Érmellék Festival Pays Tribute to a Hungarian Grape Variety Once Thought Extinct

The Padalja cellar row in Bihardiószeg will turn into a sprawling wine route on September 19, honoring bakator, an ancient Hungarian grape variety once believed to be extinct.

Thirteen cellars will open for tastings, offering bakator alongside királyleányka, olaszrizling, sauvignon blanc, muscat, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, kékfrankos, kadarka and shiraz. Food will range from cauldron and clay-pot dishes to oven-baked meals, stews, grilled food, street food and homemade desserts.

Organizers have planned concerts, cellar tours, a craft market, games, face painting and children’s activities. Traditional hussars will also move among the cellars, adding music, songs and stories to the event.

Visitors can buy a tasting glass and cellar map for 25 lei at the main information point. The accompanying wine passport can be stamped at each of the 13 locations. Fully completed passports qualify for an evening draw at 7 p.m. at Mados Winery, where wine-related prizes will be awarded.

The event runs from noon to 10 p.m. local time at the Bihardiószeg cellar row. The organizers will mark the information point near the large red wine barrel by the town’s petrol station and provide free parking nearby. The area’s wine ties to Debrecen date back centuries, and the end of routine checks at the Hungarian-Romanian land border has made visits easier for guests from Hungary.