Wine (bor in Hungarian) has a long history both in what is today modern Hungary as well as the Magyar tribes who would go on to form the Kingdom of Hungary. Introduced to the Carpathian Basin by the Romans, in a territory known as Pannonia, Hungary’s rich soils and climate are ideal for wine production and led to wines from this territory developing a fantastic reputation amongst European nobility. This ideal wine-producing terrain combined with the wine-loving Hungarian tribes who settled there provided Hungary with the capacity to produce some of the world’s most beloved wines.
Why Aren’t They More Famous?
While Hungarian wines seem to be enjoying a resurgence in popularity outside of Hungary, the effects of phylloxera, two devastating world wars with conflict extending far beyond the official dates of the wars and the subsequent communist government’s preference for mass-produced ‘that’ll do’ wines led to the nation’s wine industry being damaged. Today, it’s a different story and the nation’s wine scene has arguably never been so strong.
With over 20 wine regions and hundreds of producers working with a plethora of varietals, Hungarian wines have an incredible range and complexity, able to produce everything from bold, spicy reds to crisp and delicate whites. However, there unfortunately are still some mass-produced wines in the country that get in the way of the really good stuff, so it’s worth searching for reviews of Hungarian wines on apps like Vivino or asking for advice from an expert on what to buy.
What to Look Out For
Red
If you’re after a bold, spicy red, you can’t go wrong with a Kékfrankos with big regions for the grape including Szekszárd and Sopron. The grape also heavily features in the famous Eger region, which is most famous for its Egri Bikaver (Bull’s Blood from Eger) – a name inspired by stories of the tenacity of the Hungarians who defended the region from the Ottomans, rumoured to have been acquired by mixing bull’s blood with the wine. Despite its name, this spicy blend contains no blood of any kind, bull’s or otherwise. Eger also produces good Pinot noirs, as does Villány (fun fact: a man called Richard Gere moved to Hungary to produce wines in this region, changing his name to Atilla – you can find his wines very easily throughout the country). Villány also produces lighter reds like Merlots and Blauer Portugieser.
White
A personal favourite white Hungarian wine is Szürkebarát (Pinot gris), which tends to be fresh, crisp and brimming with light fruit flavours like peach. Balaton is a good area to try for these, as well as for varietals like Olaszrizling and the sweeter Hárslevelű and Furmint. Also look to try Egri Csillag (Star from Eger), which is a white blend – but it’s worth taking the time to investigate these properly as in my experience, these can vary enormously in quality. The small wine region of Somló produces interesting whites too, most notably the Juhfark (meaning Sheep’s Tail), which has an intense smoky quality to it.
Tokaj
If you try any Hungarian wines, try a Tokaji Aszú – sweet wines made from grapes like Furmint from the Tokaj wine region. These dessert wines traditionally range from 1 to 6 on a sweetness scale called puttonyos (although I believe that was relatively recently changed to just two). These are among the best dessert wines produced on the planet, with a decadent honey quality to them that European monarchs adored. The region also produces good dry wines, mainly Furmints that can vary enormously in expression.
Fröccs
The Hungarians are credited with the first industrial production of sparkling water, so it’s no surprise that spritzers or fröccs feature heavily in their wine culture, especially during the warmer months. These mix wine, szörp (Hungarian flavoured syrup) and sparkling water with an enormous range of possibilities, coming awfully in handy should you buy a bottle you’re not so keen on.
Comments