Grape variety
Furmint
Hardly any other grape variety is as closely associated with a country and its most famous wine as Furmint is with Hungary and Tokaj. The white variety is considered the heart and soul of the legendary sweet wine - and is also experiencing a remarkable renaissance as a dry wine.
Furmint is old, rich in tradition and has long been shrouded in myth, with stories suggesting that it was once brought to Hungary from abroad. But DNA analyses show: Furmint is a genuine Hungarian native. It originated from a natural cross between the white Heunisch (Gouais Blanc) and a Romanian variety that is hardly known today.
The vine sprouts early and ripens late, is sensitive to late frost and mildew, but is resistant to drought. Its loose-berried, thick-skinned grapes predestine it for botrytis - the noble rot that makes the great Tokaj wines so unique.
In addition to the legendary sweet Aszú wines, more and more dry Furmints are being produced today: powerful, mineral and with flavours of apple, quince and honey. Its existence is growing, not least in Austria, where the grape variety was once common as a royal grape variety and then gradually became rarer and rarer. However, the Austrians have long since recognised that Furmint is one of the best white grape varieties in the wine world.