Furmint
Encyclopedia
Furmint is a variety of wine
grape
from the Pontian Balcanica branch of Vitis vinifera
, used for white wines. The name Furmint is taken from the word "froment" for the wheat-gold color of the wine it produces. While it is possible that it the grape is native to Hungary, the grape was likely brought to Hungary in the 13th century during the reign of King Béla IV. It is a late variety, usually ripening in the second half of October, and is often inflicted with Botrytis
.
Today, Furmint is most widely grown in Hungary
, particularly in the Tokaj-Hegyalja
wine region where it is used to produce single-varietal dry wines as well as being the principal grape in the better known Tokaji
dessert wine
s. It is also grown in the tiny Hungarian wine region of Somló
. Furmint plays a similar role in the Slovakian wine region of Tokaj
. It is also grown in Austria where it is known as Mosler. Smaller plantings are found in Slovenia where it is known as šipon. The grape is also planted in Croatia, Romania and the former republics of the Soviet Union
.
. As noted by wine expert Jancis Robinson
, the grape was likely brought to Hungary in the 13th century during the reign of King Béla IV. Following the destruction of the Mongolian invasion of Hungary, Béla wanted to quickly revive the country's devastated vineyards. The king instituted several policies encouraging mass immigration
of people knowledgeable in viticulture
and winemaking. Many of the immigrants that heeded Béla's call brought new grape varieties with them - one of which was likely Furmint. An elaboration of this theory has the grape originating in Piedmont and being brought to Hungary during Béla's reign by Italian immigrants.
In the Burgenland
region (now in Austria), Furmint was historically associated with the production of the sweet dessert wine Ausbruch
. The grape gradually fell out of favor in the Burgenland but in the 21st century, several Ausbruch winemakers (particularly around Rust
) have been rediscovering the grape's potential in their area. In Hungary, the grape is a significant component of the notable dessert wine Tokaji that has been in the Tokaj-Hegyalja region for several centuries. During Communist rule of Hungary
, Furmint's fortunes and notability declined as many vineyards and wineries fell into neglect. When Communism ended in the country towards the end of the 20th century, most of the joint venture wine companies that emerged decided to focus mainly on Furmint's uses in sweet wines - despite a general shift in consumers' wine tasting
habits towards drier wines. It wasn't until the 21st century that more attention was given to Furmint's potential for dry wine production.
In recent years, DNA profiling conducted at the University of Zagreb
has shown Furmint to be likely to have a parent-offspring relationship with the lowly Gouais Blanc
, which similar research elsewhere has shown to be a parent of numerous other varieties, including Chardonnay
. Furmint has also been confirmed to be the same grape as the Croatian white variety Moslavac.
, particularly the Tokaj-Hegyalja
region where it is often blended with Hárslevelű
and Sárga Muskotály. In Somló, producers dedicated to producing dry styles of Furmint have been steadily increasing plantings. Outside Hungary, it is found planted around the Crimea
where producers have endeavored to make their own versions of Tokaji. For the same reason, small plantings of the grape have been done in South Africa. In Austria it is most commonly found in Burgenland (where is known as Zapfner)) and Styria (where it is known as Mosler).
. The grape has the potential to produce wines with naturally high levels of acidity with complex flavors derived from phenolic compounds in the juice and through brief contact with the grape skins. Furmint wines, particularly the botrytized dessert wines, can have immense aging potential with some well made examples from favorable vintages continuing to age for over a century. These wines, described by wine expert Oz Clarke
as nearly "immortal
", are most often the aszú style wines of Tokaji made from the top 10-15% of Furmint harvested. This potential comes from the balance of acidity and high levels of sugars in the wine which act as preservatives during the aging process.
