Oliver Weingartner: Hungary's Volcanic Wine Visionary

An Austrian working an extinct Hungarian volcano; that is the short version of Oliver Weingartner’s story. The longer version runs through basalt, Juhfark and a stubborn belief that nature should mostly be left alone. Hungarian nobles once swore Somló wines boosted fertility. Weingartner has two children, but happily leaves the science to someone else.

The volcanic canvas of Somló

Forty kilometres from Lake Balaton, Somló rises as an extinct volcano in western Hungary. Four hectares of Weingartner’s organically farmed vineyards sit on its slopes. The basalt-rich soils make wines so mineral-driven that Oliver jokes about it: “After five years, terroir takes everything over; you can’t even tell what grape variety you’re drinking.”

That volcanic foundation, ancient basalt scattered across the hillsides, gives every wine a recognisable saltiness and minerality. Historically, Somló was one of only two Hungarian regions allowed to export to France and England, alongside Tokaj. High acidity and alcohol kept the wines stable on the long journey.

A natural philosophy; “lazy winemaking”

Weingartner calls his approach “lazy winemaking”; let nature do the work. “We don’t have to use any starters or additives,” he says. “The nature is working alone.” Spontaneous fermentation on indigenous yeasts, sulfur only at bottling.

The same logic shapes his vineyard work; organic farming aimed at “100% healthy grapes”. By spending his energy in the vines rather than in the cellar, the wines have room to show where they come from.

Indigenous grapes; Juhfark and Furmint

Weingartner works mostly with indigenous Hungarian grapes, with Juhfark leading the way; literally “sheep’s tail” in Hungarian, named for the curved shape of the clusters at ripeness. The grape is exclusive to Somló and tricky in the cellar; fermentation stops and restarts several times, building complex roasted notes.

His Furmint, Hungary’s best-known white grape, behaves differently on Somló’s mixed clay and brown forest soils than on the pure basalt parcels. Both grapes age well; honeyed notes develop without the mineral backbone giving way.

From vineyard to cellar

The cellar follows the same minimalist line. Whole-bunch pressing in a pneumatic press over three hours, one night of settling, then spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel. The wines then move to a mix of oak barrels and porous tanks from Australia and the USA.

Eight to ten months on fine lees, clear without filtration. That long lees contact, paired with Somló’s tight acidity and minerality, makes wines better suited to a long table conversation than a quick aperitif.

Why Weingartner matters

Weingartner is an Austrian working with Austrian precision on Hungarian volcanic grapes; that outsider angle is exactly what makes his wines interesting. Somló’s Juhfark and Furmint sat in Tokaj’s shadow for decades, and winemakers like him are putting those grapes back on the international map. If you want to know what basalt does to a glass of wine, this is a good place to start.

Order these wines at MAG wijnen: magwijnen.nl/weingartner