My article on the discovery of Furmint in Thrace/Türkiye under the name Kolorko sparked some reactions, especially from Turkish readers asking why I suggested that Furmint was introduced to Thrace, and not the other way round.
It is very common to observe a certain patriotism when discussing the origin of a grape variety, so I would like to provide some evidence here to support my hypothesis.
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Furmint shows a significant biodiversity in Tokaj, with dozens of clones that have been characterized, including a colour mutant Piros Furmint; Kolorko has none. The center of origin of any organism is generally considered to be the place where we observe the most important biodiversity.
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According to Lacombe et al. (2013), Furmint could be a natural offspring of Alba Imputotato from Romania and/or Italy, and Gouais Blanc. While we know almost nothing about Alba Imputotato, we know that Gouais Blanc has been historically mentioned in Tokaj under the name Zöld Hajnos. It has never been mentioned in Thrace.
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According to Lacombe et al. (2013), Furmint could be a natural parent of the following more or less obscure grape varieties: Budai Zöld, Hárslevelű, Fekete Járdovány, Kovacs Kreger, Tökös Piros, Žilavka, all from Hungary. No progeny in Thrace or Türkiye.
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Furmint’s earliest documented mention was in 1611. Kolorko’s in the 20th century only.
For all the above-mentioned reasons, it is quite reasonable to consider that Furmint (= Kolorko) originates from Tokaj, not Thrace.
Any objection…?
José