Törökné Kiss, Klára Ágnes

Acta Agraria Debreceniensis

University of Debrecen Electronic Archive

AGRáRTUDoMáNyI KözLEMÉNyEK, 2013/53.
49
The past and present of Érmellék wine region 
Klára Ágnes Kiss
University of Debrecen Centre of Agricultural and Applied Economic Sciences,
Faculty for Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, Kerpely Kálmán Doctoral School, Debrecen
kiss.klara@agr.unideb.hu
SUMMARY
Érmellék is an area of the Partium. It is situated between Szilágy and Bihar counties and between River Kraszna and Berettyó. Its name
is from Ér, the small brook, which crosses the area. Érmellék is famous for its wine production, because its climate is favourable for this kind
of trade. Only a few information sheets of the small Partium-belonging micro-region, Érmellék are published nowadays. Érmellék has
extremely picturesque architectural wine cellar rows, of which ”szalacsi” wine cellar row (wine cellar row system) with its unique structure
consists of about a thousand cellars. 
Keywords: Érmellék, wine, wine region, wine tourism
ÖSSZEFOGLALÁS
Az Érmellék a Partium egyik térsége. Elhelyezkedése Bihar és Szilágy megyék közé tehető, Kraszna és Berettyó folyók közé. Nevét a rajta
áthaladó Ér-ről kapta. Érmellék híres a bortermeléséről, mivel éghajlata nagyon kedvező erre a mesterségre. A Partiumhoz tartozó
mikrorégióról, Érmellékről kevés ismertető jellegű írás jelenik meg mostanában. Az Érmellék rendkívül változatos építészetű pincesorokkal ren-
del kezik, külön kiemelendő a teljesen egyedülálló és egyedi kialakítású szalacsi pincesor, helyesebben pincesorrendszer, amely megközelítő-
leg ezer pincéből áll. 
Kulcsszavak: Érmellék, bor, borrégió, borturizmus
THE AIM OF THE STUDY
Wine has its credit, plenty. It is drunk eachwhere as
a nepenthe or remedy, not only at christenings, and
funeral feasts, but preferably day by day, sometimes
by necessity. In Europe, there is not such a suitable
place for wine-growing as in Erdély. Erdély wine has
always been treasure for the inhabitants who suffered
from pressure throughout the history. Wine-growing in
Erdély  has been in its biggest crisis since the wine-pest
and promise for the future can be brought from the past
only. Viniculture and wine-growing is the profession,
which means both culture and prosperity. Present
cannot be evaluated without knowledge of the past
(Csávossy, 2002). 
ABOUT ÉRMELLÉK
The name, brook Ér has already occured in the 13th
century: Anonymus as Humusouer mentioned it. In the
collection of documents of the Károlyi family it is
called Erwize fluvius and later Eer fluvius (around
1338). Érmellék as a regional name occured for the
first time in the collection of documents of Leles's
praepositus in 1445 by mentioning the borders of
Éradony as the name of Ermellek terrae arabilis. The
basin of Ér has been formed during million years.
Effects of the 250 million year-old Hercinia mountain
range are noticeable in the deep: one of its breaking
lines in the deep extends to under Érmellék. The thick
sediment of Pannon Sea was deposited on it and the
explanation is that from the Cretaceous period the
crystal structured base were gradually sinking. Today's
formation of surface of Érmellék was caused by
warmings between freezings when melted wate was
running towards the Great Hungarian Plain. River
Szamos, Tisza and Kraszna played an important role
in the formation of Érmellék. When the weather was
dry, the wind left loess and dust coating from silt. In
the boggy, swampy areas rich flora and fauna evolved,
while in higher areas, woods and lawns were forming.
Where Kraszna also leaves the valley, there is Ér, the little
brook from Szekeres forest. Érmellék has extremely
picturesque architectural wine cellar rows, of which
”szalacsi” wine cellar row (wine cellar row system)
with its unique structure consists of about a thousand
cellars (figure 1).
Figure 1: Szalacsi winecellars in Érmellék
Source: Net 1
The Turks, far away from Mecca liked bakator
(kind of grape, also called bakar) very much. During
the times of Turkish occupation both wine-growing and
plunder were prospering. As a chronicler wrote down:
”Turks from Várad and Szentjobb often go out among
 
