Egerszóláti Olaszrizling
Egerszóláti Olaszrizling is one of the traditional white wines of the Eger wine region. It is made of grapes of the variety called Olaszrizling (outside Hungary more commonly known under its German-language name Welschriesling) and has on origin of the village Egerszólát.
History
Egerszóláti Olaszrizling used to be one of the well-known Eger white wines in the Hungarian market before the communist regime. After 1945 it became a victim of the socialist farming focusing on quantity instead of quality. Attempts to re-discover this wine were made by some Eger wine-makers in the late 1990s. It is planned to award Egerszóláti Olaszrizling the DHC-status (DHC is the Hungarian AOC-system, under construction).
Regulations
Nowadays Egerszóláti Olaszrizling is a quality white wine. The maximal yield can reach 95 hl/ha,[1] though most producers follow stricter practice: their vineyards yield 15-50 hl/ha. The wine is to get the DHC status within a few years (when the Eger DHC-system will be set).
Climate
The climate of Egerszólát is similar to that of the other parts of Eger: the annual mean temperature is 10,1 °C. Eger is among the coolest wine regions of Hungary. The annual amount of rainfall is 595 mm (average of the last 40 years), while the Sun shines 2100–2200 hours a year.[2]
Soil
The soil is brown forest soil with riolit tuff underneath.
Wines
Egerszóláti Olaszrizling is a full-bodied white wine with nice acids. It is the best when fermented and aged in oak for a few months. Bottle ageing pays off well. It is the best 2–3 years after harvest.