Viticulture has a long tradition in Hungary; there is evidence that the Celts were already cultivating wine in the Carpathian Basin in 600 BC. The dry continental climate with warm summers and cold winters tempered in the northwest by Neusiedlersee in Austria and Lake Balaton in central Hungary, but also by rivers such as the Danube, divides the country into two parts. The country has next to perfect terrain for winegrowing, and volcanic soils, partly mixed with basalt, loess and lime. No wonder, then, that Hungary has produced such celebrated wines, first and foremost the noble sweet Tokaji, which until quite recently was said to have healing and magical properties, so much so that it was even sold in pharmacies right up to the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. The socialist era, however, forced the production of mass-produced wines, which actually lowered the quality of Tokaji. Another famous wine, "Erlauer Stierblut" (Bull's Blood), was from then on, only to be found on the budget shelves of supermarkets. It was not until the turnaround at the beginning of the 1990s and the accession to the EU with accompanying investments from abroad, e.g., Marchese Antinori from Tuscany, that winegrowing received a new quality boost. Except for the extreme south, numerous winegrowing regions are spread across the country, but most are concentrated around Lake Balaton and along the course of the Danube. Only Eger, with its "Erlauer Stierblut", a cuvée of Kadarka, Cabernet Sauvignon, Blaufränkisch or Blauer Portugieser, is located in the northeast and extreme northeast of the country. Other well-known regions are Villany in the southwest and Sopron in the country's northwest. Primarily white wine is cultivated, but the largest vineyard area, with over 7,000 hectares, is occupied by Blaufränkisch. The white wine variety Furmint plays an essential role for Tokaji. Still, otherwise, you can also find a wide selection of other international grape varieties such as Welschriesling, Chardonnay, Merlot, Zweigelt and many more.
