The Balaton is perhaps the most complex of all Hungarian wine regions. Although there are common features, whether in terms of the climate or the wines, that are uniformly characteristic, each has its own countenance and character.
The Balaton’s surroundings are especially favourable for vineyards. The largest lake in Central Europe, it results in plenty of reflected sunlight, suitable humidity and cooler summers, thus creating a distinctive mesoclimate. Lake Balaton’s basin is framed by the surrounding hills, the Bakony to the north, protecting it from cold wines, and the Zala and Somogy Hills to the south. It is geologically diverse, with strata of volcanic, basalt and limestone debris such as loess, brown and red forest soil, dolomite or Pannonian sand.