Bubble world: The history and distinctive varieties of sparkling wine in Hungary

However, the cradle of Hungarian sparkling wine production was not our country's heart, Budapest, but mostly Bratislava, serving as an industrial producer of the bubbly beverage. For example, the Esch and Co. sparkling wine factory produced the famous Széchenyi sparkling wine in 1835. By the end of the 19th century, there were already seven significant sparkling wine factories in our country, in addition to the previously mentioned Esch and Co., such as Belatiny, Hölle, Hubert, Littke, Törley, Francois, and Willibald.

The first Hungarian-founded sparkling wine factory is linked to the Prückler family, as Ignác Prückler founded 'Hungary's first rum, liqueur, and sparkling wine factory' in 1834. The Prücklers quickly earned the recognition of the bourgeoisie, moreover, their 'Kincsem' brand was praised by Mór Jókai and the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy (who later died under mysterious circumstances in the Mayerling hunting lodge), Prince Rudolf.

Sparkling wine became the favorite drink of the European upper class for a reason, as its production requires time and thoroughness, thus resulting in a quality product. Bubbles can be created in two ways: artificially and naturally, that is, the sparkling wine master deliberately adds carbon dioxide to the liquid, but there are also examples where it occurs naturally through secondary fermentation in the wine. If this happens in a bottle under pressure, the bubbles cannot evaporate, thus creating the effervescent drink, sparkling wine. However, the amount of pressure in the bottle also matters.

Among the distinctive, bubbly drinks, "pearling" wine has the least carbon dioxide content, typically characterized by 1-2.5 bar pressure. In this case, the fruity taste of the wine is only slightly complemented by the bursting bubbles in our mouth. In the case of sparkling wines, the pressure is slightly higher, around 3 bars. These bubbly wines can mainly serve as cool refreshments on early summer evenings, giving the perfect mood for the evening with their freshness. The bubbles in classic champagnes always occur naturally, through secondary fermentation, usually under 5-6 bar pressure. These batches have the richest amount of bubbles, so it's worth marveling at how they obediently march upwards in the glass like round soldiers.

The science of sparkling wine production fundamentally distinguishes three methods. Sometimes, the must is fermented under controlled conditions in the tank, and fermentation is stopped when the desired alcohol content and pressure are reached. The bubbles formed during fermentation and the previously mentioned pressure turn the wine into sparkling wine, and since the sugar in the must is only partially fermented, the alcohol remains at a low level (5-8%), and the natural sugar content gives a sweet taste to the sparkling wine. This is how naturally made sweet sparkling wines are created.

However, sometimes the producers leave the production of sparkling wine to technology, often resorting to the so-called tank method. The essence of the tank or Méthode Charmat method is that the finished wine is re-fermented under controlled conditions in a closed tank, from which it is then bottled as sparkling wine. These sparkling wines generally represent the fresh, fruity categories in the sparkling wine lineup.

It is also common for winemakers to combine methods of preparation, known as Méthode Transvasée in France. During the combined process, the sparkling wine is initially fermented and aged in magnum bottles, then the disgorging process is carried out in a pressure-resistant tank. After the removal of sediment, the liquid is further aged in 0.75-liter bottles, thus combining the methods of nature and science. Finally, it's worth getting to know the traditional method (Méthode Traditionnelle), whose real specialty is that the sparkling wine is delivered to the consumer in the same bottle in which it was fermented and aged in the cellar.

Just as with wines, we encounter different flavor profiles in sparkling wines, but this characteristic is determined not by the pressure, but by the sparkling wine's production process and sugar content. The raw sparkling wine, also known as brut nature, is the driest type of sparkling wine, with a sugar content of less than 3g/l. In addition, we can talk about the dry (less than 15 g/l) type, which is particularly dry, with its extra dry form containing 12-20 g/l, while the dry sec contains 17-35 g/l of sugar. Lovers of sweet flavors are not left without options either, as the demi sec, or semi-sweet type, contains 33-50 g/l, while the sweet, or doux type, contains drinks with 50 g/l of sugar.

Although we usually consume sparkling wines during celebrations, let's not forget that a gray weekday can also be livened up with these bubbly wonders!