Kékfrankos is the Hungarian name for the Austrian grape variety Blaufränkisch, which some of the best comes from Sopron, made from organically grown grapes by the Weninger family of Austria, who built up another branch of their winery across the border on the other side of Lake Neusiedl. Owner and winemaker Franz Reinhard Weninger grew up on his parents’ wine estate in central Burgenland only a few kilometers from the lake. He produces wonderful non-oaked, fruit-driven, lighter-bodied, but robust reds a great pairing with Asian cuisine.

This organic winery is located in the small, tranquil village of Balf, at the southern end of Lake Neusiedl where the sky, earth and water converge to form part of the UNESCO World Heritage region. Here in the east of Hungary lies the wine region of Sopron. Predominantly red wine is cultivated on the vineyards between Lake Neusiedl and the Sopron mountains, where the foothills of the Alps bring coolness, the lake stores warmth.