Regional food brands and quality labels have received a lot of interest among FRIDGE partners. In this article we present good example from Szekszárd, Hungary where actions have been taken to promote the wine products of the region.
SZEKSZÁRD WINE REGION
Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographical Indication (PGI)
In Hungary, we distinguish two classes of protected origin for wine. PDO wines are those that have specific local qualities which depend on their place of origin, and go by the name of „Oltalom alatt álló eredetmegjelölés” (OEM). including „Szekszárd; Szekszárdi”. This is complemented by a voluntary label called Districtus Hungaricus Controllatus, aka DHC, indicating an even stricter quality control, encompassing whole wine regions, such as Villány, or sub-regions or styles. Generally speaking most wine regions are PDO regions in Hungary and there are selected few using also DHC. Bigger regional entities designated by PGIs also exist.
The Szekszárd Wine Region itself is a PDO encompassing around 2200 hectares of wineyards. The region is well-known of its red varietes yielding full bodied yet elegant wines. Bordeaux blends (Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon) and local (Kadarka, Kékfrankos) are to be found and work very well together in a local blend called Bikavér. This blend is dominated by Kékfrankos, and can contain up to 40 percent of the Bordeaux varieties along with a small percentage of Kadarka. Two more somewhat unusual blends are amongst the more specific wines – Siller and Fuxli and can be described as a more dark rosé, the latter of which also can be found in the region and its most prominent producer received several international awards.
Cooperation in Szekszárd
The professionalization and the chance to enter international markets required local producers to work together in order to create a common brand and develop an image of the Szekszárd Wine Region.
The most prevalent manifestation of the cooperation is the development of the Szekszárd bottle used exclusively for the most prominent local varieties, such as Kékfrankos, Kadarka and Bikavér. The wines to be bottled are selected by a blind tasting session ensuring high quality and impartiality among the producers. The bottle itself is quite similar to a Burgundly Bottle with „Szekszárd” engravings making it unmistakable and increasing the profile of the Wine Region.
More information read: szekszardibor.com/en/
