The wine-growing area lies on the southern shore of Lake Balaton (Balaton) in Hungary. It is proven that viticulture was already practised here in the first century in Roman times. The area was formed in 1977 from the qualitatively better areas of Zala County with the river of the same name. In the period 1999 to 2012 the wine growing area was called "Balatonmellék" and since 2012 again Zala. It is divided into three areas: Csáford, Szentgyörgyvár and Mura. The vineyards cover about 2,200 hectares of vineyards on brown forest soil. The most important white wine varieties are Chardonnay, Olaszrizling (Welschriesling), Rizlingszilváni (Müller-Thurgau) and Zöld Veltelini (Grüner Veltliner). The most important red wine varieties are Kék Oportó(Blauer Portugieser) and Zweigelt. Well-known producers are Bussay László and Vinum Veress.