Category Archives: Hungary

Wine regions of Hungary: Pannon

The geography and climate of the Pannon region Located in east central Hungary, the Pannon wine region is home to the country’s largest wine-growing area and one of its most popular wines: Egri Bikavér. You’ll find this region near Lake Balaton, which is a magnet for tourists across eastern Europe during the summer months. It has a continental climate and experiences warm summers, cold winters and annual rainfall of around 560 millimeters. There are over 6,600 hectares of land devoted to vineyards here and they are mostly located on flat plains – it can get very windy in this region.… Read more

Wine regions of Hungary: Duna

The Duna region is the most important in Hungary, with the largest total vineyard area and the longest wine history – dating back over a thousand years. The Duna region is the most important in Hungary, with the largest total vineyard area and the longest wine history – dating back over a thousand years. The warm and dry climate combined with light, fertile soils are ideal for growing vines. There are primarily two distinct subregions: the northern part of Transdanubia which includes some great vineyards around Budapest like those in Etyek-Buda and Szentgothárd, near the Austrian border; and the southern… Read more

Wine regions of Hungary: North Transdanubia

The North Transdanubia region is a diverse mix of Tokaj, Sopron and Eger. North Transdanubia is one of the six wine regions of Hungary, stretching from Lake Balaton in the west to the country’s border with Slovakia in the east. This diverse region includes the famous Tokaj region and two other smaller sub-regions: Sopron and Eger. The three main areas—Tokaj, Sopron and Eger—are not far from each other, making it ideal to visit all three sub-regions in one trip if you’ve got a few days for a wine tour around this part of Hungary. Sopron is located on the Austrian… Read more

Wine regions of Hungary: Balaton

Balaton (Lake Balaton) is the largest lake in Central Europe. Lake Balaton is the largest lake in Central Europe, covering about 217 square miles. It was formed by volcanoes about 1.5 million years ago, and is fed by underground springs. The lake is relatively shallow at only 12 feet deep on average and 75 miles long with a maximum width of 8 miles. Lake Balaton is located in a volcanic region at the western boundary of the Carpathian Mountain Range and the Transdanubian Mountains on the border between Hungary, Austria and Slovakia. The Balaton wine-growing area is located in a… Read more

Wine regions of Hungary: Tokaj

Tokaj is a historical wine region located in north-eastern Hungary. Tokaj is a historical wine region located in north-eastern Hungary, close to the border with Slovakia. It is also one of the seven Hungarian wine regions and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since December 2002. The wine region is well-known for its sweet wines made from grapes affected by noble rot, or Botrytis cinerea. Sweet white wines are known as Tokaji Aszú, while dry reds are called Tokaji Bikavér or Bull’s Blood. Tokaj has also produced sparkling wines in the past – known as Sekt – but this… Read more

Wine regions of Hungary: Upper Hungary

Hungary is one of the world’s oldest wine producing countries, having been a major player in the wine trade as long ago as the Middle Ages. It also boasts one of the world’s largest cellars, and Budapest is a wine trading center that has been in operation for centuries. 80 appellations (tőkés, tanya, hegy, szektánói) Hungary, like most wine countries, has its own appellation system. It exists to protect the region’s wines and to ensure that they are recognized worldwide. Appellations are geographical indications regulated by the Hungarian government (like Italy’s DOC or Spain’s DO). The size of a Hungarian… Read more

Wine regions of Hungary: Balaton

The largest lake in Central Europe Lake Balaton is the largest lake in Central Europe, covering about 217 square miles. It was formed by volcanoes about 1.5 million years ago, and is fed by underground springs. The lake is relatively shallow at only 12 feet deep on average and 75 miles long with a maximum width of 8 miles. A volcanic region The Balaton wine-growing area is located in a volcanic region at the western boundary of the Carpathian Mountain Range and the Transdanubian Mountains on the border between Hungary, Austria and Slovakia. This unique geographical position is protected from… Read more