Káldi Wine at the 2025 Debrecen Wine & Jazz Festival

In August 2025, the Debrecen Wine & Jazz Festival once again brought together wine lovers and music enthusiasts for one of Hungary’s most unique summer events. Káldi Wine — internationally known under this name — proudly participated again this year, offering visitors an insight into our world of boutique winemaking. We presented our full wine selection and introduced a brand-new release: the 2024 Rouge, a Blaufränkisch rosé in the Savory / Rich style, crafted with the traditional Saignée method.

The Debut of Rouge

When creating Rouge, our goal was to craft a rosé that is fresh yet complex, versatile in gastronomy, and true to the Káldi Wine style: elegance, balance, and purity. The audience welcomed this new creation with curiosity and enthusiasm, with many visitors asking about the winemaking process and ageing techniques. One of the festival’s most rewarding moments was seeing guests return again and again for another glass of Rouge.

Rouge’s Winemaking Method and Style

Rouge represents the Savory / Rich style of rosés and is made using the Saignée technique. After harvesting the Blaufränkisch grapes, they are destemmed and lightly crushed, then left to macerate on the skins for a short period. A portion of the juice is then “bled off” early and fermented separately as rosé. This method produces deeper colour, fuller body, spicier aromas, and a more structured palate — all while preserving the elegance and balance that define Káldi Wine.
Unlike the lighter, Provence-style rosés, the Savory / Rich style focuses not only on freshness but also on depth, structure, and complexity. This makes Rouge equally impressive when enjoyed on its own or paired with food.

Food Pairing Suggestions

Rouge’s character shines alongside richer, spicier dishes. It pairs beautifully with grilled lamb, spiced Mediterranean cuisine, roasted duck or goose breast, as well as mature, soft cheeses. On summer evenings, it can be the perfect companion on its own — a glass in hand during a friendly conversation or an open-air concert.

A Boutique Winery Among Big Names

As a small, family-run boutique winery, standing out among established, large-scale brands is always a challenge. The Debrecen Wine & Jazz Festival offered the perfect platform: the open-minded audience, personal conversations, and direct feedback all helped strengthen Káldi Wine’s presence and reputation within Hungary’s wine community.

Our Complete Selection at the Stand

Alongside Rouge, visitors could taste our full portfolio, including some of our most popular earlier vintages: Chérie (Grüner Veltliner), Sophie, Zephir, Notos, and Kadarek. This diverse selection ensured that everyone could discover their favourite style — from light, fresh whites to complex rosés and robust reds.

The Atmosphere of the Festival

The Debrecen Wine & Jazz Festival is about more than wine — it’s a celebration of music and community. Held in the heart of the city, the event creates a magical atmosphere: the smooth or upbeat rhythms of jazz, twinkling lanterns, garden-style installations, and the gentle clinking of wine glasses combine to create a truly unique summer experience.
While we did not participate in any masterclasses this year, the personal interactions and direct connections with visitors were equally valuable for us.

We captured the festival’s highlights in a short video, available on our Instagram page:
👉 Watch the video here

Looking Ahead

For us, the Debrecen Wine & Jazz Festival is a milestone every year — a chance to introduce Káldi Wine’s philosophy to new people and receive valuable feedback. The successful debut of Rouge has strengthened our resolve to keep experimenting with new styles and ageing techniques. We are already looking forward to surprising Debrecen next year with another exciting new release.