Hungarian wine: welcome to the New Old World

Hungary is no giant in terms of wine production on a global level, but many of its delightful and diverse wines are simply world class. However, lots of the best Hungarian wines just don’t make it out of the country and are savoured only by lucky locals. We take you straight to them, and the talented folk who make them.

Hungary possesses a remarkable range of quality wines thanks to a mesmerising assortment of microclimates, flavour-enhancing mineral soils and a plethora of indigenous grape varieties. Furthermore, it is blessed with an ever-growing band of talented winemakers from both the new and old schools. They are nurturing their vines to produce limited yields of outstanding grapes, an approach that contrasts sharply with the thankfully long-gone communist model of flogging vines to death for maximum output. The results are wines of immense character and a strong sense of place. In Hungary’s case, small is most certainly beautiful.

While many international grapes thrive in local soil, Hungary deals a strong suit of its own indigenous regional varieties that result in undeniably unique wines. In the white corner, these include: the noble Tokaj and Somló varieties of the full-bodied though refined Furmint and the luscious, awesomely aromatic Hárslevelű. Add to these the nutty Olaszrizling (Austria’s Welschriesling), once a workhorse under communist mass-production but now producing complex wines when yields are minimized; the charming Királyleányka; Somló’s amusingly-named and fiery Juhfark (loved by Queen Victoria for gifting male children to those who drink it); the Muscat-like but dry Irsai Olivér; and the piquant Cserszegi Fűszeres. This list is by no means exhaustive. Wherever you go you in Hungary you will encounter new grape varieties and taste experiences.

Among the reds, Hungary’s most widely planted red grape is the Kékfrankos, another Central European grape mistreated in the drive for quantity over quality, is also now producing sophisticated, fruity wines like never before. It’s the central component in Bikavér (Bull’s Blood) in both Eger and Szekszárd, giving the cuvée its special structure. Spicy Kadarka was brought to Hungary by Serbs fleeing Ottoman occupation, and adds bite to Szekszárdi Bikavér (Bull’s Blood). Kadarka was wiped out during communism in Eger as this temperamental but worth-it grape needs a winemakers’ care and attention. It didn’t prove itself to be, at its peril, a good communist workhorse, though it is now on the rise in Eger, once again. It is seen by some as the missing link in the quest for the best Bikavér. Austria’s über-fruity Zweigelt is also starting to show its true colours when not flogged to death for maximum output. Cabernet Franc, may be a grape of French origin, but it does fabulous things in Hungary that are seldom revealed elsewhere.

Hungary, quite simply, has just about got it all when it comes to styles of wine, as a tour of its wine regions will show. Of course, it goes without saying that there’s nothing quite like visiting wine country to get acquainted with the wines that they bring to life. Hungarian wine regions offer both stunning rustic scenery and heavenly hospitality to make your head spin. You’ll encounter a blend of gorgeous old world wine cellars, some of which you can get lost in, dotted with state-of-the-art wineries that together define the essence of Hungarian wine.

Lake Balaton, Central Europe’s largest lake, is a great place to take a holiday and represents Hungarian wine in microcosm. Around the “Hungarian sea”, the soils, climate and wine styles often change from one vineyard to the next. The region is adding award-winning sweet white wines to its impressive armoury, which stars mineral-infused dry whites from the volcanic basalt soils of Badacsony, Balatonfelvidék, and nearby Somló, each of which are quite unique in themselves and differ substantially from one another. Pinot Gris also takes on entirely new complex characteristics around the Balaton, Hungary’s summer playground. The southern shore of Lake Balaton is serving up full-bodied Bordeaux blends to rival those of the sun-baked southern regions of Villány and Szekszárd.

Szekszárd, which was decimated under communism and is now home to spicy and fruity reds of great value, is fast gaining ground on Villány, usually regarded as Hungary’s premier red wine region. Look out for playful and easy-drinking Portugieser, mighty Merlots, and classy and complex Cabernet Franc in the Villány region, which straddles the Croatian border.

In the north, the beautiful baroque town of Eger excels in whites, just as much as it does with elegant and refined reds that are worlds apart from their more robust southern cousins. This is something quite akin to the difference between Burgundy and Bordeaux. Next to Eger, the volcanic slopes of the Mátra, Hungary’s highest mountain, are also coming into their own with impressively aromatic and engagingly acidic whites. Meanwhile, the North West also excels in fragrant and fruity whites, with the exception of Sopron, the “Capital of Kékfrankos”.

Tokaj to the north east is blessed with an unprecedented combination of terrific terroir – perfect vineyard sites composed of a cocktail of volcanic soils, especially tufa.  Located at the meeting point of the Tisza and Bodrog rivers, the grapes receive plentiful “noble rot” which transforms a pair of complimentary local grapes, Furmint and Hárslevelű, into immensely complex sweet wines. TV wine star Oz Clark, in his renowned publication “Wine Atlas” says that he’s only ever once given 100 points to any wine in a tasting, and this single wine was a Tokaj Aszú. Tokaj has the world’s oldest classification system and its sumptuously sweet Aszú was once the favoured tipple of Russian, Polish, and even French royalty – Sun King Louis XIV dubbed it the “King of Wines, and Wine of Kings”. However, far from living in the past, this legendary region is transforming itself by making outstanding dry wines that capture the essence of the tremendous terroir to rival its sumptuous sweets. However, even if you think you don’t like sweet wines, we’re sure you like the best Tokaji Aszús, which are so intense and impressive that sweetness isn’t the first thing that comes to mind; instead you’re struck by the wow factor and layers of flavour.

Hungary, its fine wines and winemakers are all waiting to meet you.

Contact us on info@leisuretotaste.com for more information on wine tours, wine tastings, wine dinners and wine crawls in Hungary and Budapest.