Hungary’s Great Wines and its Wine Regions

Hungarian Wine Past and Present

Hungary is a wine drinking country, and Hungarians are proud of that. Wine was  made here when the Romans lived here, and when the nomadic Magyars arrived at the end of the ninth century, they too were already making wine. Throughout Hungary’s entire turbulent history-the wars , the occupations, the chopping up of the country- the winemaking has never stopped.Wine has flavoured Hungary’s history, right from the beginning.When the Pannonhalma Abbey , which was the first Christian community in Hungary, was consecrated in 1002 by King Stephen , grapes were mentioned  as one of the crops which was to be handed over as tithe.Tokaj wine is even mentioned in Hungary’s National Anthem, the Himnusz.Hungarian wine culture is strong enough to survive  even the setbacks.First there was the 150 years of Ottoman occupation and then the devestating phylloxera epidemic at the end of the 19th century, which destroyed 60 percent of the country’s grape vines. The most recent blow ,and prehaps the worst , was  the five decades of Communist rule and the bureucratic policies that favoured quantity over quality.Hungarian wine makers are still struggling to recover from the destruction and complete transformation of their wine industry caused by Communism. One of the biggest issues in the Hungarian wine industry right now is to recreate an international image for Hungarian wine, and restore its good reputation in the world , but there seems to be  a constant lack of money for marketing  and promotion.

Back then in the Communist-era, everything was nationalized and large vineyards owned by those considered „enemies of the state” were seized and broken up into plots. There were severe limits on the amount of the vineyards acreage people could own ( which varied from region to region and from year to year). There were winemaking cooperatives and there were state farms , which were essentially wine factories that took their direction from the government’s notorious five-year plans. Often the people in charge knew nothing about wine. Some winemakers continued to make good wine to keep for themselves and many winemakers still have some of these bottles hoarded away. Hungary has dozens of native garpe varieties and many vineyards planted with these grapes  were torn out and replaced by the varieties that were easy to grow, yielded large quantities, and were generally more suitable for mass plroduction.These days some winemakers are replanting the native grape varieties and remembering and relearning  the traditions that were once were associated with them. Winemakers  and wine drinkers are often fiercely proud of wine that’s made from indigenous Hungarian grapes.

Things have changed significantly sincet he Iron Curtain fell in 1989. What Hungarians dub their new generation of winemakers has brought back the passion in Hungary for drinking wine , learning about it , and , of course , making it. As soon as they could, winemakers some whose families had vineyards taken away , and some who never had the chance to work for themselves started buying up vineyards, piece by piece, and  building modern wineries. If this were an international wine region with more marketing savvy, most wineries would be called „boutique” or „artisanal”. In fact, much of the best wine in Hungary is by definition „ artisinal” : it’s made by the grower in the place that it was grown, and it has personal touch. This is true for even the wine made by most of Hungary’s biggest name winemakers.These are people who are involved hands-on in every step of the winemaking process, from planting the grapes and harvesting them, to making the wine and selling it to  the tourists who show up at their cellar doors.

Hungary produces about 400 million bottles of wine annually. That’s less than South Africa and Chile, and for those who appreciate odd statistics, it’s about the same as Austria, Switzerland, and New Zealand combined. Almost without exception you will not find, Hungary’s most ineteresting wines outside  of Hungary’ s borders, the quantities are just too small.Many small scale winemakers make wine that doesn’t even reach the shops in Budapest, let alone the rest of the world. Still, Hungary’s wines are increasingly being recognized  at wine competitions around the world, and by wine writers in Britian and the United States. Hungarians drink more than thirty-two liters of wine per capita annually, and they almost exclusively prefer Hungarian wine. Some winemakers would like to grow more grapes and make biger quantitites but can not afford to  ( financing is a constant problem). Others have no desire to work more than a few hectares of vines because they want to maintain control, remain a family business, and stay connected to both the earth and the wine.

