Need Hungarian Translation?
Find language Translators

Hungarian Wine

Wine

Hungary has several famous vine regions, most known are Villany, Eger, Badacsony, Tokaj, Szekszard. Prices are reasonable.

Egri Bikaver (Bull's Blood of Eger) is a strong red Hungarian wine which supposedly saved a clever Hungarian girl from her fate with a Turkish sultan. During the time of the Turkish occupation, it is said a young girl was summoned to become a member of the local sultan's harem. Not wanting this fate for his daughter, her father gave her a bottle of Egri Bikaver to take to the sultan. He told her to tell the ruler it was bull's blood, and would make him invincible. The sultan, being Muslim, was unaccustomed to alcohol, and proceeded to pass out, leaving the daughter unharmed. There is another story connected to why Bull's Blood is called so, and it also comes from the Turkish era. According to that one, the defenders of the different castles used to drink this red wine. When they saw the color on the mouths of the Hungarians, they thought that it must have been from a bull, thus the name.
Tokaj is known for its sweet dessert wines (Tokaji aszu), which acquire their distinctive taste from grapes infected by the "noble rot" Botrytis cinerea. The favorite tipple of aristocracy, past fans of Tokaji include Louis XIV (who called Tokaj as "The king of the wines, the wine of the kings"), Beethoven, Napoleon III and Peter the Great — which is still reflected in the steep pricing of the best varieties. Almost uniquely among white wines, Tokaj keeps very well for long time.
If new to Hungarian wine, be aware that both champagne ("pezsgo") and wine, red or white, are quite likely to be sweet ("Edes"). If dry wine is your preference, look for the word "Szaraz" on the label.

Source: Wikipedia

The land of Hungary has always been blessed with a climate and soils perfect for viticulture and wine making. A wide variety of soil types and sunshine in abundance have made the land a wine making region that goes back to the Celts in the 3rd century ad.

The Romans brought the first vine-shoots to this fertile land of the Carpathian Basin, and they established the first vineyards in Szeremseg, Baranya, Tolna, the Buda Hills and Lake Ferto.
It has been said that Attila the Hun's warriors were fond of Hungarian wines, and at the time of the Magyar tribes (896 AD) Arpad awarded his subjects with vineyards in the later legendary Tokaj-Hegyalja region.

The wines of Szekszard, Somlovasarhely, Pannonhalma, Mor, Eger, and Csopak were a major source of income during the medieval period too. At around the 14th century new areas were designated for vineyards and royal vineyards were created at Somlo. Other areas popular at that time included Gyongyos, Debro, Verpelet and Domoszlo.

The cities of Sopron, Pozsony, Koszeg, 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 urmos csemegebor, or vermouth. The Kadarka grape, later widely grown, was brought to the Szekszard region by the Serbs persecuted by the Turks. The Turks also destroyed the famous Szeremseg vineyards. In the Turkish era the Eger white grapes were replaced by red types and in time the Hungarians learnt how to make red wines from the Serbs.

It was in the 16th century that the Tokaj region started to be fashionable, with late harvesting and the aszu grapes (prone to botrytis) producing the sweet white wines the region is still renowned for.
Tokaj became known as the 'wine of kings, king of wines', so termed by the Sun King, Louis XIV. It was soon to become a favourite among the royal households of Europe.

The Wines of the Balaton hills were greatly valued, especially the Badacsony types. The Books of Badacsony Hegykozseg 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.

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 phylloxera, took a heavy toll of Hungary's vineyards: almost half of the country's plantations were destroyed.
New imported varieties replaced the ravaged vines and this revived the country's viniculture. In the period following the Second World War viniculture and wine-production saw rapid development again.

Source

Translation Agency | Spanish Translation | French Translation | German Translation | Japanese Translation | Translater |

hungarian translation hungarian hungary hungarian goulash budapest hungary st elizabeth of hungary hungarian empire hungarian rhapsody hungarian revolution hungarian dance hungarian food hungary map hungarian christmas hungarian flag hungarian river hungarian paprika hungarian embassy hungarian wine capital of hungary hungarian music