🍇 Kadarka
A red grape of Hungary and the Balkans; 3,169 ha in Bulgaria, where it is called Gamza (2009); part of Szekszárdi Bikavér.
Kadarka is a red wine grape that the VIVC catalogue lists as Hungarian. Today most of it grows in Bulgaria, where it is called Gamza: 3,169 ha in 2009. In Hungary Kadarka is known above all as a component of the red blend Szekszárdi Bikavér. Its parents are unknown, but it has countless names.
Kadarka holds a record for names: VIVC lists 153 synonyms, among them Gamza, Gymza, Skadarka, Cadarca and Kadarka kék. The technical file of the Szekszárd appellation tells how, during Ottoman rule, a "Turkish black" grape spread here and received the name Kadarka through the Serbs.
The Szekszárd file also sets the rules for Bikavér: it is a blend of at least three grapes in which Kadarka and Kékfrankos together make up at least 40 %, and the wine is aged in a wooden cask for at least a year. Hungary has 666 ha of Kadarka (2008), Romania 47 ha (2008).
Kadarka has given rise to 16 new varieties. Among them are Bíborkadarka, bred by crossing Kadarka with Muscat Bouschet, and Dodrelabi. The Szekszárd file also allows Bíborkadarka in Bikavér, but together with the other secondary grapes it may make up no more than 10 %.
Why it matters to you. Bulgarian Gamza and Hungarian Kadarka are the same grape, so both names lead to one vine. Szekszárdi Bikavér is always a blend in which Kadarka and Kékfrankos together make up at least 40 %. Red wines are served at 15–18 °C and stored lying down, in the dark, at 10–16 °C.
Facts
| Country | Hungary 2 |
|---|---|
| Region | Bulgaria (Gamza): 3,169 ha (2009); Hungary: 666 ha (2008); Romania: 47 ha (2008) 3 |
| Main use | Red wines; part of the Szekszárdi Bikavér blend 12 |
How it connects to Wine
🍇 Kadarka → kind of → 🍇 Grape varieties → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Traditions
- 🌍 Central Europe, 🌍 Balkans
- Part of
- 🍇 Grape varieties
- Origin
- 🗺️ Hungarian wine
- Where it grows
- 📍 Danubian Plain, 📍 Szekszárd, 📍 Eger, 📍 Villány, 📍 Zakarpattia, 📍 Berehove, 📍 Subotica, 📜 Palić, 📍 Potisje, 📍 Pannonia, 📍 Danube (Great Plain), 📍 Csongrád
- Main grape in
- 📍 Szekszárd, 📍 Csongrád, 📍 Eger
- Related to
- 🍷 Dúzsi Kadarka, 🍷 Sauska Kadarka
- Offspring
- 🍇 Bíborkadarka, 🍇 Dodrelyabi
- Similar and different
- 🍇 Blaufränkisch
Frequently asked questions
Where does Kadarka come from?
From Hungary according to VIVC; the largest areas today are in Bulgaria.
Is it true that Gamza is a separate Bulgarian variety?
No. According to VIVC, Gamza is one of Kadarka's 153 synonyms.
How much Kadarka is there in Bulgaria?
3,169 ha (2009, VIVC); Hungary has 666 ha (2008).
What is Szekszárdi Bikavér?
A red blend of at least three grapes in which Kadarka and Kékfrankos together make up at least 40 %, aged in a cask for at least a year.
Where does the name Kadarka come from?
The Szekszárd file says the "Turkish black" grape received this name through the Serbs.
What to read next
- 🗺️ Hungarian wine — The country's wine and winemaking: regions, grapes and appellations.
- 📍 Danubian Plain — Northern Bulgaria between the Danube and the Stara Planina; the regional wine PGI “Дунавска равнина”, whose zone reaches the Black Sea.
- 🍷 Dúzsi Kadarka — Dúzsi Kadarka: red wine by Dúzsi from Szekszárd; Kadarka.
- 🍇 Blaufränkisch — A red grape of Central Europe giving dense, spicy wines; in Hungary it is called Kékfrankos.
- 🌍 Central Europe — Curd cheese (quark), cheeses and butter in peasant cooking.
Similar
🍇 Hárslevelű · 🍇 Furmint · 🍇 Blauer Portugieser · 🍇 Muscat Ottonel · 🍇 Zweigelt · 🍇 Vranac
Sources
- eAmbrosia — technical file: PDO «Szekszárd» (Ares(2011)1397615)
- VIVC (Vitis International Variety Catalogue): passport Kadarka kék
- VIVC: area statistics KADARKA KEK
- VIVC: pedigree search — offspring of KADARKA KEK
- Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33 (grape varieties on labels)
- Simons C.T. Left out in the cold: Serving wines chilled. Temperature, 2019