Infusio Red 2021

INFUSIO has been the name of the wine set aside for special events and feasts at the Archabbey Pannonhalma for centuries. Even today this tradition, reaching back to the Middle Ages, continues to contribute to monastic celebrations. Written records from the beginning of the 18th century record that the Benedictine monks of Pannonhalma divided their wines into three categories: “servant-wine” meant the wine obtained from the manorial deliveries; the “convent-wine” was used at the holy masses and served onto the table of the fathers at the meals while the “infusio” referred to the prime category set aside for festive occasions. This did not designate a certain variety but the best quality wine.

Preparation: After being destemmed, the grapes were fermented in 60 hl stainless steel tanks. The fermentation took place on a temperature of 30-32°C during the first 10 days of the long skin contact. The wine was aged in Hungarian and part American 228-litre-barrels for 18 months.

Food Pairings

Recommended to be served at festive occasions matched to dishes prepared with game or other dark meat.

Pannonhalma Archabbey

The Benedictine monks who settled on the Sacred Mount of Pannonia in 996 A.D. have always been closely connected with the viticulture of the region first introduced by the Romans. The monks worked to convert the pagan Hungarians, founding the country's first school and, in 1055, writing the first document in Hungarian. From the time of its founding, this monastic community has promoted culture throughout central Europe. Its 1,000-year history can be seen in the succession of architectural styles of the monastic buildings (the oldest dating from 1224), which still today house a school and the monastic community. By the beginning of the 20th century, the Abbey held about 100 hectares of vineyards in the direct vicinity of Pannonhalma, and it also owned plantations on the Somló Hill and in Tokaj. Its bottled wines, both white and red, were sold in Hungary as well as abroad far beyond the borders of what was then Greater Hungary. The political and social upheaval that followed World War II temporarily put an end to the centuries-old tradition when the single-party state confiscated the Abbey’s vineyard holdings and winery. However during the decades that followed, the monks never gave up hopes of reviving the legacy of excellence one day. Finally, 10 years after the collapse of Communist rule, plans for rebirth took shape. Today the Archabbey of Pannonhalma once again exemplifies the excellence of Hungarian wines receiving recognition in 1996 as a UNESCO world Heritage site.

Delivery information

We deliver exclusively within Great Britain and Northern Ireland. All postage £7.00 (inc. VAT), delivered within 3 to 4 working days. Local pickup possible in London please contact us directly for details. To postcodes surrounding Battersea, delivery is free.

Email: info@monasticorder.co.uk

Following the environmental example of the monks, our packaging is biodegradable or recyclable as much as possible, and we are committed to work to improve this.