These are the best Hungarian wines you should definitely try!

Hungarian winemaking has a history dating back to the Romans, and with 22 wine regions, the country is a rather significant wine producer. The 4 best-known wine regions are Tokaj (North-Eastern Hungary), Lake Balaton, Villány (Southern Transdanubia), and Eger (Northern Hungary). Since 2002, Tokaj has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the sweet wines of this region were said to have been among Queen Victoria’s favourites.

Hungary’s renaissance as a wine-producing nation began after the end of the Socialist rule in 1989, and the 21st century has seen a great increase in the number of quality wineries, The Independent wrote. Besides the country’s remarkable sweet wines, there are some noteworthy dry varieties, such as Hárslevelű, Juhfark, and Cserszegi Fűszeres. John Clarke emphasised that

Hungary has a great potential to become “one of the most productive and promising wine regions in Europe.”

Here are the 12 best Hungarian wines:

Frittmann Irsai Olivér
Irsai Olivér is a white wine variety, cross-bred between Pearl of Csaba and Pozsonyi. It is a relatively recent cross, a simple wine with a fruity and fresh taste, regarded as the “Best Buy”.

Öreg Király-dűlő dry Furmint Barta 2015
Furmint is an indigenous white wine grape variety, the eighth most common variety in Hungary. It is mainly grown in the Tokaj-Hegyalja region, which is well-known for the classic sweet wines; however, this wine is an example of great dry white wines that deserve more attention. Öreg Király-dűlő dry Furmint Barta won a double gold medal at the 2017 San Francisco International Wine Competition, and it was voted the best furmint of the competition.

Frittmann Cserszegi Fűszeres 2017
Cserszegi fűszeres is a white wine grape variety, and it comes from the Kunsag, the country’s largest wine region. This wine has an aromatic flavour, characterised by floral notes, pears, apples, and peaches. It is the perfect choice by itself or with fish and chicken dishes.

Kikelet Lónyai Hárslevelű single vineyard 2017
Hárslevelű (lime tree leaf) is another great native Hungarian grape variety. It has an intense aroma of elderflower, spice, and almost tropical-like acidity.

Kolonics Nagy-Somlói Juhfark (Sheep’s Tail) 2017
Juhfark is one of the oldest grape varieties in Hungary, mainly planted in the wine region of Somló. It was named after its cylindrical cluster reminiscent of a sheep’s tail. Kolonics Nagy-Somlói Juhfark is a medium-bodied dry white wine with a peachy flavour.