The six wine districts around Hungary's Lake Balaton share Olaszrizling, a white grape, but differ in their growing conditions. Northern vineyards have limestone-rich marl, red Permian sandstone and volcanic soils. The south is mainly warm loess. The lake moderates summer conditions and increases humidity. Balatonboglár, on the southern shore, makes fruity wines, including reds that can age. In Balatonfüred-Csopak, Olaszrizling whites and Kékfrankos reds may carry a village or single-vineyard name. BalatonBor is a regional brand based on Olaszrizling.
11 named areas
Inside the region
Explore the wine-growing areas of Lake Balaton.
- 01Badacsony1 producerBadacsony grows Olaszrizling and Kéknyelű on basalt slopes. Its whites can have texture, smoky notes and freshness. Retaining-wall terraces remain part of the vineyard landscape.
- 02BalatonNo producers listed yetBalaton's six wine districts share Olaszrizling but not one style. Northern and southern vineyard conditions differ, and the area includes white wines as well as ageable red styles.
- 03Balaton-felvidékNo producers listed yetOn Lake Balaton's northern shore, Balaton-felvidék shares climate and soil influences with Badacsony and Balatonfüred-Csopak.
- 04BalatonboglárNo producers listed yetBalatonboglár sits mainly on Lake Balaton's southern shore. Its wines are fruit-forward and concentrated, with ageable reds among the local styles.
- 05Balatonfüred-CsopakNo producers listed yetBalatonfüred-Csopak makes Olaszrizling and Kékfrankos at village and single-vineyard level. It is especially associated with Olaszrizling, while Tihany has a separate specification.
- 06Csopak1 producerCsopak works with Olaszrizling and Kékfrankos at village and single-vineyard level.
- 07KáliNo producers listed yetKáli's hills are largely made of volcanic debris rock, with little lava rock.
- 08Nagy-SomlóNo producers listed yetNagy-Somló's vineyards grow on volcanic ground. The direction a slope faces affects grape sugar and acidity.
- 09SomlóiNo producers listed yetSomlói wines come from a small volcanic hill in the Lake Balaton area. Furmint and Juhfark grow on basalt soils and make wines with firm acidity and a savoury finish.
- 10TihanyNo producers listed yetTihany has its own wine specification within Balatonfüred-Csopak, with volcanic, tuff-derived soils.
- 11Zala1 producerZala's rain and lower sunshine favour fresher, more balanced wines. It became a wine region in 1997 after local communities requested the restoration of its classification.
Producer profiles
Producer profiles
Every producer profiled in Lake Balaton so far.
- Balatonboglár WineryLarge commercial winery on Lake Balaton's southern shore, best known for its Chapel Hill export brand.
- Cezar WineryNagyrada producer near Kis-Balaton making white, rosé and red wines from Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and red varieties.
- Gilvesy WineryOrganic producer on a volcanic hill south of Lake Balaton, making low-alcohol, high-acid white wines from Furmint, Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc on 17th-century Esterházy estate grounds.