Irsai Oliver is a white grape that is a cross created in Hungary in 1930. It is believed the grape got its name from the child of a friend of the man that developed the grape. The child, named Oliver Irsai (but in Hungary, the surname is stated first), was born the same year the cross was created. It is a high yielding, vigorous grape variety that is commonly used in the production of unremarkable table wines. In the mid 2000s, producers began to make more concentrated versions of Irsai Oliver. If the grape is grown in cooler regions, like around Lake Balaton, the resulting wines have aromatic, grapey character (similar to Muscat). The aromatic character makes it a favorite of birds and wasps when the grapes ripen in the vineyard. It is light bodied wine with lower alcohol and acid. The acidity can be retained in cooler growing regions. These wines are not suitable for bottle aging. There are now plantings in Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Russia. It can also be made into a spritzer for an even more refreshing drink in warm weather.
When I was in Budapest, I stopped for a longos (lawn-gōsh) for dinner. Longos is similar to Indian fry bread then topped with a sour cream sauce and white cheese. I splurged and got it with lardons and red onion so I was looking for a lighter wine to pair it with. I selected a 2024 Frittmann Irsai Oliver from the Kunság region of central Hungary on the Great Plains. This wine was a pale lemon color with aromas of white flowers, lemon peel, lime juice, and white grape. On the palate, this dry wine had a lower level of acid and alcohol. It also had a lighter body with moderately intense citrus and floral notes. The flavors didn’t linger on the moderate length finish. This wine would have been better paired with lower fat, lighter dishes like white fish or chicken. It would be a nice porch pounder on a warm summer afternoon as well!
-TheLooseTannin
A Trip Around the World of Wine in 52 Weeks 