Wine lovers who complain about the world being flooded with wines that taste the same will be happy to know that in Hungary that is not the case. Try wine made from one of Hungary’s indigenous grapes like furmint or hárslevelű, and you will see how local wine can still be. Of course , it is not all good. In Hungary like everywhere else , there are industrial-sized wineries and you’ll still find floods of wine that tastes like it has nothing to do with grapes.It is hard shopping for wine in a country with unpronounceable names and unrecognizeable grapes, but go to any decent wine store and they will guide you to the best bottles. Better yet, head to Hungary’s wine country and sample the wine firsthand , among the hills patched with neat rows of vineyards where the grapes were grown and the wine was lovingly made. Often, the winemaker himself  will be the one pouring it – what can be better?

The Wine Regions in Hungary

There are more than 140 varieties of wine grapes gown in Hungary, which is an astounding number for a country approximately the size of Illinois. Hungary’s 22 wine-growing regions- which produce the full spectrum of reds, whites, rosés, and sparkling wines- cover much of the country. Their unique microclimates , types of soil, and winemaking traditions combine to produce wines with immensely different tastes and styles from region to region. A furmint from Somló will be different than one from Tokaj , and a kékfrankos from the Great Plain will be nothing like a kékfrankos from Szekszárd. The regions vary greatly in size, with the smallest just just 1,730 acres and the largest forty times that size. Hungary produces more white wine than red, but there are a few regions that produce almost exclusively red, Remember that both good  and bad wine can be found in even the top regions. The most important thing to pay attention is the reputation of the winery.

Etyek-Buda

Buda was an important wine-growing area until the combination of phyloxera and intensive urbanization in the late nineteenth century hit Budapest and largely ended its days as winemaking city. These days Buda and the area west of Budapest together make up the Etyek -Buda wine region, which one of Hungary’s mid-sized  regions and streches south from Budapest to lake Velence. The area is best known for the sparkling wines cellars in Budafok-which calls itself the „city of sparkling wine” and makes more than seventy percent of Hungary’s  sparkling wine. Most of the winemaking in Budafok today is dominated by  the large sparkling wine companies. White wine dominates here , and in the surrounding areas much of what is produced is the basis for sparkling wine. The most common varieties grown here are chardonnay, irsai olivér, olaszrizling  and sauvignon blanc. West of Budapest, Tök and Etyek are the main wine-producing areas in the region. Wineries to watch out for are Nyakas Pince and Etyeki Kúria.

Mór

Mór is located between Budapest and Győr, between the Vértes and Bakony hills, it’s one of the smaller regions, and it produces exclusively white wines.The flagship variety here, and the most widely planted grape ,is the indigenous ezerjó – a dry wine with both high alcohol and acid contents. Other varieties include leányka, tramini, rizlingszilváni, zöldvletelini and chardonnay.Mór was once well-known for  making a sweet aszú-like dessert wine from good vintage of ezerjó, but you are unlikely to find even in Budapest. many winemakers do it purely as a hobby , keeping their product for themselves or selling it in plastic bottles from their homes. The bigger winegrowers usually sell their grapes to larger wineries. The wine route in Mór is small, but well organized. Winemakers to look out for are Endre Bognár and Bozóky Pincészet.

Around Balaton

Balatonboglár, Badacsony, Balatonfüred-Csopak, Balaton-felvidék, and Balatonmelléke

The area around the 78 kilometer-long Lake Balaton is officially five seperate regions. Badacsony, Balatonfelvidék and Balatofüred-Csopak are ont he Northen shore. Balatonmelléke is to the West and South, and Balatonboglár spreads along the Southern shore. Overall the northern shore is hilly, the southern is flat, and both have some of the prettiest wine regions in the country.While the spererate wine regions are not extraordinarily distinctive from each other, there are slight differences.

Balaton’s wines  (particuralry those from Badacsony ) were among the first to be mentioned along with Tokaj wine as the country’s best. Reds were traditionally dominant in Boglár, but during the Communist-era the region’s state wine farm shifted vineyard plantings from red to white. These days some winemakers, most notably János Konyári, are attempting to get the region back  into reds. Confusingly , Balatonboglár ( better known as BB)  is also the name of the company that descended from the former state farm and it’s known for its sparkling wines. Olaszrizling, muskotály and szürkebarát dominate in Balatonboglár,  and chardonnay, tramini, rajnairizling , and an increasing number of very nice reds are there in smaller amounts.

