Loo Lee – Sándor Zsolt Winery

Between Eger and Tokaj, two of Hungary’s most famous wine regions, there is a little-known wine region surrounded by the Bükk mountains. The Bükk wine region has seen better days, evidenced by the extensive old cellar rows in downtown Miskolc—Hungary’s third largest city, and the capital city of the wine region. These cellar rows hold more than one hundred old cellars, many of them multi-level, which once flourished. Unfortunately, most of these cellars are abandoned and in disrepair today. But they represent the historic importance of wine production that the Bükk area had a few decades ago.

Even though the area that the wine region covers is quite expansive, there are only about 1,000 hectares of vineyards planted with wine grapes. Most of these grapes are sold to the big bulk-wine producers or, in the worst case, to a bulk winery in the neighboring Eger region. This is a cold climate region, which is ideal for producing white wines (which are 60 percent of the region’s production) and the juicy and spicy reds that are also made here. The region focuses on wine grapes which are typically relegated to minor roles in other regions. They produce high quality and exciting wines with varieties such as Zenit, Kabar, Cserszegi Fűszeres, Turan, and Zweigelt.

About a decade ago high-quality wine production re-started in the region due to pioneers such as Zsolt Sandor (Sándor Zsolt Organic Winery) and Roland Borbély (Gallay Winery), among others. These new-generation winemakers brought an international view and quality-oriented style to this forgotten wine area. You can expect juicy acidity, lightness, and elegance from the wines of the Bükk region. If you can get your hands on a wine from this area, do not hesitate to give it a try!