The best wines of Hungary

Discover the best wines of Hungary as well as the best winemakers of Hungary and estates of Hungary to visit. Explore the popular grape varieties of Hungary and the best vintages to taste in this region.

Top wines of Hungary by region

Looking for a good wine of Hungary among the top wines in the region? Check out our tops of the best red, white or effervescent wines of Hungary. Also find some food and wine pairings that may be appropriate with these exceptional wines. Learn more about the region and the wines of Hungary with technical and enological descriptions.

Great red wines of Hungary

See the top 100 best red wines of Hungary

Want to buy a red wine of Hungary cheap or sell a red wine of Hungary at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a red wine of Hungary

Red wines from the region of Hungary go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, game (deer, venison) or lamb such as recipes of roast beef with garlic, rabbit with basquaise sauce or irish stew with beer.

Organoleptic analysis of red wine of Hungary

On the nose the red wine of the region of Hungary. often reveals types of flavors of oaky, red cherry or cream and sometimes also flavors of cherry, citrus or blueberry. In the mouth the red wine of the region of Hungary. is a powerful with a nice balance between acidity and tannins.

The best vintages in red wine of Hungary

  • 1999With an average score of 4.80/5
  • 2018With an average score of 4.62/5
  • 2000With an average score of 4.50/5
  • 2017With an average score of 4.49/5
  • 2002With an average score of 4.45/5
  • 2003With an average score of 4.43/5

The most used grape varieties in red wine of Hungary

  • Merlot
  • Cabernet Franc
  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Shiraz/Syrah
  • Kékfrankos
  • Pinot Noir

The best wineries and winemakers for red wine of Hungary

A wine route planned in the region of Hungary? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best red wine of Hungary.

Discovering the wine region of Hungary

Hungary, in Central Europe, has earned its reputation in the wine world with only a few styles of wine, but for centuries it has been a wine-producing nation of considerable diversity. In addition to the Sweet wines of Tokaj and the Bull's Blood of Eger, Hungary's wine range includes Dry whites from the shores of Lake Balaton, Somló and Neszmély, and finer reds from a variety of regions, including Villány, Sopron and Szekszard. Hungarian wine culture dates back to Roman times and has survived many political, religious and economic challenges, including Islamic rule in the 16th century (when Alcohol was banned) and the Phylloxera epidemic in the late 19th century. The modern Hungarian wine regions are spread throughout the country.

Sopron in the northwest is separated from Tokaj in the northeast by 370 kilometers (230 miles) and from Hajós-Baja in the South by about two-thirds of that distance. Between these two key areas lie the country's 22 official wine regions, each with its own mix of culture, history, Terroir and wine style. The vineyards of the southern plains, for example, are very different from the vineyards of the western lakeshores and the northeastern foothills. The eastern Part of Hungary is surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains, which have a considerable impact on the local Climate, protecting the land from the cold winds that would otherwise blow in from all over Poland and western Ukraine.

The generally continental climate is also moderated by Lakes Balaton and Neusiedl, allowing for a longer and more temperate growing season. The main grape varieties currently grown in Hungarian vineyards are a mixture of traditional regional varieties and international varieties of French origin that are better known and more easily marketed. Among the traditional Hungarian white wine varieties are Furmint and Hárslevelű (the white grapes used in Tokaj), Olaszrizling, Leányka and Kéknyelűkekfra. They have recently been joined by a series of new crosses such as Irsai Olivér, Cserszegi Fűszeres, Zefír and Zenit, a number of which were created locally by Hungarian ampelographers.

Great white wines of Hungary

See the top 100 best white wines of Hungary

Want to buy a white wine of Hungary cheap or sell a white wine of Hungary at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a white wine of Hungary

White wines from the region of Hungary go well with generally quite well with dishes of pork, rich fish (salmon, tuna etc) or vegetarian such as recipes of peasant minestrone, spinach, goat cheese and salmon quiche or spinach and goat cheese quiche.