Badacsony is certainly one of Hungary’s most scenic wine regions , with big vineyard-clad hills, old cellars built into the rocks , and fantastic views of the lake from all angles.Badacsony almost exclusively produces full-bodied whites like olaszrizling and szürkebarát.It is also the only place in the country that grows kéknyelű , an indigenous grape that is difficult to grow and nearly dissapeared, but is being resurrected y a few dedicated winemakers.

The Balatonfüred-Csopak region stretches from the northeast corner of Balaton to Zánka , and includes the Tihany peninsula and the spatown Balatonfüred.It is an overwhelmingly white wine region , though Tihany is becoming known for its reds.The region produces two distinct type of wine: more full-bodied ones are from the Balatonfüred side, and lighter , more acidic ones are from the Csopak side.

Balaton-felvidék, another region once known for its reds ,now also produces predominantly whites wines. Though the region is small, it covers a big area , with many types of soil.Olaszrizling and szürkebarát are the stars here.No part of the Balatonmelléke region actually borders the lake, though one section does sit next to the Kis (small) Balaton lake. Wineries and winemakers around Lake Balaton to watch out for include Nyári Pince, Huba Szeremley (Elso Magyar Borház , Mihály Figula (Fine wine ) ,Jásdi Pince, János Konyári, Ottó Légli, László Bussay, Lajos Feind, Zoltán Kovács (Biovitis Pince), and Vencel Garamvári (St. Donatus)

Somló

Depite being Hungary’s smallest wine region -or perhaps becasue of it – Somló is talked about a reverent , almost mythological way. It’s frequently praised in Hungarian literature, and Maria Theresa and Queen Victoria were said to have especially admired the wines from this pretty hill. Juhfark ( which is the favorite grape here, and translates as „sheep’s tail”) is called the „wedding night wine” If it’s drunk on your wedding night, legend has it that a baby boy will soon be born.Most of the great wines made in Somló – which is located north of the Balaton wine regions- are made in such small quantities that it’s almost a badge of honor to posess one. Overall,Somló wines tend to be high in alcohol and very acidic.They are meant to be aged for several years. Winemakers to watch out for include Béla Fekete, Imre György-Kovács, Kreinbacher Birtok, and István Inhauser.

Pannonhalma-Sokoróalja

The Pannonahalma wine region is the second smallest in Hungary and is also predominantly white wine region.Most of the grapes grown here are olaszrizling , followed by rajnai rizling. It’s also probably the wine region with the lowest profile. In fact, most of the small-scale winemakers around here make wine solely for their own use, or to sell to neighboursand local restaurants. If it weren’t for the Pannonhalma Abbey Winery, which only harvested its first crop in 2003 and has been making some exellent wines since then, most Hungarians would hardly know anything about this region

Sopron

On a map , the Sopron region look like  a little peninsula jutting into neighbouring Austria’s Burgenland province. Lake Fertő ( called Neusiedlersee in Austria ) borders the region in the north and warm and humid hillsides around it are Sopron’s most prized vineyards. The region has several different microclimates-subalpine, continental, and sub -mediterranean.Wines in Sopron are mostly red, and region is increasingly producing some of Hungary’s best. Kékfrankos is the king here. Zweigelt, cabernet sauvignon, syrah, merlot and pinot noir are also made, and so are white like zöldveltelini ( which is best known as Austria’s most widely planted grape, grüner velteliner), chardonnay, tramini, and sauvignon blanc. Many of the wine cellars are located below the houses in the pretty town of Sopron itself. Sopron was the capital of Burgenland during the Austro-Hungarrian Empire and its Austrian connection is still strong. Franz Weninger, Sopron’s top winemaker, is Austrian and has wineries on both sides of the border ( and also a partnership in Villány with Attila Gere ). Franz Pfneiszl is another Austrian who works in both countries. Winemakers to watch include: Franz Weninger, Luka Pincészet, Kálmán Jandl, Franz Pfneiszl, and Ráspi.

