Autumn Selection (6-Pack)

One of Hungary’s red wine bastions, Eger, the home of Bikavér (aka Bull’s Blood), also boasts a diverse geological make-up which includes rhyolite tuff. It is also Hungary’s northernmost red-wine-producing region. Historic vineyards planted on these volcanic rocks make some of the biggest, fieriest wines in the region. As in Tokaj, this tuff lends itself perfectly to the carving of cellars. It hosts 99 percent of Eger’s cellars, including networks of passages dozens of miles long and the famous cellars under the city’s fortified castle.

Although historically a white wine land like its volcanic counterparts, red varieties displaced the whites and finally after the blight of phylloxera, Eger’s flagship red blend, Egri Bikavér, attained a worldwide reputation at the start of the 20th century. Winemakers here take this traditional blend seriously.
It has improved tremendously and has little in common with those past Bikavér’s which were exported to the West during the Communist-era of mass-produced wine. Varietals that find their way into Bikavér are Kékfrankos (Blaufrankish), Pinot Noir, Portugieser, Merlot, and Kadarka, and all of these are also bottled as single varietal wines.

At the start of the 21st century, Bikavér gained a white partner, Egri Csillag (‘Star of Eger’). Approximately 50 percent of the region’s vineyards are planted with white grapes and as no one variety dominates, so it was logical to make Egri Csillag a blend, in keeping with the region’s traditions. It is a very variable blend based on Carpathian-basin varieties, such as Olaszrizling, Hárslevelű, Leányka, Királyleányka, Zengő, Zenit and some Hungarian crossings. A minimum of four of these varieties must be included and make up at least 50 percent of the blend and each must represent a minimum of 5 percent. The blend may also include up to 30 percent of fragrant Muscat varieties, such as Cserszegi Füszeres, Zefír, Irsai Oliver, Tramini and Muscat Ottonel. With their blend of history, volcanic minerality, and native varietals, there’s a lot to explore in Eger’s cellars.

The Kunság PDO is Hungary’s largest wine producing area, with 23,300 hectares of vineyards. It lies in the larger Duna-Tisza közé PGI, which is the area lying between Hungary’s two great rivers—the Danube and the Tisza. This PGI is part of Hungary’s Great Plain (an area occupying nearly half of the country), the area is the country’s largest wine producing region, growing about half of Hungary’s grapes and encompassing several different PGIs and PDOs (Protected Designation of Origin area).

The land here is flat. It has mostly sandy soil due mainly to movement of the Danube River, which has left sandy deposits between the two rivers for thousands of years. Vineyards in the sand help prevent the spread of quicksand, and vines (unlike other crops) are able to thrive in this type of soil.

The sandy soil also heats up quickly, helping the grapes ripen. Another benefit of the sandy terroir is that there is no phylloxera (it can’t survive in the sand), so winegrowers don’t have to graft onto American rootstocks, making planting new vineyards more affordable.

The region is most known for the production of light, aromatic, and fruity wines which are made to be easy-going and immediately consumed (rather than aged). Grape varieties found in this region include lots of local and little-know types (including some only found here) like Bianca, Cserszegi Fűszeres, Aletta, Zalagyöngye, Kunleány, Kövidinka, and Arany Sárfehér. International varieties like Riesling, Zweigelt, and Kékfrankos are also grown. Though the area has long been known for its large wineries producing mass-market wines, there are some interesting winemakers to look out for lately (such as Szentpéteri Winery).