Wine destination
Hungary's wine is best known through Tokaj, the historic region in the northeast whose golden, botrytis-sweet Tokaji Aszú has been prized for centuries and is now a UNESCO World Heritage landscape.
Hungary's wine is best known through Tokaj, the historic region in the northeast whose golden, botrytis-sweet Tokaji Aszú has been prized for centuries and is now a UNESCO World Heritage landscape. Aszú is made from native grapes — chiefly Furmint and Hárslevelű — but those same varieties increasingly go into bone-dry, mineral whites that have become Tokaj's modern calling card.
Beyond Tokaj, the country is largely red-wine country. Eger, to the west, is home to Egri Bikavér — "Bull's Blood" — a robust blend usually led by Kékfrankos, the grape the rest of Europe calls Blaufränkisch. Villány, in the warm south, makes Hungary's fullest reds, while the volcanic hills above Lake Balaton turn out characterful whites. In all, 22 wine districts sit within six broader regions.
Budapest is the natural base: Tokaj is reachable on a long day trip or an overnight, and the city's own wine bars are the easiest introduction to Hungarian bottles. Harvest runs through autumn, later in Tokaj, where the sweet wines depend on grapes left to shrivel on the vine.
From Tokaj’s volcanic-tuff cellars to Villany’s bold reds, these estates welcome visitors for tastings and tours:
Budapest is the natural base; Tokaj and Eger are long day trips, while Etyek is close enough for a half day:
