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That Useful Wine Site

  Wine explained, clearly and helpfully, including critic-recommended specimens of each variety.

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Welcome to That Useful Wine Site!

You have apparently come to this page from a link on a search engine or another site. If this is your first visit here, I much recommend that you take a few minutes to look over the introductory material accessible via the blue “Introductory” zone of the Site Menu available from the “hamburger” icon in the upper right of this (and every) page. An understanding of the purposes and principles of organization of this site will, I hope and believe, much augment your experience here, for this page and in general. You can simply click this link to get at the site front page, which, unsurprisingly, is the best place to start. Thank you for visiting.

The Hárslevelü Grape


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About Hárslevelü

(Synonyms: Budai Goher, Feuille de Tilleul, Frunza de Tei, Frunze de Tei, Gars Levelyu, Garsh Levelyu, Garsleveliu, Garsz Levelju, Gorsh Levelyu, Hachat Lovelin, Harch Levelu, Harchlevelu, Hars Levelu, Hars Levelü, Hárs Levelü, Hars Levelyu, Harslevele, Hárslevele, Harst Leveliu, Harzevelu, Hosszúnyelü Fehér, Feuille de Tilleul, Kerekes, Kereklevelü, Lämmerschwanz, Lämmerschwanz, Weisser, Lidenblättriger, Lindenblätrige, Lindenblättrige, Lindenblättriger, Lindenblütrige, Lindener, Lipolist, Lipolist Biyali, Lipovina, Musztafer, Nöthab, Tarpai, Tokai, Tokay, and Vörös.)

Background

Map showing Hungary in the Carpathian/Pannonian Basins

Hárslevelü is a white-wine grape originating in the Pannonian (aka Carpathian) Basin, a region in the southeastrn part of central Europe; it encompasses a number of modern-day nations, but predominantly Hungary.

Hungary is today the chief source of Hárslevelü grapes and wines (though there is now a bit being grown in Germany, Slovakia, and even South Africa). The grape is planted in several Hungarian wine regions, but chiefly in the area of Somló, and therein most notably in the Tokhttps://openingabottle.com/first-taste-guide-harslevelu/aj wine region.

Hárslevelü is mainly used in the production of sweet dessert wines such as the famed Tokaji Aszú. There remains, however, a nontrivial amount of dry table wine being made, and it is that we are interested in here. Those wines are typically described as full-bodied, with a strong herbal-floral nose and corresponding flavors.

Though it is not yet well known in the U.S.—undoubtedly the pronunciation (one source says it’s HARSH-leh-veh-LOO, while another says HARSH-lev-UH-loo) and complex accenting are barriers—it is an important and good-quality grape, and its wines, though currently scarce here, worth seeking out.

(Another drawback is the terrible reputation the wines got during the Soviet hegemony, when The All-Wise in Moscow turned most or all of the satellite nations into “wine factories”, making ghastly but cheap plonk for the masses. Hungary, home to many excellent grapes, got hurt especially badly, and the miasmic reputation of all the wines of that era lingers.)

Factoid: Hárslevelü winemakers include an unusually high percentage of women.

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Some Descriptions of Hárslevelü Wines

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Some Harslevelu Bottlings to Try

(About this list.)

Regrettably, there are no Harslevelu bottlings that meet our quality/price/availability criteria. Sorry.

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This page was last modified on Sunday, 8 December 2024, at 9:46 pm Pacific Time.