Drinks

Wine has been produced in Hungary for thousands of years, and it remains important economically and socially. You’ll find it available by the glass or bottle everywhere. For dry whites, look for Badacsonyi Keknyelu or Szurkebarat, Mocsenyi or Boglari Chardonnay or Debroi Harslevelu. Olasz Rizling and Egri Leanyka tend to be on the sweet side, though nowhere near the Tokaji Aszu dessert wines, which are rated according to the number of puttony (butts) of sweet essence added to other base wines. Dependable reds are Villanyi Merlot, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon, Szekszardi Kekfrankos and Nagyredei Cabernet Franc. The celebrated Egri Bikaver (Eger Bull’s Blood) is a full-bodied red high in acid and tannin.

Hungary is a major producer of wine and most of what is available to buy here is domestically produced and very reasonably priced. Names like Tokaj ( a white dessert wine) and Bikavér ( ’Bull’s Blood’, a heavy dry red) are internationally recognised. Tokaj’s unique character is achieved by using carefully chosen grapes that have been attacked by the fungus, Botrytis cinerea. The higher number the botrytized grapes (puttonyos) are used, the higher the price of the wine.

Wine regions of Hungary

1. Etyek-Buda:Fresh, dynamic, elegant white wines. They are used to produce the sparkling wines of Törley.

2. Ászár-Neszmély:This area grows wines which are slightly heavy, yet contain pleasant acidity.

3. Balatonfüred-Csopak:This region is well-known for its Olaszrizling, these spicy wines come from the ”red earth” and have a subtile acid composition.

4. Pannonhalma-Sokoróalja:Wines of this region are characteristic, rich in fragrance and aroma.

5. Badacsony:Characterized by the mineral-rich wines of this extinct volcano, the most famous varieties are Kéknyelű and Szürkebarát.

6. Somló:”The wines of the Wedding-nigths” are full-bodied with a heavy, masculin character, high in both acidity and alcohol content.

7. Balaton Highland:These wines are piquant and elegant, containing lively acidity. The main variety is Zöld veltelini.

8. Mór:Land of spicy, heavy, masculin character wine Ezerjó having lively acidic attributes.

9. Balaton melléke:The wines of this region are fresh, dynamically acidic and rich in fragrance and aroma.

10. Sopron:The most famous variety is Kékfrankos. Red wines of this region are rich in tannin and pleasantly tart.

11. Balatonboglár:Abundant in sunchine, these are fresh and crispy wines from the southern lakeside of Balaton.

12. Tolna:Red wines of this region are fiery and velvety, the wines are light, fresh and fruity.

13. Szekszárd:These world-famous red wines are characteristic and velvety.

14. Mecsekalja:Spicy and fiery, the most famous wine of the region is Cirfandli.

15. Villány:The mediterranean climate of the region produces excellent quality, elegant red wines which are ull-bodied with rich fragrance and aroma.

16. Kunság:Light, fresh and crispy white wines of the sunshine-rich Great Plain.

17. Csongrád:The home of the famous and fiery Csongrádi Kadarka and Kékfrankos red wines containing moderate acidity and excellent aroma.

18. Hajós-Baja:The spicy and fiery red wines of this region have achieved great recognition, i.e. Kadarka.

19. Mátraalja:The white wines are nicely and harmonious, having a spicy fragrance.

20. Eger:Its most famous varieties are Bikavér (Bull’s Blood) and Leányka which are full-bodied, elegant, strongly characteristic wines.

21. Bükkalja:These characteristic white wines have pleasant acidity, exhibiting richness in fragrance and aroma.

22. Tokaj-Hegyalja:The ”Wine of Kings, King of Wines”. They are dry and dessert white wines.

We offer wine tasting programs here.

Stronger spirits

An alcoholic drink that is as Hungarian as wine is palinka, a strong brandy distilled from a variety of fruits but most commonly apricots or plums. Hungarian liqueurs are usually unbearably sweet and taste artificial, though the Zwack brand is reliable. Zwack also produces Unicum, a bitter aperitif that has been around since 1790, a thick black liqueur which you’ll either love or hate but you really must give it a try once. Austrian Emperor Joseph II christened the liqueur when he exclaimed ‘Das ist ein Unikum!’ (‘This is a unique drink!’). It’s an acquired taste.

Beers

Hungary produces a number of its own beers for national distribution (Dreher and Kobanyai, for example) though some are usually found only near where they are brewed (Kanizsai in Nagykanizsa and Szalon in Pecs). Bottled Austrian and German beer like Gosser and Holstein – either imported or brewed in Hungary under licence- are readily available, as are excellent Czech imports Pilsner Urquell and Staropramen.

Dreher is the best quality local beer and is usually cheaper than the foreign alternatives, while Szalon Barna is a little known brown beer (bottles only) that’s suprisingly good.

You are not allowed to drive when you drink on Hungary, zero alcohol tolerance!