The deities of vine and wine must have loved the land of Hungary – the ancient Pannonia – having graced it with such diverse soils and sunshine kind to both grape and wine. Owing to an exceptionally wide array of natural features viniculture and wine making have thrived in this land for a great many centuries (even the Celts back in the 3rd Century were viniculturists).

The Romans brought the first vine-shoots to the fertile land of the Carpathian Basin, and they were first to establish the first vineyards in regions of the Szerémség, Baranya, Tolna, the Buda Hills and Lake Fertõ, too. Attila’s Hun warriors are alleged to have revelled under the influence of the grape nectar produced here, and at the time of the Magyar tribes (896 AD) Prince Árpád awarded his subjects with vineyards in the later legendary Tokaj-Hegyalja region. The nectar of Szekszárd, Somlóvásárhely, Pannonhalma, Mór, Eger, and Csopak was soon to become a valuable commodity and a major source of income in the medieval economy.

By then the excellent quality of wine was a prerequisite in establishing and developing trade links, therefore in the 14th Century new areas were planted with vine at Sátoraljaújhely, royal vineyards were founded at Somló, and the wines produced at Gyöngyös, Debrõ, Verpelét and Domoszló enjoyed a great vogue. The cities of Sopron, Pozsony, Kõszeg, and of course Buda passed severe regulations in protection of their own wines, banning the import and selling of foreign wines. Before the 150-year occupation of the Turks many varieties of Italian and French grapes were brought in, as well as the custom of producing so called ürmös csemegebor, or vermouth. The Kadarka grape, later widely grown, was brought to the Szekszárd region by the Serbs persecuted by the Turks. Never absent from aristocratic and royal menus, the most famous and finest wines were produced in the Szerémség. The Turks, however, destroyed the millennial Szerémség vineyards. In the Turkish era the Eger white grapes were replaced by red types (e.g. the Turkish, or the Blue góhér) and vines were planted in the Alföld (e.g. the veres karmazsin – “red ruby” or the fekete muskotály – “black muscatel”). Adopting methods of the Serbs the Hungarians, too, produced dried grapes, raisins, brandy, and also learnt the method of making red wine. In the 16th Century Tokay wine was the vogue-word, and sweet white wines came into fashion nationally. In the Tokaj-Hegyalja region the practice of three-times hoeing, late harvesting was established, and the aszú grapes, i.e. grapes prone to the “infection” of a “noble rot”, the botrytis cinarea fungus were also widely propagated.

The “wine of kings, king of wines”, so termed by the Sun King, Louis XIV, was soon to become a favourite among the royal households of Europe, its deep amber colour for centuries shining in exquisite goblets and crystal cups. And as aszú wine making involved increasingly elaborate procedures and secret recipes, so the number of adulteration scandals increased too. The land of the magnificent aszú which naturally belonged to the Treasury was heavily guarded – not only on Juda Simon day, October 28th, first day of aszú grape harvesting...

The Wines of the Balaton hills were greatly valued, especially the Badacsony types. The Books of Badacsony Hegyközség village were first written in 1752 which was when most peasant wine cellars were built (the date is carved into the lintel of each cellar), and the characteristic arcaded, two-storey wineries were erected then too.

Due to the breaking of indigenous grasslands in the Great Plain (between the Danube and the Tisza rivers) in the last decade of the 18th Century, sand overran the land. In order to obstruct the diffusion of sand vine plantations were founded. By the end of the Century there were a great many cellars, and modern methods of cooperage were adopted – e.g. metal hoops were introduced.

In the 19th Century new production methods were developed, the cubic capacity of barrels was standardised, and in the latter half of the Century vinicultural equipment was fully modernized.

From 1882 on a new type of plant-louse, the phylloxera, took a heavy toll of Hungary’s vineyards: almost half of the country’s plantations was destroyed. The devastated types of grape were taken over by newly imported varieties which rejuvenated the country’s viniculture. In the period following the Second World War viniculture and wine-production saw rapid development. From the 1990s quality wines and traditional vinicultural values came to the fore. Experts predict a fine future for local wines and traditional grape types. This publication presents the natural treasures of Hungarian wine regions, as well as the richness of Hungarian culinary culture, offering magnificent regional dishes to go with the finest vintage Hungarian wines. Connoisseurs are offered special and unique vinous recipes which call for noble Hungarian wines from Tokaj to Sopron and Villány to Eger.

Recommend this site! Tell A Friend!