Dry styles of Furmint are characterized by their aroma notes of smoke
, pears and lime
. Dessert style wines can develop notes of marzipan
, blood orange
, apricots and barley sugar
. As these dessert styles of Furmint age they will often develop more smokey and spicy notes of tobacco
, tea
, cinnamon
and even chocolate
.
which was once known under the synonym of Tocai Friulano even though the grape the grape was likely never used in the production of Tokaji. To confuse things further, not only does Furmint share several synonyms with Sauvignon vert but Sauvignon vert itself is a synonym for the "green berry" sub-variety of Furmint. This, coupled with physical similarities between several strains of white grapevines makes identification of different wines, particularly those in developing Eastern European countries difficult. Among the grapes that ampelographers question whether they are the same grapes or different varieties are the Croatian grape Pošip
and the Romanian grape Grasă de Cotnari
.
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
from the Pontian Balcanica branch of Vitis vinifera
Vitis vinifera
Vitis vinifera is a species of Vitis, native to the Mediterranean region, central Europe, and southwestern Asia, from Morocco and Portugal north to southern Germany and east to northern Iran....
, used for white wines. The name Furmint is taken from the word "froment" for the wheat-gold color of the wine it produces. While it is possible that it the grape is native to Hungary, the grape was likely brought to Hungary in the 13th century during the reign of King Béla IV. It is a late variety, usually ripening in the second half of October, and is often inflicted with Botrytis
Botrytis cinerea
Botrytis cinerea is a necrotrophic fungus that affects many plant species, although its most notable hosts may be wine grapes. In viticulture, it is commonly known as botrytis bunch rot; in horticulture, it is usually called grey mould or gray mold.The fungus gives rise to two different kinds of...
.
Today, Furmint is most widely grown in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, particularly in the Tokaj-Hegyalja
Tokaj-Hegyalja
Tokaj-Hegyalja is a historical wine region located in southeastern Slovakia and northeastern Hungary. Hegyalja means "foothills" in Hungarian, and this was the original name of the region....
wine region where it is used to produce single-varietal dry wines as well as being the principal grape in the better known Tokaji
Tokaji
Tokaji is the name of the wines from the region of Tokaj-Hegyalja in Hungary and Slovakia. The name Tokaji is used for labeling wines from this wine district. This region is noted for its sweet wines made from grapes affected by noble rot, a style of wine which has a long history in this region...
dessert wine
Dessert wine
Dessert wines are sweet wines typically served with dessert.There is no simple definition of a dessert wine. In the UK, a dessert wine is considered to be any sweet wine drunk with a meal, as opposed to the white fortified wines drunk before the meal, and the red fortified wines drunk after it...
s. It is also grown in the tiny Hungarian wine region of Somló
Somló
thumb|250px|Somló Hill, HungarySomló is a 832 hectare wine region in the Veszprém and Vas counties, in the North-West of Hungary...
. Furmint plays a similar role in the Slovakian wine region of Tokaj
Tokaj (region in Slovakia)
Tokajské víno wine is produced in Tokaj, a wine region in Slovakia which comprises seven communities and 565 hectares of vineyards. This region was originally the northern part of the Tokaj-Hegyalja wine region in the Kingdom of Hungary....
. It is also grown in Austria where it is known as Mosler. Smaller plantings are found in Slovenia where it is known as šipon. The grape is also planted in Croatia, Romania and the former republics of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
History
While the exact origins of Furmint are not clear, it is generally well established that the grape was introduced to the Austro-Hungarian area in the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. As noted by wine expert Jancis Robinson
Jancis Robinson
Jancis Mary Robinson OBE, MW is a British wine critic, journalist and editor of wine literature. She currently writes a weekly column for the Financial Times, and writes for her website jancisrobinson.com...
, the grape was likely brought to Hungary in the 13th century during the reign of King Béla IV. Following the destruction of the Mongolian invasion of Hungary, Béla wanted to quickly revive the country's devastated vineyards. The king instituted several policies encouraging mass immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
of people knowledgeable in viticulture
Viticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
and winemaking. Many of the immigrants that heeded Béla's call brought new grape varieties with them - one of which was likely Furmint. An elaboration of this theory has the grape originating in Piedmont and being brought to Hungary during Béla's reign by Italian immigrants.