Ászár-Neszmély

Though wine has been made there since the Roman times, the Ászár-Neszmély region is best known today for the Hilltop winery, which is one of the country’s largest. It dominates winemaking in this mid-sized region between Budapest and Győr and it has also put Hungary on the Bristish wine radar, as most of its wine ends up in British supermarkets.Much of the region lies on slopes overlooking the Danube and other vineyards lie on the slopes of the Gerecse hills. The Danube is important to the microcliamte of the area , which is on the cool and wet side. Ászár-Neszmély produces almost exclusively white wines like sauvignon blanc, szürkebarát, irsai olivér, cserszegi fűszeres, rajnai rizling , and olaszrizling. Most winegrowers sell their grapes to Hilltop, and much of the rest of the wine is sold as jug wine.With the exception of Hilltop and winemaker Szöllösi down the road, the region’s wines are unremarkable.

Tokaj-Hegyalja

Tokaj-Hegyalja is justly Hungary’s most famous wine region and one of the most beautiful parts of the country. Traditions here are stronger and deeper than anywhere else, in part because this area retained more indenpendence way back during the Ottomon occupation. The region is framed by natural borders: The town of Tokaj in the southwest corner where the Bodrog and the Tisza river meets, the Bodrog river to the southeast, and the Zemplén hills to the northwest (hegyalja means foothills in Hungarian) Everthing about Tokaj- from its mixture to loess and volcanic clay soils  and its microclimate ( ideal for bringing on the mythical noble rot ) to its indigenous grape varieties and its subterranean labyrinth of mold-covered cellars- contributes to the distinctive personality of its wines. Tokaj is a white wine region best known for its sweet aszú wines , which are made from botrtytized grapes, but more than half of the wine it produces is dry. The majortiy of grapes grown here are indigenous varieties of furmint, hárslevelű , sárgamuskotály, and zéta ( a relatively new variety created by crossing furmint and bouvier) While tradition rules in Tokaj, winemakers here are also among the country’s most innovative. They are allowed to grow small amounts of other grapes for experimental purposes, and they are beginning to produce small quantities of wines that have nothing to do with Tokaj’s traditional image: János Árvay makes small batches of sauvignon blanc ( it’s sold as Zemplén sauvignon blanc), Dobogó has  a small plot of pinot noir , and Chateau Dereszla is experimenting with a new grape variety called kabar. In Tokaj there are numerous small winemakers worthy of seeking  out and discovering. Here are some to look for: István Szepsy, Degenfeld, Chateau Dereszla, Dobogó, Füleky, Göncöl, Királyudvar, Ormeus, János Árvay, Béres Szőlőbirtok, Chateau Pajzos and Megyer, Hétszőlő, Majoros Pince, Royal Tokaji Wine Company, Zoltán Demeter, Disznőkő, Bot Pince and István Kiss.

Eger

Eger’s best known wine- the blend called Egri Bikavér, „Bull’s blood from Eger” – is both the pride of the region, and problem.If there’s any wine other than Tokaji aszú that is widely known abroad, it’s Egri Bikavér, Hungary’s most famous cuvée. Bikavér is essentially a blend of three or more grapes that meet certain requirments during harvesting and production. The grapes are picked and separately and then matured in oak for at least a year. Both Eger and Szekszárd use the name Bikavér and winemakers in both regions have slightly different preferences for their blends.The ingredients in a Bikavér can vary but always contain some combination of kékfrankos, portugieser, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, or kadarka. The problem is that when Egri Bikavér made its name  abroad in the 1970s ( during the days of Communist enforced mass production) it had become a rough wine  whose biggest fans liked it for its price rather than its taste. It was made from grapes that didn’t make the cut for varietal wine, and it ended up  on the bottom shelves of American and British supermarkets. This Bikavér has caused many to associate Hungarian wine with cheap plonk.Things have changed. Although you will still find plenty of bad Bikavér around, it can be a great wine , and much of today’s Bikavér is exceptionally different than those that sullied its reputation in the past. Some of Hungary’s best winemakers in Eger ( and Szekszárd too ) -like Tibor Gál and Vilmos Thummerer- are making  top-notch Bikavérs. Some Eger winemakers make blends which could just as well be called Bikavér , but rather than risk the image problems associated with the names, they choose different names. Before World War II kadarka was the dominant grape variety in Eger ( and in the Bikavér blend ) , but it’s kékfrankos that’s most associated with the region. Eger is best known for its strong strong full-bodied reds, but it also produces good white wines like leányka , olaszrizling, királyleányka, and chardonnay. Winemakers to watch include: Vilmos Thummerer, Tibor Gál , István Tóth, Béla Vincze, Csaba Demeter, Monarchia (winemaker Tamás Pók), Gróf Buttler, and St. Andrea (winemaker György Lőrincz )

