South Transdanubia

Consisting of the following official wine regions:

Pécs | Szeksárd | Tolna | Villány

Hungary's hottest region has long, dry, sunny and often submediterranean summers and mild winters. Szekszárd, Tolna and Villány are quite similar regarding soils with loess the most typical to all, supplemented by Pannonian sand in Szekszárd, brown forest soil in Tolna, red clay in Villány, blended with limestone, and dolomite. In Pécs we mostly find brown forest soils with low lime content, and rendzina.

Szekszárd and Villány are considered Hungary's two premier red wine areas where  red grapes account for  around 80% of plantings.  In Pécs and Tolna white varieties are the most prominent.

The so-called "Bordeaux world varieties", such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot are of high importance in Szekszárd and Villány and many of the great blends are usually made from these. Kékfrankos is the everyday wine in Szekszárd and Tolna, although winemakers, mostly in Szekszárd, have acheived great results with reduced yields. Kékoportó is a key player in Villány. New wines made with Kékoportó, not only light red wines but also rosés, play an important role in winery liquidity, since its early ripening makes wine available for St. Martin Day on November 11.  Zweigelt is also significant in all areas while the increasingly popular Pinot Noir and Syrah have take up a few dozen hectares in Szekszárd and Villány.

With its 80 hectares, Kadarka may only be seventh in terms of planting in Szekszárd, but it is an intrinsic part of the identity and history of the wine region. It makes a fresh, spicy wine with a lighter colour, that is used to spice up Szekszárdi Bikavér; the backbone of which is typically provided by Kékfrankos.

Austrian Cirfandli is a speciality of Pécs, whilst Hárslevelű is a feature of Siklós, the other half of the Villány District. Rosé wines, especially those made from Kékfrankos and Merlot are of great significance in the whole Pannonian region, just as in the rest of red wine areas of Hungary.