Hungary

Hungary has a very old winegrowing culture, because wines from Sopron and Eger were already known in the 13th century. The Greeks introduced viticulture in Hungary from the south-east along the Danube and its tributary the Tisza upwards and the Romans from the west across the Pannonian plain to Lake Balaton. Despite Hun, Vandal, Goths, Tatars and Ottoman invasions over many centuries, wine was always grown in this area. Even the Ottomans, who occupied the largest part of the country for about 160 years, did not suppress wine growing despite the ban on alcohol and were happy to collect taxes for it, but development was inhibited during this time. According to a rather legendary tradition, Emperor Charlemagne (742-814) was so enthusiastic about "Avar wine" that he had some vines brought to Germany.

From the Hungarian king Matthias Corvinus (1440-1490), who in the last five years of his life was Vienna (Austria), the statement is handed down "that all the people should have wine and the winegrowers should be highly respected". In the Middle Ages, as in many countries, the Catholic Church played a leading role in the spread of viticulture and wine culture in Hungary. The famous Tokajer is decisively connected with Hungary's wine history. After the phylloxera catastrophe and the two world wars, the focus was shifted to the production of mass wines. Since the political upheavals of 1989 and a re-foundation of the winegrowers' association, however, viticulture has been on a steep upward trend again.

Wine-growing areas

It has a central European, continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. The geographical latitude corresponds to French Burgundy, which produces aromatic white wines. However, about 2,000 hours of sunshine per year also favour the production of red wines. The Danube, which flows from north to south, divides the country into about two large halves. With the 1997 wine law, 22 wine growing areas were defined. Transdanubia lies in the west, stretching from the borders with Austria, Slovenia and Croatia in the west to the Danube. In the centre is Lake Balaton (Balaton), the largest lake in Central Europe with 591 km². Together with Neusiedlersee and the Danube, it has a positive climatic influence on viticulture. Transdanubia consists of four wine-growing regions with 15 wine regions:

Balaton (Lake Balaton)

• Badacsony
• Balatonboglár
• Balatonfüred-Csopak
• Balatonfelvidék (formerly Balaton-Mellék)
• Somló
• Zala (formerly Balatonmelléke)

Észak Dunantul (Northern Transdanubia)

• Ászár-Neszmély
• Etyek-Buda
• Pannonhalma-Sokoróalja
• Mór

Pannon (Pannonia)

• Mecsekalja
• Szekszárd
• Tolna
• Villány (formerly Villány-Siklós)

Sopron (Ödenburg)

• Sopron

In the south-east between the Danube and the Tisza rivers lies the large Pannonian lowlands with sandy, steppe-like soil, called Alföld in Hungarian. The vineyards here exert a consolidating influence on the soil. In summer there is often drought that endangers the harvest and in winter there is frost. The Duna region has three wine growing areas:

Duna (Danube)

• Csongrád
• Hajós-Baja (formerly Hajos-Vaskút)
• Kunság (formerly Kiskunság)

The Northern Massif is located in the north in the foothills of the Mátra Mountains near the border with Slovakia. The two regions with their wine growing areas:

Cheb (Eger)

• Bükkalja
• Eger with Egri Bikavér (Egri bull's blood)
• Mátraalja

Tokaj-Hegyalja

• Tokaj-Hegyalja

List of vine varieties

Hungary is predominantly a white wine country with almost 70% of production, although the red wine variety Kékfrankos (Blaufränkisch) clearly dominates. The Tokajer variety Furmint only ranks third after the Olasz Rizling (Welschriesling). In 2016, the vineyard area covered 63,881 hectares. Compared to the year 2000, this is a halving, which resulted from grubbing up. About 2.5 million Heltolitres of this are produced differently every year (see also under Wine Production Quantities). The 2016 grape variety level (statistics Kym Anderson):

Wine Law

In August 2009, the EU wine market regulation became valid for all member countries with fundamental changes in wine designations and quality levels. The designations are (see also under quality system)

• Boron (formerly Asztali Bor or table wine) = wine
• OFJ = Tájbor or local wine
• OEM = Minöségi Bor / Különleges Minöségi Bor = quality wine / premium wine
• OEM DHC (Districtus Hungaricus Controllatus) with levels DHC-Classicus and DHC-Premium

OFJ (Oltalom alatt álló Földrajzi Jelzés Bor):
There are 13 ranges of country wine, which are marked by a blue and yellow seal on the label.

OEM (Oltalom alatt álló Eredetmegjelölésü Bor):
There are 33 quality wine areas, which are marked by an orange-red seal on the label. The first DHC area was Villány in 2006, followed by Eger, Tihany, Somló and Izsák.

The information on the label is mostly short and concise. The place name with the ending "i" (which corresponds to the German "er") is usually followed by the grape variety, for example Soproni Kékfrankos (Blaufränkischer from Sopron).

Wine types & wine names

Similar to Germany and Austria, there are two levels for quality wines. The predicate wine designations are

• Késöi Szüret = late vintage
• Töppedt Szölöböl Készült = Beerenauslese
• Aszú = Trockenbeerenauslese only for Tokaj
• Jégbor = ice wine

Specific wine names/types are

• Fehérbor = white wine, Vörösbor = red wine, Rozé = rosé
• Pezsgő = Sparkling wine, Francia Pezsgő = Champagne
• száraz = dry, félszáraz = medium dry, édes = sweet, félédes = medium sweet
• Barrique Érlelésü Bor = wine matured in barrique
• Bikavér = bull's blood (Eger and Szekszárd PDO only)
• FN (Földrajzi Jelzés Nélküli Bor) wine without geographical indication
• FNF (Földrajzi Jelzés Nélküli Fajtabor) Varietal wine without geographical indication
• Muzeális Bor = wine with at least 5 years bottle maturity
• Siller = light pressed red wine
• Újbor or Fiatal Bor = new wine or young wine