With the opening up of Eastern Europe to the world market the wines of Hungary have made a welcome reappearance. They are less well known than the wines of the rest of the old world but are none the worse for that. They are worth getting to know.
Hungary has a long tradition of wine making that goes back to the Romans and possibly earlier. The climate and soil is ideal for wine growing. Communist rule did no harm to the traditional techniques of wine making in Hungary. It could even be argued that Communism preserved the old ways better than in the West.
In France, and to some extent in Italy and Spain, the big labels dominate the market. But in Hungary there are many small producers. The market is more like it was in France in the 1950s. It makes it more difficult to read but it means that there are always some serendipitous discoveries to be made in Hungary.
There is a tremendous uniformity about New World wine and increasingly so from French wine. This is great for the supermarkets who want to stock their shelves with a product that remains the same year in year out but it is very dull for the wine lover who wants to be adventurous.
Choosing Hungarian wines demands that you know something about the different regions and the types of wine they produce. There are at least 20 different regions in Hungary and many different varieties of grapes. This tends to produce a great range of wines that reflect the soil conditions and climatic variations of the country.
Tokay Aszu has always been one of the most famous of Hungary's wines. It became popular among European aristocrats in the seventeenth century. Louis XIV called it the king of wines and Voltaire wrote a poem about it.
It was thought to have healing powers. Who knows whether that is true? The wonders of red wine are only just beginning to be investigated by scientists. Whether it cures all ills or not this is one of the best Hungarian wines to try.
The long warm moist autumn in this region allows the grapes to ferment on the vine. This is known as the noble rot. It produces a characteristic wine that is allowed to age in small casks in tunnels cut into the volcanic rock of the region.
Tokay wine has been called the ultimate desert wine. But it can also be drunk as an aperitif like sherry.
The finest vineyards are on the slopes overlooking the town of Tokay. Just 26 villages are accredited to produce authentic Tokay wine.
From the Balaton region come full bodied whites and some reds. Somewhat fresher whites can be found in the Duna region and the area of Upper Hungary.
Also well known is Egri Bikaver, although you probably know it as Bull's Blood. The name comes from its strong red color.
It is said that the citizens of Eger fortified themselves with this wine when their city was beseiged by the Turks in the sixteenth century. When the Turks saw their beards stained with wine they thought it was blood and were terrified.
In the past some fairly rough versions of this wine were exported. Nowadays better examples are available. It is less complex than Tokay but is good drinkable wine that goes well with most things. It is an excellent barbecue wine.
There are also excellent whites made in the Eger region and the city is a baroque gem that is well worth a visit.
Hungary has a long tradition of wine making that goes back to the Romans and possibly earlier. The climate and soil is ideal for wine growing. Communist rule did no harm to the traditional techniques of wine making in Hungary. It could even be argued that Communism preserved the old ways better than in the West.
In France, and to some extent in Italy and Spain, the big labels dominate the market. But in Hungary there are many small producers. The market is more like it was in France in the 1950s. It makes it more difficult to read but it means that there are always some serendipitous discoveries to be made in Hungary.
There is a tremendous uniformity about New World wine and increasingly so from French wine. This is great for the supermarkets who want to stock their shelves with a product that remains the same year in year out but it is very dull for the wine lover who wants to be adventurous.
Choosing Hungarian wines demands that you know something about the different regions and the types of wine they produce. There are at least 20 different regions in Hungary and many different varieties of grapes. This tends to produce a great range of wines that reflect the soil conditions and climatic variations of the country.
Tokay Aszu has always been one of the most famous of Hungary's wines. It became popular among European aristocrats in the seventeenth century. Louis XIV called it the king of wines and Voltaire wrote a poem about it.
It was thought to have healing powers. Who knows whether that is true? The wonders of red wine are only just beginning to be investigated by scientists. Whether it cures all ills or not this is one of the best Hungarian wines to try.
The long warm moist autumn in this region allows the grapes to ferment on the vine. This is known as the noble rot. It produces a characteristic wine that is allowed to age in small casks in tunnels cut into the volcanic rock of the region.
Tokay wine has been called the ultimate desert wine. But it can also be drunk as an aperitif like sherry.
The finest vineyards are on the slopes overlooking the town of Tokay. Just 26 villages are accredited to produce authentic Tokay wine.
From the Balaton region come full bodied whites and some reds. Somewhat fresher whites can be found in the Duna region and the area of Upper Hungary.
Also well known is Egri Bikaver, although you probably know it as Bull's Blood. The name comes from its strong red color.
It is said that the citizens of Eger fortified themselves with this wine when their city was beseiged by the Turks in the sixteenth century. When the Turks saw their beards stained with wine they thought it was blood and were terrified.
In the past some fairly rough versions of this wine were exported. Nowadays better examples are available. It is less complex than Tokay but is good drinkable wine that goes well with most things. It is an excellent barbecue wine.
There are also excellent whites made in the Eger region and the city is a baroque gem that is well worth a visit.
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