Organoleptic analysis of white wine of Hungary

On the nose the white wine of the region of Hungary. often reveals types of flavors of cream, grass or lime and sometimes also flavors of apricot, ginger or white peach.

The best vintages in white wine of Hungary

  • 2003With an average score of 4.46/5
  • 2020With an average score of 4.30/5
  • 2004With an average score of 4.20/5
  • 2019With an average score of 4.20/5
  • 2006With an average score of 4.20/5
  • 2017With an average score of 4.14/5

The most used grape varieties in white wine of Hungary

  • Furmint
  • Chardonnay
  • Hárslevelű
  • Muscat Ottonel
  • Riesling
  • Olaszrizling

The best wineries and winemakers for white wine of Hungary

A wine route planned in the region of Hungary? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best white wine of Hungary.

Discover the grape variety: Cabernet franc

Cabernet Franc is one of the oldest red grape varieties in Bordeaux. The Libourne region is its terroir where it develops best. The terroirs of Saint-Emilion and Fronsac allow it to mature and develop its best range of aromas. It is also the majority in many blends. The very famous Château Cheval Blanc, for example, uses 60% Cabernet Franc. The wines produced with Cabernet Franc are medium in colour with fine tannins and subtle aromas of small red fruits and spices. When blended with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, it brings complexity and a bouquet of aromas to the wine. It produces fruity wines that can be drunk quite quickly, but whose great vintages can be kept for a long time. It is an earlier grape variety than Cabernet Sauvignon, which means that it is planted as far north as the Loire Valley. In Anjou, it is also used to make sweet rosé wines. Cabernet Franc is now used in some twenty countries in Europe and throughout the world.

Great sparkling wines of Hungary

See the top 100 best sparkling wines of Hungary

Want to buy a sparkling wine of Hungary cheap or sell a sparkling wine of Hungary at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a sparkling wine of Hungary

Sparkling wines from the region of Hungary go well with generally quite well with dishes of pork, rich fish (salmon, tuna etc) or vegetarian such as recipes of pork colombo, baked sea bream or ham and comté quiche.

Organoleptic analysis of sparkling wine of Hungary

On the nose the sparkling wine of the region of Hungary. often reveals types of flavors of pineapple, microbio or vegetal and sometimes also flavors of floral, tropical fruit or citrus fruit.

The best vintages in sparkling wine of Hungary

  • 2009With an average score of 4.50/5
  • 2016With an average score of 4.05/5
  • 2008With an average score of 4.00/5
  • 2015With an average score of 3.99/5
  • 2013With an average score of 3.97/5
  • 2011With an average score of 3.94/5

The most used grape varieties in sparkling wine of Hungary

  • Furmint
  • Chardonnay
  • Pinot Noir
  • Hárslevelű
  • Pinot Blanc
  • Kékfrankos

The best wineries and winemakers for sparkling wine of Hungary

A wine route planned in the region of Hungary? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best sparkling wine of Hungary.

The word of the wine: Rosé (champagne)

Unique rosé wine made by blending white wine with a small amount of red Champagne. It is however possible to vinify the must directly into rosé.

Great pink wines of Hungary

See the top 100 best pink wines of Hungary

Want to buy a pink wine of Hungary cheap or sell a pink wine of Hungary at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a pink wine of Hungary

Pink wines from the region of Hungary go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, game (deer, venison) or veal such as recipes of provencal stew, cassoulet or veal paupiettes with mushrooms.

Organoleptic analysis of pink wine of Hungary

On the nose the pink wine of the region of Hungary. often reveals types of flavors of cream, non oak or black fruit and sometimes also flavors of plum, grapefruit or floral.