In the Burgenland
Burgenland
Burgenland is the easternmost and least populous state or Land of Austria. It consists of two Statutarstädte and seven districts with in total 171 municipalities. It is 166 km long from north to south but much narrower from west to east...
region (now in Austria), Furmint was historically associated with the production of the sweet dessert wine Ausbruch
Ausbruch
Ausbruch or sometimes Ausbruchwein is an Austrian wine term for a quality level in the Prädikatswein category. It is situated between Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese in requirements, which makes it a sweet dessert wine typically made from grapes affected by noble rot. The minimum must...
. The grape gradually fell out of favor in the Burgenland but in the 21st century, several Ausbruch winemakers (particularly around Rust
Rust, Austria
----Rust is a city in Burgenland, Austria located at the shore of the Neusiedler See. Although it has only about 1,700 inhabitants, it is a Statutarstadt, as it was endowed with the rights of a free city by the Hungarian crown in 1681. As a Statutarstadt, it also forms its own administrative...
) have been rediscovering the grape's potential in their area. In Hungary, the grape is a significant component of the notable dessert wine Tokaji that has been in the Tokaj-Hegyalja region for several centuries. During Communist rule of Hungary
People's Republic of Hungary
The People's Republic of Hungary or Hungarian People's Republic was the official state name of Hungary from 1949 to 1989 during its Communist period under the guidance of the Soviet Union. The state remained in existence until 1989 when opposition forces consolidated in forcing the regime to...
, Furmint's fortunes and notability declined as many vineyards and wineries fell into neglect. When Communism ended in the country towards the end of the 20th century, most of the joint venture wine companies that emerged decided to focus mainly on Furmint's uses in sweet wines - despite a general shift in consumers' wine tasting
Wine tasting
Wine tasting is the sensory examination and evaluation of wine. While the practice of wine tasting is as ancient as its production, a more formalized methodology has slowly become established from the 14th century onwards...
habits towards drier wines. It wasn't until the 21st century that more attention was given to Furmint's potential for dry wine production.
In recent years, DNA profiling conducted at the University of Zagreb
University of Zagreb
The University of Zagreb is the biggest Croatian university and the oldest continuously operating university in the area covering Central Europe south of Vienna and all of Southeastern Europe...
has shown Furmint to be likely to have a parent-offspring relationship with the lowly Gouais Blanc
Gouais Blanc
Gouais Blanc or Weißer Heunisch is a white grape variety that is seldom grown today but is important as the ancestor of many traditional French and German grape varieties. The name Gouais derives from the old French adjective ‘gou’, a term of derision befitting its traditional status as the grape...
, which similar research elsewhere has shown to be a parent of numerous other varieties, including Chardonnay
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...
. Furmint has also been confirmed to be the same grape as the Croatian white variety Moslavac.
Wine regions
Furmint is most widely cultivated in HungaryHungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, particularly the Tokaj-Hegyalja
Tokaj-Hegyalja
Tokaj-Hegyalja is a historical wine region located in southeastern Slovakia and northeastern Hungary. Hegyalja means "foothills" in Hungarian, and this was the original name of the region....
region where it is often blended with Hárslevelű
Hárslevelu
Hárslevelű , also called Lipovina , Frunza de tei , Lindenblättriger and Feuille de Tilleul is a grape variety from the Pontian Balcanica branch of Vitis vinifera.The name refers to the "lime leaf" in each of these languages...
and Sárga Muskotály. In Somló, producers dedicated to producing dry styles of Furmint have been steadily increasing plantings. Outside Hungary, it is found planted around the Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
where producers have endeavored to make their own versions of Tokaji. For the same reason, small plantings of the grape have been done in South Africa. In Austria it is most commonly found in Burgenland (where is known as Zapfner)) and Styria (where it is known as Mosler).
Wines and styles
Furmint can be produced in a variety of styles ranging from bone dry to extremely sweet wines afflicted by noble rotNoble rot
Noble rot is the benevolent form of a grey fungus, Botrytis cinerea, affecting wine grapes. Infestation by Botrytis requires moist conditions, and if the weather stays wet, the malevolent form, "grey rot", can destroy crops of grapes...
