Exploring the Wines of Hungary

It's one of the oldest winemaking regions in the world. Until the middle of the 19th century when phylloxera killed off many of the vines, it was among the most important wine regions in the world. But, then it faltered until the Communist regime was forced out. But, Hungary's wine country has some really important characteristics for growing great wine grapes.

With cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers, and with a mix of limestone and volcanic soils, the climate if wonderful for growing all but the warmest weather grapes. The soil adds significant acidity and minerality.

So, what do we know? We know that Hungary has 22 wine growing regions (comparable to AVAs in the United States), but 4 of those 22 are far more worthy of study and wine consumption than the others. Each of those 4 has its own character and each grows its own grapes.

Starting on the Croatian border in the southwestern part of the country, we travel to Villany. Here, the summers are warmer than in the rest of the country. Grapes are planted often on south and southwesterly facing slopes. The two best known grapes of the region are the native Kekfrancos (Blaufrankisch in Germany and Austria) and Portugesier, but with the summer warmth, many producers have also experimented with the classic Bordeaux grapes and have had particular success with Cabernet Franc. In fact, there appears to be something in the local soil that reacts with the pyrazines to soften the often prevalent bell pepper flavor of the grape. In fact, if you want a great Cabernet Franc at a great price, look to those from Villany. They are less expensive than Cahors, lack the green pepper that drives many wine drinkers crazy, yet have the earthiness and much of the ageworthiness of the best of Bordeaux.

Moving north to Nagy Somlo (or Somlo as it is commonly called), This is a tiny wine region of less than 750 acres. It's about 100 miles mostly west of Budapest. What makes the wine here unique is the ground in which it's planted. Beneath the soil is rich volcanic black basalt. Covering the basalt are lays of sand, clay, and wind-blown, silty loess. The grape to enjoy here is Juhfark (sheep's tail). Juhfark, grown only here in the world, has some quite interesting legends surrounding it. First, it's said to cure anemia and liver disease. Second, in medieval times, it was known as nászéjszakák bora (translates as wedding night wine) for its purported propensity in producing male offspring when the wedding night successfully produced a child. The wines produced from Juhfark are spicy and smoky with underlying lemony notes. Interestingly, more citrus emerges after some aging, a phenomenon rarely experienced in the world of wine.

To the northeast, just a bit south of Slovakia, we find Eger. This is the region known, in particular, for two wines, Egri Bikaver (the red blend known as Bull's Blood) and Egri Csillag, the white blend without a charismatic nickname. According to legend, the name Bull's Blood came when Turkish invaders of the 15th or 16th century (I can't recall which) happened upon a bunch of drunken Hungarian warriors. They said that their eyes were so red that they looked like those of bloodshot bulls (or however one might say that in middle Turkish). Egri Bikaver is a blend that must be at least 50% native grapes. Most commonly, the grape of choice is Kekfrancos. It's fiery, yet rustic, and very full-bodied. It can carry an American steak, but is really the perfect pairing for the tradtional paprika-laden goulash. Egri Csillag, the sister blend, also must be at least 50% native grapes. Most commonly used are Furmint, Hárslevelü, and Királyleányka. The resultant wine is one of the great white wine values of the world if you can find it. At about $15, you get loads of tropical fruit and white floral notes, and a finish that is normally loaded with almond and lychee.

We end our Hungarian adventure in Tokaj near the common border with Slovakia and Ukraine. In Tokaj, they make Tokaji (I have no idea why the spelling is different). Tokaj is the oldest official wine region in the world. And, Tokaji was the first wine made from botrytized grapes. It's sweet, with the sweetness and quality measured in puttanyos, originally meaured by the number of baskets of botrytized grapes that were added to a barrel of wine. Currently, there appear to be Tokaji of 3, 5, and 6 Puttanyos where 6 are the most prized. Tokaji is usually predominantly Furmint, but can contain up to five other native grapes (and yes, I had to look these up if for no other reason than I cannot spell any of them unassisted): Sárgamuskotály, Kabar, Hárslevelü, Zéta, and Kövérszölö. The process is interesting. Botrytized grapes are placed in the must of dry wine and mashed. Think of the sweetness and fruitiness of candied apricots, tangelos, and tangerines with the spice of cinnamon and clove. Pair it with foie gras, lemon meringue pie, citrus tarts, creamy cheeses, or a roaring fire.