them, they hit down the locks or take the keys with
them, drink and waste their wine but do not pay its cost
back.” Bakar or bakatel is now a Hungaricum and what
is more it is a Transsilvanicum. The Bakator grape is a
very delicate and native Hungarian kind, which has qiute
a difficult pollination. The name, Bakar is originated
from Kabar tribes who joined the first Hungarian
settlers but others think that it is from the Italian name,
Bacca d'ore. Although it is a red kind of grape, its name
means golden berry. Today Érmellék is situated on Ér flat,
the area from Kraszna to Berrettyó, Nyírségi hills and
Szilágysági hills. At present its area can be estimated about
1600 km2. Its climate can be defined by observations in
the nearest towns (Nagyvárad, Nagykároly), unfortunately
there are no accurate datas. The climate of Émellék is
determined by its geographical situation.
This name (Érmellék) has a strange melody just as
Ér was a strange and misterious river with the unique
fauna of its swamps, its tempting woods, the scent of
wattles and wine. This land with its force of production
is inhabited by smart and hard-working people that is
indurated by history. Érmellék is a specific area of the
historical Bihar, Szilágy and Szatmár counties. Its
name is originated from Ér, the “big, strange ditch”, of
which Ady Endre, who was born in Érmindszent wrote
a poem. original River Tisza used to meander here, and
during the ice-age, Szamos did. Making nothing of
environmental respects, the rich wildlife of this unique
corner of the Carpathian basin was destroyed. Later
Érmellék was pronounced as an area that is suitable for
cultivation even though its swampy soil is not proper
for farming, because in drought it moulders and when
it is raining, it becomes mud. Natura 2000 also mapped
the area for an environmental program: since European
Union helps to make a small area swampy again. In
pursuance of this fact, Ér could be a green corridor
again.
HISTORY OF ÉRMELLÉK
We have to go back to the 13th century for getting
to know about the very start of local wine-growing.
According to our lights, the Great Tartar Invasion century
means the sedentation of Érmellék (called Ómosóér
those days) wine culture and it is interesting that even
the destructive attack against Hungary then could not
prevent its undiminished development.The first golden
age of Érmellék wine-growing was during King
(Hunyadi) Mátyás I, but it is not clear that in this period
this area was only the usufructuary of the country's
general upswing those days or the inhabitatants deserved
attention as well. The latter seems to be provable because
in the 15th century, people decisively lived on wine- growing
and production such as almost the whole population of
Kágya village. 
After seizing back Várad (1692), Érmellék was a
beloved pleasure resort for people from Debrecen and
according to Borbély (1993), ”it meant title and authority
among Debrecen's wealthy citizens to possess a vineyard
in Érmellék”. From the 18th century however, in agriculture
(including wine-growing of course)  the so called allodial
farming gathered ground gradually and as a matter of
fact promoted the birth of professional wine-growing.
In this process of course neither the villeins nor
Deb re cen's citizens were the main characters, but
principally the richest families of the country, such as
the zichy, Stubenberg or Károlyi families. Earl Ferenc
zichy appointed Bihardiószeg as the centre of Érmellék
wine-growing, equipped its farms with modern tools
and machines and by this, the career of Érmellék wines
started out nationwide and in Europe as well. But
regrettably the second golden age of local wine-growing
was broken in two by the grape-louse (phylloxera) in
Europe. In the fight down of phylloxera in Hungary,
wine-growers in Érmellék took an active and substantive
part and it is not accidental that the first vine-dresser
school of the country was established in this area at the
end of the 19th century. After arresting phylloxera wine-
growers in Érmellék found themselves surprisingly
quickly, they planted more tenacious species and took an
active role in starting oneology education. The dynamic
development of the region broke when Hungarian-
speaking agricultural middle and higher education was
changed by Romanian-speaking education and thanks
to the serial realignments regional wine-growing was
totally changed.
THE PAST OF ÉRMELLÉK
The wine-growing past of Hungarians probably
goes back to the settlement, but wine was already
known even in the original homeland centuries ago. In
the 10th century, Ibn Roszteh Arabic writer stated that
Hungarians who lived in the original homeland not
only did animal-husbandry, but farming and wine-
growing as well. At the end of the 13th century, wine-
drinking was not only the sumptousness of the high
society but the opportunity for a little drop of comfort.
From the 13th century on wine-growing was popular
among citizens as well and they planted grapes in their
gardensand villages. There were many vineyard owners
among citizens of Torda, Kolozsvár and Nagyvárad
who made his land cultivated by cotters and the poor
from the countryside (Entz and Gyurki, 1868). 
In the 15th century vineyards can be found even
in places where later; because of the unfavourable
circumstances and the poor quality of wine,  there were
no trace of them. The explanation for this kind of
grape-planting were self-suffiency and difficulties in
transport. The standards of wine-growing were rough
and it did not change throughout centuries. Fermentation
happened in wooden barrels in the cellars or even in an
open-place. During the the reign of King Matthias
wine-growing was prospering again; on his wedding,
according to the traditions, people drank ”erdélyi-
helyaljai” wine and it is also stated that by means of
the good relationship between King Matthias and
Stefan cel Mare ”Kövér” grape kind got to Cotnari
from Erdély. Erdély is the cradle of wines. It has already
mentioned as ”Küküllők vidékes Weingebiet” (wine
