Description
Kéknyelű, 'blue stalk', is an ancient Hungarian white grape, named after the bluish-red tint of its stalks. It is grown almost only in Badacsony, on the volcanic north shore of Lake Balaton. Old records equated it with Italy's Picolit, but research has disproved this. Its flowers are female only, so it sets fruit poorly and yields are small. Its wines are prized: complex, with pronounced acidity, and they improve after a few years in bottle.
Characteristics
White wine grape; female flowers (needs a pollinator); medium, loose, often straggly bunches; small round greenish-white berries with heavy bloom; thick skin; many seeds; pleasantly acidic; late ripening (early to mid-October); moderately vigorous; low, irregular yields; frost-sensitive; drought-tolerant; seldom rots except in very wet areas
Growing Tips
Kéknyelű has only female flowers, so plant a pollinator next to it. Budai Zöld is the traditional partner, and Mézes is also used. Even so, expect small, loose bunches and modest crops. It tolerates drought and seldom rots, but it is frost-sensitive and ripens late, so give it a sheltered, sunny spot.