One lake, ten wine societies!???

Again, we headed out a bit early to get a head start. Taking this trip in the springtime has it advantages, one being that there isn't a lot of traffic. From Tihany to Füred, we only passed a handful of cars on the road. Only die-hard fishermen dotted the lake waiting for a catch, swans and duck swimming close to shore, and the morning sun danced on the lake's reflection...(how awesome is that). Originally we planned to first stop at Figula winery as soon as we got to Füred, but unfortunately we counldn't reach them in time. Jásdi Pince was also close, so we decided to go with the flow and go to whatever winery we stumble into and is open. Well, we didn't find too many, and that's unfortunate.

This was just and unfortunate and sad as the fact that, no matter how you look at it, after Budapest, Lake Balaton is one of Hungary's biggest tourist destinations, and not one winery had a sign up along the bicycle route. An exception to this was Badacsony where there was an electronic information board at the pier where the wineries were listed. This is also disappointing because the Balaton wine region is one of the country's biggest and most connected regions--at least in terms of area--with all the more types of wine for this and, on top of all that, they have a slew of other programs, opportunities for rest and relaxation, and lodging possibilities to offer their visitors. Unfortunately, Balaton wineries do not have an apparent wine marketing strategy and the reason for this is most likely the lack of cooperation and unity, often typical of Hungary. One this is for sure, that currently the Balaton wine region consists of ten separate wine routes, each with their own society, naturally each with its own brochure, webpage, and high budget to produce and maintain these. But us wine tourists do not get to see much of this. If they would have only combined their budgets and joined together in one marketing concept, then most definaetly, the wine route would have been more effective and tourists and wineries alike would have benefitted. If you go to lake Balaton, you are more than likely to see a lot of vineyards on the side of the road, but but you won't be able to tell where the wineries are that make the wine. And they are there all right, making some fantastic wine! The only winery we stumbled into was Soma Pince at Alsóörs. It turned out to be a wine store and little museum. An old curia with a historic cellar, which houses the wine store. On the shelves and hung up on the wall are antique pieces and out in the garden, an old press, wine pump, and stone sculptures. A very peaceful and serene place, worth taking a look around. They also hold winetastings for larger groups, unfortunately, we were only two, so thirst, we paddled onward. At least we found here two brochures and some information on Balaton wineries. A few kilometeres from here in Balatonalmádi, there came a point when we just had to stop--winery or no winerey--and taste some wine, which we did at a local restaurant. We ended up at the Jacht Klub where we tasted a 2007 Cserszegi fűszeres from Jásdi Pincészet. It felt wonerderful drinking that nice refreshing glass of white wine under the warm glare of the sun with its pleasant carbonation, nice acidity, peach and citrus aromas, and as it grew warmer, mineral notes. We hopped on our bikes and continued down the easter side of the lake, where the signs leading the way were a bit more scarce, and we lost our way at least twice.

Tip: Apart from the signs, pay close attention to the bright orange arrows painted on the road. They will prevent you from getting lost and are a big help.

There is a steep include at Balatonakarattya, but after that its smooth sailing all the way to Balaton lelle. At Zamárdi we took a small detour and visited Szent Kristóf Winery. If we proceed down road 7 by the train station in central Zamárdi, we need to travel a few hundred meters west on the sidewalk, then at the second street, take a left up the hill--there are signs--and you'll already find yourself at the winery. We enjoyed the greatest hospitality and great wines to go with it. One of our favorites was their rosé, which is going to be on the market very soon. Their other very exciting wine was their 2006 Green Veltilini, first with notes of quince and pear, then cinnamon, cloves, and slowly more and more aromas revealed themselves to end in notes of apple pie. If you decide to make the trip, definately don't leave out their 2007 Zenit either! Not their delicious homemade goat cheese, nor their pumpkinseed oil, nor ther delicious cold plates full of local fresh ham, sausage, vegetables, cheeses, and all sorts of delicious food. It was a great stop, but we need to continue on so we would arrive back at Balatonlelle before nightfall.

We got back exactly at seven in the evening having peddaled 220 kilometers across the span of three days. It was a beautiful trip, full of wonderful experiences. I suggest everyone try a simlar tour of Lake Balaton. Saddle up and go! However, before heading off, it's a good idea to look up the wineries you want to visit and note their address and telephone number and, if you have the time, let them know you're coming because there won't be signs there to guide you along the way.

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