Garammente – the region

The Lower Garam (Hron) and Ipoly (Ipel’) regions

The best areas for viticulture in the Southern Slovakia can be found on the 200-300-metre-high hills lying between the valleys of the Garam (Hron) and Ipoly (Ipeľ) rivers as they flow down into the Danube. Mužla, Párkány (Štúrovo) and the surrounding settlements were once part of the Hungarian Neszmély wine region, whereas Garamkövesd (Kamenica nad Hronom), Helemba (Chl’aba), i.e. the Burda “mountains”, and Salka belonged to the Pest-Nógrád wine region. Nowadays, these officially belong to the Štúrovský, Strekovský and Hurbanovský subdistricts of the Southern Slovak (Južnoslovenská) wine region and the Želiezovský subdistrict of the Nitrianska wine region, but their cultural affiliation is better expressed by the name Lower Garam/Lower Hron. The size of the Southern Slovak wine region is officially 5,345 hectares and the Nitrianska wine region 3,900 hectares, but if we carved out Lower Garammente, we would get a wine region of around 3,500-4,000 hectares, with relatively uniform characteristics and culture. In the course of history, three poles of grape and wine culture have emerged: the church, aristocratic estates and smaller peasant cellars. The cellar villages and cellar rows in Kamenín, Kamenica nad Hronom and Nová Vieska, consisting of hundreds of press-houses, are a lovely memorial to the latter. The large estates were concentrated around mansion houses; those in Belá, Rúbaň and Šarkan have survived until this day. And, although the Archbishopric of Esztergom no longer has its own estates, many family wineries go about their business in its former tithe cellars. The right bank of the Ipeľ is an integral part of the region and every village has its own vineyards, both large and small.

Soil conditions and aspect

The vineyards’ most common soils are loess, sedimentary clay and Ramann brown forest soils. The majority of the southwest-west-facing areas from Želiezovce to Kamenica nad Hronom on the left bank of the Hron are primarily characterised by brown forest soils. However, from Kamenica nad Hronom to Chl’aba, i.e. to the mouth of the Ipeľ, the bedrock is andesite and andesite tufa of volcanic origin, which is mainly covered by loamy loess and, in some places, brown forest soil. This volcanic bedrock extends below the Hron to Nána and Hegyfarok on the right bank. Andesite debris makes cultivation difficult in some vineyards, but in return, however, it creates warm, almost Mediterranean conditions in the summer. On the right bank of the Hron, to the west of Štúrovo, the south-facing, sunny slopes of the hills which begin at Hegyfarok are primarily characterised by loess, loamy loess, sedimentary clay brown forest and loam soils, with some volcanic debris. Around Mužla, the soils are rather looser loess while in Strekov, the soils are more compacted. High limestone content is also typical to the region, so wineries here can produce aromatic wines with lovely acidity. The bedrock on the right bank of the river Ipeľ consists of claystone, sandstone and andesite debris with more compacted soil strata of brown forest soil and loamy loess. The highest point in the area is the 395-metre-high Kováčovske Hill near Kamenica nad Hronom while Mužla’s Nagyhegy is 239 metres high. The vineyards generally lie at a height of 100-250 metres above sea level.

Climate

Sunshine hours in the Lower Garammente, and especially in the Štúrovo region, are, at 2,200-2,300, the highest in the whole of the Southern Slovak Highlands while the annual average temperature of 10.2 to 10.3°C also exceeds that of most western and northern Hungarian regions. The annual precipitation is only 520-550 mm, therefore extremely dry. Of course, like other wine regions, much depends on the microclimate here too, thus on the influence of the water surface of the three rivers (Danube, Hron and Ipeľ) and their backwaters, the individual valleys, the aspect of the vineyards and their unique characteristics. It says a lot that the Burda nature reserve (near Kamenica nad Hronom) boasts plant and animal species characteristic of sub-Mediterranean climates, such as dwarf Russian almond, feather grass and Pannonian lichen. Winemakers typically cultivate the characteristically south-southwest-facing, very warm, sunny vineyards on the hills along the Štúrovo-Mužla-Strekov axis; the situation is similar on the west bank of the Hron too. The vineyards along the Ipeľ are somewhat cooler with eastern orientation. The extremely hot weather in recent years means that the vineyards on the Hron’s left bank are beginning to be more appreciated, especially those facing east-northeast, as these vineyards preserve acidity and fruity aromas better.

Grape varieties

The wine region cultivates 70% white and 30% black grape varieties. The range of varieties is relatively uniform, the typical white trio is Olaszrizling (Welschriesling), Zöldveltelini (Grüner Veltliner) and Peszeki Leányka (Királyleányka, Feteasca Regala) while the most common black varieties are Kékfrankos (Blaufrankisch) and St Laurent. In addition, Oportó (i.e. Portugieser) is considered a traditional variety in Strekov, as are Pozsonyi Leányka (Leányka, Feteasca Alba) and Mézes Fehér in Mužla. There are only a few sporadic vines of the latter left, while Kadarka, widely planted before phylloxera, Juhfark, Sárfehér and Ezerjó have already disappeared. Riesling and the Pinot family have been gaining ground in recent years and many new crossings have started to be cultivated (Devín, Morva Muskotály, Pálava, Alibernet, Dunaj, etc). In addition, you will also come across Traminer, Chardonnay, Irsai Olivér and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Wine culture, styles and types of wine

The Hungarian wineries in Slovakia (former Upper Hungary) are usually artisanal family estates, partly because of their size. They produce unique, small batch, quality wines and many see the future in organic, natural wines. They consider it important to limit yields and to reduce pest control and the use of additives and other auxiliary products. Many eschew cultured yeasts and are experimenting with longer skin maceration, even for white wines. Barrel ageing plays an important role, so you’ll often come across big, full-bodied, fiery white wines. There are also wonderful light, aromatic whites and rosés as well as fruity reds based on lively acidity and elegance. In addition to these small estates, some formerly large estate centres have been renovated (the Belá, Rúbaň and Šarkan mansion houses) and new investors have also appeared in the Lowe Garam/Hron region. They basically adhere to the reductive international style, using cultured yeast and large-scale production methods, thus showing a different face of the wine region.
The choice of grape variety is also an important issue, i.e. whether the five “basic varieties” mentioned above will continue to dominate, or whether this region will also fragment because of trendy varieties and others promising less work in the vineyard. There are many arguments and opinions on this. There are those who want to revert to tradition, but the question is, to which one? Right back to the range of varieties from before phylloxera (end of the 19th century) or those that evolved in the 60s and 70s? There are also those in favour of moving full speed ahead towards international varieties, such as Riesling and Pinot Noir. Or maybe we should aim for a blended origin protection based on the trio of Zöldveltelini, Olaszrizling and Leányka and the Kékfrankos-St Laurent pair?