🥃 Vas wild pear pálinka (Vasi vadkörte pálinka)

Vas wild pear pálinka (Vasi vadkörte pálinka) is a Hungarian EU geographical indication for pálinka from wild pears gathered in Vas and Zala counties in western Hungary. At least 75 % of the fruit is wild pear (Pyrus pyraster), the rest recognised local varieties, and mashing, fermentation, distillation and resting take place only in commercial distilleries of these two counties.

The application was submitted on 22 December 2017, the main requirements were published on 2 December 2020 (OJ C 417), and the name was registered in 2021 (OJ L 104, 25.03.2021). The west of the area lies at the foot of the Alps; the wild, or field, pear grows mostly in forests and at forest edges. Rainfall is 600–800 mm a year, sunshine 1700–1800 hours, and in September and October, when the fruit ripens, there is little rain.

Up to 25 % of the mash may come from the varieties Bosc kobak, Conference, Clapp kedveltje, Hardenpont téli vajkörte, Tüskés körte and Sózó körte. The fruit has dry matter of 14 % or more, but the mash contains only 3–5 % sugar, so far more wild pear is needed per unit of pálinka than of ordinary pear. Fermentation lasts about 10 days at 16–23 °C and pH 2.8–3.2.

It is distilled in a single-stage column or in a traditional still; the distillate is 55–85 % vol. and rests undiluted in stainless steel. The pálinka is then chilled to −5…−3 °C and filtered. Hydrocyanic acid is up to 5 g/hl of pure alcohol, copper up to 9 mg/l. The pálinka is colourless and dry, with citrus, spicy and honey notes.

Why this matters to you. The name guarantees that at least 75 % of the sugar in the mash comes from wild pear; it is placed on the front and back labels together with the words «földrajzi árujelző». This is not Williams pear brandy, where only the cultivated Williams variety is used. The WHO reminds us that no level of alcohol consumption is safe.