Author: Ágnes Herczeg, Kristian Kielmayer
A Hungarian crossing, created in Mór by Károly Bíró and Dr Edit Hajdú. Its parents are Carpathian Basin native variety Ezerjó, known and loved in Mór, and Roter Traminer, also planted in many places. The latter variety is thought to have given the wine its often pervasive, richly aromatic character, which makes it easily recognisable. It was created with the main aim of providing a consistent crop, but its aromatic nature quickly made it popular with consumers.
Morphologically, it is quite characteristic, with a moderately large and rather compact bunch. This poses some problems in terms of disease resistance, but growers say that its positive characteristics far outweigh these difficulties. It is a fairly high-yielding variety, which tolerates drought well and is not susceptible to rot or mildew. The berries are elongated, spherical and small with a reddish-purple hue, light bloom and thick skin. It is generally trained high and produces reliably high yields.
The largest quantities are grown in Kunság, Mór and Pannonhalma.
When grown at lower yields, it displays aromatic, distinctly fruity notes with muscat-like notes. It is not particularly high in acidity but is generally well-structured. The wine is relatively simple but can be pleasant and smooth.
It is now a key variety in the Mór wine district. Various producers use it to make sparkling base wines and as the basis for both dry and sweet wines. However, its best-known wines are produced in the Kunság. They are generally light wines, not too high in alcohol and are good drunk chilled.
When considering food and wine harmony, the most important principle is to assess the weight and concentration of the two. However, you can also say the same about complexity. A simple wine should only be paired with a simple dish. For more involved dishes, you should choose a wine with plenty of acidity and alcohol, one which also has some age and flavour complexity.
Since Generosa wines are generally light, almost airy and not particularly distinctive, you should also choose dishes with similar characteristics. Make sure you taste the wine before drinking it and pairing it with food to understand its acidity and structure, as this will determine how well it will stand up to characterful food. Its aromatics and light elegance can make it an enjoyable accompaniment to fruity dishes that are not overly acidic. Moreover, if the dish is well seasoned with pepper, it may make the wine’s acidity seem higher, so this is worth considering too.
