Grape harvest time at the countryside

The „Hungarian Tuscany” in Northern Hungary

Borsod – Abaúj –Zemplén county is the place where I was born and it always will be special to me.  This region might not be as well known as the famous sights in Budapest, even though it’s home to the most beautiful natural wonders, waterfalls, hiking trails, wine regions and untouched nature.  I’m referring to that as the „Hungarian Tuscany”, look at the photos and you will understand me: forests, hills, vineyards, the place has its own charm.  In some villages you have the feeling that time has stopped, discover these hidden gems and learn more about my culture! In this article I'm writing about the grape harvest traditions and my countryside in autumn.

Photos on the region, namely Ládbesenyő and Tomor villages and their areas:

Ládbesenyő

Tomor

Hungarian grape harvest traditions

Autumn is the time for grape harvesting. Basically from September till November people gather together on  the vineyards and collect the grapes by hand. It’s a hard work, but it’s a real feast at the same time, when families and friends come together. They deserve a traditional meal accompanied with wine and snack after collecting the grapes.  At the end of the day a huge party is organized to celebrate the successful season. Grape harvest has been part of my life since I remember. I couldn't wait to be at the feast as a little child and meet the relatives and friends for this special occasion.

The pickers  have shouted to the dough carrier boys and men, who were collected the grape into the “puttyony-s” (the Hungarian name of the dough). I was proudly shouting „Puttonyos!” to empty my bucket. Late supper always included a nice, rich goulash soup accompanied with fresh bread. Poppy seed and walnut roll called "beigli" is also part of the harvest meal.  As a snack we eat pogácsa, Hungarian crispy cheese biscuits.

Goulash soup

Pogácsa - crispy biscuits

Poppy seed - wallnut roll - Bejgli

Well - deserved glass of Riesling

My father inherited the vineyard from his father, since that he has been managing it successfully and it’s his passion today. Planting, harvesting, fermentation and all aspects of wine making are in his hands. This wine region is called Cserehát, it officially belongs to Bükkalja wine region and it's located on the southern slopes of the Bükk Mountain. The first documents referring to wine-making date back to the 14th century.   The main grape varieties include Italian Riesling, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Kékoportó, Merlot, Kadarka and Zweigelt.  The soil is mostly clay and rhyolite tuff at some places.

At the traditional grape harvest festivals wineries celebrate the end of the harvest season with parades, cooking competitions and folk programs. The Buda Castle Wine Festival was part of this feast, you can read about it in my previous articles.

Enjoy a glass of nice wine from Bükkalja wine region! Cheers