The best vintages in pink wine of Hungary

  • 2000With an average score of 4.10/5
  • 2009With an average score of 3.90/5
  • 2020With an average score of 3.84/5
  • 2012With an average score of 3.78/5
  • 2013With an average score of 3.78/5
  • 2019With an average score of 3.77/5

The most used grape varieties in pink wine of Hungary

  • Merlot
  • Pinot Noir
  • Cabernet Franc
  • Kékfrankos
  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Blaufränkisch

The best wineries and winemakers for pink wine of Hungary

A wine route planned in the region of Hungary? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best pink wine of Hungary.

Discover the grape variety: Pinot noir

Pinot noir is an important red grape variety in Burgundy and Champagne, and its reputation is well known! Great wines such as the Domaine de la Romanée Conti elaborate their wines from this famous grape variety, and make it a great variety. When properly vinified, pinot noit produces red wines of great finesse, with a wide range of aromas depending on its advancement (fruit, undergrowth, leather). it is also the only red grape variety authorized in Alsace. Pinot Noir is not easily cultivated beyond our borders, although it has enjoyed some success in Oregon, the United States, Australia and New Zealand.

Great sweet wines of Hungary

See the top 100 best sweet wines of Hungary

Want to buy a sweet wine of Hungary cheap or sell a sweet wine of Hungary at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a sweet wine of Hungary

Sweet wines from the region of Hungary go well with generally quite well with dishes of spicy food or sweet desserts such as recipes of couscous from the sea or traditional pastry flan.

Organoleptic analysis of sweet wine of Hungary

On the nose the sweet wine of the region of Hungary. often reveals types of flavors of butterscotch, non oak or orange peel and sometimes also flavors of citrus fruit, spices or tree fruit.

The best vintages in sweet wine of Hungary

  • 2004With an average score of 4.80/5
  • 1998With an average score of 4.70/5
  • 1989With an average score of 4.70/5
  • 1996With an average score of 4.69/5
  • 1972With an average score of 4.68/5
  • 1981With an average score of 4.67/5

The most used grape varieties in sweet wine of Hungary

  • Furmint
  • Hárslevelű
  • Yellow Muscat
  • Muscat Blanc
  • Zéta
  • Moscatel de grano menudo

The best wineries and winemakers for sweet wine of Hungary

A wine route planned in the region of Hungary? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best sweet wine of Hungary.

The word of the wine: Green harvest or green harvesting

The practice of removing excess bunches of grapes from certain vines, usually in July, but sometimes later. This is often necessary, but not always a good thing, as the remaining grapes tend to gain weight.

News from the vineyard of Hungary

DWWA judge profile: Matthew Horsley

Matthew Horsley is a judge at the 2022 Decanter World Wine Awards. Matthew Horsley Matthew Horsley is a buyer at The Wine Society, having worked for them for over 9 years. After graduating university with a degree in Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies, Matthew joined The Wine Society as a Christmas temp before joining the Tastings and Events Team where he spent three and a half years. He joined the Buying Department in 2017 and now buys the wines of England, Greece and Hungary for The So ...

Vega Sicilia invests €20m in Galicia white wine plan

Vega Sicilia’s announcement of its project in Galicia brings an end to months of industry speculation over where exactly the company would make its first Spanish white wines. Spanish daily newspapers El País and Cinco Días revealed news of the construction of a new winery and the acquisition of 24 hectares of vineyards by Vega Sicilia, owned by the Álvarez family. Vega Sicilia confirmed that production would initially consist of two white wines: Deiva, a white Crianza (aged 2 years); and Arnela, ...

Ukraine winery’s mission to deliver bottles to DWWA

Amid the devastation and turmoil since Russia’s invasion on 24 February, Beykush winery on southern Ukraine’s Black Sea Coast has been among those attempting to continue operations as much as possible. Last week, Beykush began transporting thousands of wines to western Ukraine in order to protect them for possible export to other markets, winery director Svetlana Tsybak told Decanter. ‘Yesterday we sent three palettes, about 1,200 bottles, and today the same quantity,’ she said. She also s ...