Organised by VisitDebrecen and the Debrecen Wine Journal, this year’s wine competition and judging were held on 4th February 2022 at Hotel Lycium with the participation of wine academics, winemakers, and sommeliers. The first round of wine testing was carried out last year by a panel of winemakers and wine experts from the Debrecen Wine Bar, judging 426 wines from 86 wineries in 15 wine regions.
Based on the results of the first round of judging, the wineries with the highest scores were invited to the next round, the public press event to decide the title of Wines of Debrecen 2022. The Wines of Debrecen title will be awarded again this year to the full range of wines in seven categories – sparkling, classic white and red, rosé, premium white and red, and sweet white.
The wines entered the competition
Statistics about the wine regions, winemakers that have made it to the second and deciding round:
- In the classic white wine category, 6 wine regions and 13 batches from 10 wineries are competing for the title.
- In the premium white wine category, 8 wine regions and 17 batches from 13 wineries are competing for the title.
- In the rosé wine category, 5 wine regions and 12 batches from 10 wineries are competing for the title.
- 7 wine regions and 17 batches from 13 wineries are competing for the title in the Classic Red Wine category.
- In the Premium red wine category, 6 wine regions and 19 batches from 13 wineries are competing for the title.
- In the white dessert wine category, 5 wine regions and 9 batches from 6 wineries are competing for the title.
- In the sparkling wine category, 4 wine regions and 9 batches from 5 wineries are competing for the title.
A press conference with the wineries and wines will be held at a later date to announce the winners.
Debrecen and wine
Debrecen is no stranger to Hungarian wine and wine culture. It is a historical fact that Érmellék has been the city’s vineyard for centuries. Érmellék is the third most important white wine region after Tokaj and the Balaton Uplands. In 1870, for the first time in the whole Carpathian Basin, a school for vintners was founded in Bihardiószeg, less than 40 km from Debrecen.
The expansion of the Turks led the citizens of Debrecen to turn their attention to the wine region from the mid-17th century: many citizens of Debrecen bought vineyards in the wine region closest to the city: in 1690, 118 citizens of Debrecen owned larger vineyards in 29 settlements in the Meremell region. It was noted that during the harvest, Debrecen’s administration was also suspended.
Due to the common historical background and in order to support the Hungarian wine culture, Debrecen has been organizing the Bakator Wine and Gastro Festival together with the Bihardiószeg municipality for years, and it also supports the stay and work of young winemakers in Érmellék by offering grafts. One of the reasons for this is that Bihardiószeg is once again one of the centers of the Érmellék wine region and 80 hectares of the 250 hectares of vineyards in the Bihar part is cultivated in the settlement.
Wines labeled with the Wines of Debrecen clearly stand for the respect and responsibility of viticulture and winemaking in the Carpathian Basin. They represent a value-based approach to making the unique talents inherited by our ancestors as good as possible in the production of quality wines. Wines labeled with the Wines of Debrecen guarantee that all consumers will meet the unique values and real wine experiences of Hungarian production sites.
The wines inherent in exclusive gift boxes can not only be of real value to collectors but also serve as a special surprise as a corporate or friendly gift. The wine selection of the Wines of Debrecen, selected every year and coordinated by the professional team of VisitDebrecen and the Debrecen Winery, can be found in more and more restaurants or at events related to Hungarian wine culture.
