Furmint is a white grape variety most famously associated with the great sweet wines of Tokaj in Hungary, although today it is also the source of many high quality, original dry styles.
Furmint combines high acidity with thick grape skins, both ideal for the production of botrytized sweet wine that displays an intense apricot and spice flavour. Increasingly producers are making Furmint as a dry wine, when it tends to show flavours of lime, pear and smokiness in a rounded but lively style.
Furmint has been grown in Hungary’s Tokaj region since at least the 16th century. It is thought to be a natural genetic cross between an unknown local grape variety and Gouais Blanc.
Furmint plantings are concentrated in Hungary’s Tokaj region, although it can also be found in other areas, notably Somló. Outside Hungary, Furmint is planted in neighbouring Slovenia and Croatia, where it is often known as Šipon, as well as a small amount in Austria’s Burgenland region.
Furmint is often blended in Tokaj with two aromatic grape varieties: Hárslevelű and Sárga Muskotály, better known as Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains.
