignite. This is the best terroir for viticulture. The youngest geological formation in the area is the Quaternary loess. Erubase soils and black nyirok soils have formed over rhyolite tuff, while elsewhere there are brown soils and luvisol forest soils. The further south you move from the mountains, the more chernozem brown forest and grassland soils become dominant in the Quaternary lowland sediments. The gentle south-facing slopes and escarpments that characterise the Bükk's terrain make it ideally suited for even large-scale grape production.
CLIMATE
Its climate is favourable for viticulture. The Bükk Range protects it from the cold north winds, creating a favourable microclimate on the southern and southwestern slopes. Thanks to this protection from the wind, Bükkalja gets less precipitation than to the north, as the precipitation falls in the high mountains. Thus, there is a significant shortage of water in the summer (around 130 mm).
GRAPE VARIETIES AND TYPICAL WINE STYLES
Today, the Bükk wine district is predominantly a white wine region. There are no traditional varieties to speak of unless you consider the abundant direct-producer varieties that have survived here and there.
The current recommended white varieties are Leányka, Chardonnay, Cserszegi Fűszeres and Olaszrizling, while Kékfrankos, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Zweigelt make up the black varieties.
The region's most famous wine for many years was Tibolddaróc Olaszrizling.
In the last ten years, however, the situation has changed slightly. Wine lovers' interest has shifted to around Miskolc and Nyékládháza instead of the areas centred on Cserépfalu and Tibolddaróc. And the explanation for this is nothing other than the appearance of some very unique wine producers in this area. Wines, both red and white, are characterised by lively acidity and light yet firm body.