Bükkalja and Mátra

Eger’s neighbors, Bükkalja directly to the east and Mátra directly to the west, can’t compare with Eger’s fame , and nowhere near as much quality wine wine comes from these two regions. Mátra, which lies in the Mátra foorhills , is the country’s second largest wine region, and it produces better whites than reds. Its widespread whites include olaszrizling , muskotály, rizlingszilváni, tramini, and chardonnay. Red varietals are increasingly being planted. Bükkalja, which is sheltered by the Bükk mountains and goes  as far east as Miskolc, is one of the country’s least known regions. The majority of wine here isn’t even bottled, and said to range from medicore to terrible.It does have a pretty cellar row, but does not offer much else. In Mátra, by far the best winemaker to seek out is Mátyás Szőke , who is a former mechanical engineer who now makes delicious wines. József Ludányi is another one to look for.

Villány-Siklós

The Villány-Siklós region lies near the Croatian border and because it’s the warmest of Hungary’s wine regions, it is often called the „Mediterranean of Hungary.Because it produces big reds that demand premium prices, it’s also called the  „ Bordeaux of Hungary”. There are eleven villages in the region, but most of the action is in the village of Villány itself, where some of Hungary’s top winemakers have their cellars and attached small hotels . Villány’s wine is usually identified with quality ( though there are bad wines made here, too.) In the mid-1990s when winemakers were busy building  modern wineries, replanting vines and essentially starting to build the Hungarian wine industry -Villány was in the spotlight.

Tourists flocked here to taste what winemakers like József Bock , Attila Gere, and Ede Tiffán were creating. Along with Tokaj, Villány has remained one of Hungary’s most successful wine region and also one of the most toursit-friendly.In Villány mostly reds are made, while Siklós  makes whites.Villány’s most prized vineyars are the Jammertal and Kopár vineyards on the slopes of the Szársomlyó hill, and best known from the Kopár vineyard is Gere’s cuvée of the same name.

Villány’s signature grape is Portugieser ( still commonly referred to as Kékportó) , and kékfrankos is also widely planted. Some Villány winemakers have been replanting kadarka – a native a variety that was the most widely planted red grape in the 19th century Hungary, but was not suitable to mass production during the Communist era. Much of Villány’s wine is made with internationally known grapes like cabernet, merlot  and pinot noir. Cabernet franc does particularly well  in Villány, and vines produced from it have received raves. It is understandable that native Hungarian varieties have fallen out of favour here. First there were the five decades of state-enforced mass production when many native varieties were either banned or discouraged. Then when the markets opened, Hungary found itself competing with wineries around the world. After Communism they had to change the way they did everything.  Cabernet sauvignon wsas easier to sell than bakator, for example, so those kind of grapes began to die out.” Winemakers in Villány work hard to keep quality high and with the 2006 vintage they initiated an appelation system that’s significantly thougher than what’s required by law.

Winemakers and wineries to watch for include József Bock, Attila Gere, Gere and Weninger, Ede and Zsolt Tiffán, Zoltán Günzer, Máron Mayer,Csányi Pince (Chateau Teleki line), Béla Jekl, Csaba Malatinszky, Zoltán Polgár, Szalontai -Bartoly Pince, Vylyan Pincészet, Tamás and Zsolt Gere and Alajos Wuderlich.

