Hungarian wine

Hungarian wine comes in a wide range of styles, from sweet, complex dessert wines to robust reds and crisp whites. The most famous Hungarian wine is world-renowned Tokaji Aszú, but Hungary is home to over 220 grape varieties, so there are plenty more wines to explore. Including several international favourites, such as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Merlot, as well as wines from native Hungarian grapes – Furmint, Kékfrankos, Ezerjó, Zenit and Irsai Oliver. The country’s 22 wine regions, including Tokaj, Eger, and Villány, each contribute distinctive characteristics to their wines. 

Although its winemaking history spans centuries, Hungarian wine has seen a resurgence since the 1990s, focusing on quality and indigenous varieties, making it an exciting part of the global wine landscape.

Hungary’s wine industry has survived glorious highs and challenging lows through its long and storied history. Winemaking in Hungary dates back to the Roman times and the country enjoyed a golden age in the Middle Ages. The country’s wines were a staple of royal courts and the toast of nobility across Europe, but the phylloxera epidemic in the late 1800s and instability following World War II hit the industry hard.

Nevertheless, since the 1990s, there has been a resurgence in quality Hungarian winemaking, with a focus on indigenous grape varieties and modern techniques. With 156,000 acres of vineyards, Hungary is now the world’s fourteenth-largest wine producer. It’s home to several boutique wine estates and some of the best-kept secrets in the wine world – all worth exploring.

Hungary’s most famous wine regions – Tokaj and Eger – are in the northeast. The Tokaj region is the oldest classified wine region in the world, and its sunny, humid microclimate makes it the perfect region for making intense and sweet wines through the ‘noble rot’ process. It also produces excellent dry whites from the Furmint grape.

By contrast, Eger is located on the volcanic southern slopes of the Bükk Mountains, and its winemakers are known for their blends and robust reds. With its late springs and dry climate, it’s ideally suited for full-bodied reds, such as the famous Egri Bikavér (also known as ‘Bull’s Blood’).

Villány, just a stone’s throw away from the Croatian border, is known for its robust, full-bodied reds, primarily from international varieties like Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

To the southwest is Pannon, a wine region featuring a continental climate suitable for a wide range of grapes, including Cabernet Sauvignon and Kékfrankos.

Kékfrankos can also be found in the Duna region in the centre of the country, where it grows alongside Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, and in the continental northeast region of Észak-Dunántúl, where you can also find Rhine Riesling. To the west, the Balaton region is home to aromatic white wines such as Olaszrizling and Kéknyelű, while nearby Sopron offers delightful cool-climate wines, including Grüner Veltliner and Blaufränkisch.

Tokaji (pronounced toe-kai) is Hungary’s most famous export, and it’s considered one of the world’s most prestigious and expensive wines. Louis XIV famously described it the "Wine of Kings, King of Wines" – a view shared by many of today’s wine connoisseurs. The wine’s prestige is also reflected in its price, with top-quality vintages and aged bottles commanding high prices on the international market.

It’s a sweet, complex white wine made primarily from Furmint and Hárslevelű grapes affected by noble rot. Golden in colour with a luscious, thick texture, it is prized for its high acidity and flavours of honey, apricot and spice.

The most popular style is Aszú, which contains a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity. Its flavours range from honey and apricot to orange peel and marmalade. Additional notes of ginger and clove can also develop if the wine is aged in oak barrels.

With its intense sweetness, Tokaji Aszú pairs beautifully with blue cheeses, foie gras or decadent desserts such as crème brûlée. It also makes a great partner for Asian foods, such as Cantonese sweet and sour pork.

One of Hungary’s other famous wines is a red blend called Egri Bikavér – commonly known as ‘Bull’s Blood’. Mainly made in the Eger wine region, this wine gets its name from a 16th-century siege, where legends told of soldiers drinking this red wine for strength.

Egri Bikavér is traditionally made from a blend of Kékfrankos, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Deep red in colour, it has a robust body, spicy character and balanced tannic structure. To support this complex, richly flavoured wine, Egri Bikavér must be aged for one year in oak, plus a few months in the bottle before selling.

With its rich flavours, Egri Bikavér pairs well with roast beef and lamb, Hungarian classics such as goulash and grilled vegetables.

The Eger region is home to a premium white blend too – Egri Csillag (‘The Star of Eger’). As with Egri Bikavér, half of this blend must be made from native varieties, but in this case, at least four varieties can be used. These are usually Hárslevelü, Zenit, Leányka and Furmint.

Egri Csillag is full of green apple, peach and pear flavours and is best-enjoyed ice cold. Its lightness makes it a perfect partner for roast chicken or turkey, clear soups and broth, dark green salads and shellfish.

Villány, situated in the warm Pannon subregion of southwest Hungary, is renowned for producing Bordeaux-style red wines. The region’s volcanic soil and prolonged summers are ideal for growing Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes – allowing winemakers to make elegant red wines with a harmonious blend of fruity and earthy notes, subtle acidity and a structured body. Villány’s Merlot, in particular, pairs brilliantly with lean beef cuts and grilled vegetables, especially sweeter vegetables such as squash and red pepper.

Hungary is also home to several of Europe’s best single-varietal wines. Furmit, a native Hungarian grape, can be found in the Tokaji region, where winemakers use it to crisp, high-acid whites with green apple, pear and mineral notes.