Phenology is an indicator of plant response to the environment. In viticulture growth stages timing is important for site and cultivar selection, vineyard planning and cultural practices management. In the last years, autochthonous cultivars obtained an increased interest and, therefore, in this work we studied the phenological performances of Hungarian old varieties. The data recorded in 2012 were compared with the ones published 60 years ago. The examined genotypes were identified by SSR markers. Extremely high temperature and low precipitation occurred during the 2012 vintage. The uncommon weather conditions affected the length of the vegetation period less than expected. However, the time period between flowering and harvest decreased significantly. In general, minor varieties seem to be more sensitive to extreme conditions than international cultivars, according to their eno-carpological characteristics