Szekszárd

Szekszárd is another of Hungary’s top wine regions, and it’s known for its big spicy reds. Along with Eger, Szekszárd is also the homeland of the Bikavér cuvée. In fact , the first time the name Bikavér was mentioned  was in an 1846 poem in connection with Szekszárd. Though Eger’s Bikavér gets most of the fame, there’s no record of it being written about until a few years later.

Just as Eger some of Szekszárd’s winemakers ( most notably Ferenc Takler and Ferenc Vesztergombi ) are also trying to restore the tarnished image of this traditional wine, which has such a beloved name in Hungary. There’s some great Bikavér coming from Szekszárd , with kadarka being more heavily accented in the blend.  Kadarka ,once the favorite variety in Szekszárd, is known for being  a difficult grape to grow. Though much of it disappeared during Communism , winemakers here are starting to appreciate it again. In Szekszárd they say it goes well with food heavily spiced with paprika, and a Bikavér just isn’t a real Bikavér without some kadarka in it. In many ways, Szekszárd is one of Hungary’s most exciting wine regions, and it gets better every year as more and more winemakers expand and modernize their facilities. It isn’t as tourist friendly or popular as Villány, and Eger, and in a way it feel slike Villány’s modest introverted sister.. In fact Szekszárd is larger than Villány, but it lacks the compact town center and covenient row of winr cellars open for tastings that has made Villány so popular with wine tourists. Regardless, Szekszárd should be considered in its own right for its fine red wines. After Kadarka, kékfrankos is the other signature grape in Szekszárd. Merlot, cabernet sauvignon , kékportó , and pinot noir are grown here, and so are chardonnay and olaszrizling. Tamás Dúzsi’s rosé has been often called the best in Hungary. Winemakers to watch for include: Ferenc Takler, Ferenc Vesztergombi, Tamás Dúzsi, Zoltán Heimann, Csaba Sebestyén, Péter Vida, Pál Mészáros and Sárosdi Pince.

Mecsekalja and Tolna

Mecsekalja and Tolna lies between Villány and Szekszárd, but here the flagship wine is the white cirfandli ( which needs aging to reach its full potential). Despite the success of it’s neighbours, Mecsekalja’s wines are little known , mainly local and hardly make it into bottles or stores in Budapest. The region gets its name from the Mecsek hills, which are north of the pretty town Pécs. Another native grape, juhfark is also widely planted in some parts of the region, and so is chardonnay and olaszrizling. There’s a well organized wine route in Bóly and Mohács ,  though the wine you’ll taste in the cellars seldom reaches beyond the cellar doors. Like other low-profile, small regions,  many of the winemakers here are hobbie family wineries. Tolna is located just north of Szekszárd and Mecsekalja, and produces both red and whites, which are nothing expectional, for the most part. One of the region’s biggest attraction is the cellar village of Györköny , which is west of Paks. The winery to look out for here is Eurobor in Bátaapáti, which was started as a partnership between Péter Zwack and Piero Antinori ( the godfather of Tuscan wine) , and Tibor Gál later worked as the director of winemaking. Their wines are sold under two labels: Bátaapáti Estate and Mocsényi Kastélybor.

Csongrád, Hajós -Baja, and Kunság

The Great Plain wine regions of Csongrád, Hajós -Baja and Kunság occupy much of the space between the Danube and the Tisza rivers in the central and southern part of the of the country. Although Kiskunság is country’s largest region it is hard to say anything nice about the wine produced here in the sandy soil here. Mostly , it’s just kind of simple cheap table wine taht’s sold in convenience stores and musty cellar pubs. During the phylloxera epidemic , the wines in the Great Plain helped save the country’s wine industry, since the  sandy soil prevented them from being destroyed.The Alföld (Great Plain ) wine regions were important for the Commuist-era strategy of producing producing massive quantities of cheap wine to export to the Soviet Union and the rest of the Eastern Bloc. Here too , reds once dominated , but for the most part were switched to whites in the 1960s for export reasons. The 18th century cellar village of Hajós is one of the more interesting parts of the region, with its rows more than 1, 300 whitewashed cellars and old press houses.There is a vintage festival in September and a St. Orbán day festival ont he last weekend of May. Some of the cellars are open for tatsings, typically between May and October.