. The grape has the potential to produce wines with naturally high levels of acidity with complex flavors derived from phenolic compounds in the juice and through brief contact with the grape skins. Furmint wines, particularly the botrytized dessert wines, can have immense aging potential with some well made examples from favorable vintages continuing to age for over a century. These wines, described by wine expert Oz Clarke
Oz Clarke
Robert "Oz" Clarke is a British wine writer, television presenter and broadcaster.-Biography:Clarke’s parents were a chest physician and a nursing sister. He was brought up near Canterbury with a brother and a sister. Clarke became a chorister at Canterbury Cathedral and subsequently won a choral...
as nearly "immortal
Immortality
Immortality is the ability to live forever. It is unknown whether human physical immortality is an achievable condition. Biological forms have inherent limitations which may or may not be able to be overcome through medical interventions or engineering...
", are most often the aszú style wines of Tokaji made from the top 10-15% of Furmint harvested. This potential comes from the balance of acidity and high levels of sugars in the wine which act as preservatives during the aging process.
Dry styles of Furmint are characterized by their aroma notes of smoke
Smoke
Smoke is a collection of airborne solid and liquid particulates and gases emitted when a material undergoes combustion or pyrolysis, together with the quantity of air that is entrained or otherwise mixed into the mass. It is commonly an unwanted by-product of fires , but may also be used for pest...
, pears and lime
Lime (fruit)
Lime is a term referring to a number of different citrus fruits, both species and hybrids, which are typically round, green to yellow in color, 3–6 cm in diameter, and containing sour and acidic pulp. Limes are a good source of vitamin C. Limes are often used to accent the flavors of foods and...
. Dessert style wines can develop notes of marzipan
Marzipan
Marzipan is a confection consisting primarily of sugar and almond meal. Persipan is a similar, yet less expensive product, in which the almonds are replaced by apricot or peach kernels...
, blood orange
Blood orange
The blood orange is a variety of orange with crimson, blood-colored flesh. The fruit is smaller than an average orange; its skin is usually pitted, but can be smooth. The distinctive dark flesh color is due to the presence of anthocyanins, a family of pigments common to many flowers and fruit, but...
, apricots and barley sugar
Barley sugar
Barley sugar is a traditional variety of British boiled sweet, or hard candy, yellow or orange in colour with an extract of barley added as flavouring...
. As these dessert styles of Furmint age they will often develop more smokey and spicy notes of tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
, tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
, cinnamon
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several trees from the genus Cinnamomum that is used in both sweet and savoury foods...
and even chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
.
Confusion with other grapes
Furmint shares a wide range of synonyms with several other European grape varieties - such as Sauvignon vertSauvignon vert
Sauvignon vert is a white wine grape of the species Vitis vinifera. It is widely planted in Chile where it was historically mistaken for Sauvignon blanc...
which was once known under the synonym of Tocai Friulano even though the grape the grape was likely never used in the production of Tokaji. To confuse things further, not only does Furmint share several synonyms with Sauvignon vert but Sauvignon vert itself is a synonym for the "green berry" sub-variety of Furmint. This, coupled with physical similarities between several strains of white grapevines makes identification of different wines, particularly those in developing Eastern European countries difficult. Among the grapes that ampelographers question whether they are the same grapes or different varieties are the Croatian grape Pošip
Pošip
Pošip is an autochthonous white wine grape that is primarily grown in the Dalmatian region of Croatia on the island of Korčula, although small amounts are also being grown on the Pelješac Peninsula...
and the Romanian grape Grasă de Cotnari
Grasa de Cotnari
Grasă de Cotnari is a Romanian wine variety associated with the Cotnari vineyard, Moldavia, where it has been grown ever since the rule of Prince Stephen the Great . With the general decline in demand for sweet wines after the second world war and bad wine making during the communist era, Grasă...
.