region) on János Honterus's map, called Transilvane,
published in Basel in 1532. ”Gyula fehérvári” wine
region has been called ”Tara vinului” (wine of wines)
by Romanians in Erdély for a long time. The quality
of wine is decisively affected by its producting place.
Without effacing the signs that refer to the strain, it gives
a particular basic flavour featuring the given wine-region,
of which the igin of the wine can be recognised easily.
AGRáRTUDoMáNyI KözLEMÉNyEK, 2013/53.
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AGRáRTUDoMáNyI KözLEMÉNyEK, 2013/53.
THE PRESENT OF ÉRMELLÉK
It seems that Érmellék wine-region exists only in a
kind of hibernated state and the stake of the near future
would be that if this region gets up from its dream and
if the old days come back. It would be obvious to mention
Trianon again, and tell that ”all went wrong that time”
and we can see that Érmellék wine-growing suffered
the first punches not during phylloxera, but after the
”Big War” (Vofkori, 1994). Unfortunately, wine-cellar
rows in érmellék are in a bad condition at present, it seems,
that in the last 100 years not much was appropriated on
this part of Hungarian Cultural Heritage. As a start, the
creation of the conditions for rural tourism would do
(infrastructure development, settlement rehabilitation
etc.), and afterwards the creation of Érmellék wine
route. From the opportunities mentioned in the book,
we would choose the so called classic wine route,
because on the one hand we think that Érmellék culture
region has the sights for it (ádám et al., 1999). on the
other hand, Érmellék has excellent touristical facilities
and the outbreak of the region in the third thousand
years could be the revitalization of a modern and
qualitative wine-growing. 
OPPORTUNITIES
In point of tourism situation in world-economy is
favourable, since this is the industry that is growing the most
dynamically at present and in the future. The situation of
Middle-Europe and Érmellék could be reassuring because
theoritically, there are many opportunities for touristic
developments. It can be said that its real values worth for
development root in the historical past, but have staled
by today and have been forgotten. Some of Hungarian
guidebooks discuss this area but foreign books hardly
mention it. The situation in Romania regarding the
measure of incomes has been deteriorating continually
since the change of regime, while the number of foreigners
who take part in tourism has been growing year by
year. Temporarily, mainly less-spender tourists arrive at
Romania. It means that the bases of conditions of qualitative
tourism have not created yet. In international respects,
it can be said about its place in Middle-Europe that of
international tourist arrivals Romania shares about
20% and of incomes this number is less than 10%.
The North-West part of Erdély does not have significant
statistic markers, as it is shown in the following data.
Unfortunately, only a small part of it is realized in the
area of Érmellék. Evaluating generally the attractiveness
of Érmellék, it can be defined that it is a rich and various
area, but a significant part of its attractions only have
regional reaches. There are very few national or international
attractions. 
Wine tourism
– In the connection between wine and tourism, I
would like to emphasize three things:
– Wine for itself as a gastronomic speciality and
popular drink comes through and can be seductive
as well.
– Wine can be the image creating source and symbol
of a particular wine-region, settlement, region or
even the country.
The historical Érmellék wine region has excellent
facilities where open wine routes, wine-tasting places,
thematic wine routes, wine tasting routes and classic
wine routes can be organized. open wine-route is a
loose network of wine-tasting places, where teams
prepared for tasting and dining wait for the guests. In
the case of thematic wine-routes, wine-tasting places
are completed with special programs (culture, nature,
gastronomy). The biggest opportunity is in classic wine-
routes, where there is a particular route to walk along,
there are wines selling and tasting places (wine cellar
rows: Székelyhíd, Szalacs, Bihardiószeg), accomodation,
programs, sights and information boards to give direction
to the guests. Regarding rural tourism, small regional
association and civil organization should be set up with
the accomplishment of common marketing. An important
task is organizing educational programs and developing
complex services.We should make the best of potential
opportunities of the so called ”homesick tourism” and
demonstrate the drink and gastronomic specialities of
the region. From this aspect it can be very important
to adopt the experiences from Hungary, where there
are national and county organizations of rural tourism,
of which work is continuous and give a lot of help with
the membrship (figure 2).
Figure 2: The Oneologic Map of Hungary in 1884
Source: Net 2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The publication prepared by TáMoP-4.2.2/B-10/
1-2010-0024 project.
The project is supported by European Union, by the
European Social co-funding.
51
 
ádám L.–Belia Gy.–Csatári D.–Kosály M.–Kovács Gy.–Szávai J.
(1999): Románia. Panoráma Útikönyvek. Budapest. 
Borbély G. (1993): Szőlőművelés és borgazdálkodása az Érmellé -
ken. Nagyvárad.
Csávossy Gy. (2002): Jó boroknak szép hazája, Erdély. Mezőgazda
Kiadó. Budapest.
Entz F.–Gyurki A. (1868): A hazai szőlészet. Budapest.
Net 1: http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/
54324559.jpg
Net 2: http://www.terkep-center.hu/galeria/orig/38_boraszat.jpg
Vofkori L. (1994): Falusi turizmus Erdélyben. MTA Társadalomku-
ta tó Központ. Budapest.
52
AGRáRTUDoMáNyI KözLEMÉNyEK, 2013/53.
REFERENCES


The past and present of Érmellék wine region

https://dea.lib.unideb.hu/dea/bitstream/2437/171165/1/file_up_KissK.pdf

The past and present of Érmellék wine region

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