Taste Hungarian wines at Hundert Weinhaus booth

More than a dozen Hungarian wineries will be represented at this Swiss wine expo in cooperation with Hundert Weinhaus importer company. Villány, the southernmost Hungarian wine region will have the most estates, like A. Gere, Bock, Koch, Heumann and Vylyan – and a masterclass will also be conducted with Villány wines. Apart from Villány, other wine regions will also be represented, like Mátra by Dominium Winery and Eger by Thummerer Winery.
Photo of the Basel cathedral: Basel.com
More information about the Basel wine event

Thummerer Winery – there are many reasons to go for it!

The wine from our cover photo is made by the iconic Eger family winery, the Thummerer Winery. Time has proven them because since the foundation of the winery they have collected some of the most prestigious awards in our country:
– 1995: Vilmos Thummerer „Wine Producer of the Year in Hungary”
– 1994 and 1996: The Most Successful Family Winery in Hungary
– 2011: „Winery of the Year in Hungary”
– 2013 and 2017: The Most Successful Winery of Hungary
– 2018: The Hungarian Gold Cross of Merit
– 2025: József Lamport chief winemaker of Thummerer “Wine Producer of the Year in Hungary”.
Do not miss Thummerer Egri Bikavér Grand Superior 2021 (from our cover photo). It is a wine from the prestigious Nagy-Eged mountain and it is a blend of Kékfrankos, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah and Kadarka. The grape varieties were fermented and aged together for 18 months. This method resulted a concentrated and complex palate.
“Our highest quality Egri Bikavér wine, with every step of the process planned well in advance: in 2008 we planted the grapes in one of our best vineyards, with the actual proportion of the components. The vineyard of the southern slopes of Nagy-Eged is the best option to achieve the desired complexity, and due to the mixed plantation, we can harvest all the necessary ingredients of the blend at the same time.”
The wine is a superb partner of sophisticated pork and beef dishes.
More information about Thummerer Winery

Read our earlier article about Hundert Weinhaus

The couple who sell a pallet or two of wine at an exhibition

Egri Bikavér Season is on!

The second half of October is always about the legendary red blend Bikavér in Eger wine region. Bikavér themed walks in the city, Bikavér inspired dishes in the restaurants of Eger and many tastings await wine connoisseurs and wine experts. The 22 October tasting is for trade members and it gives a chance to taste Bikavér wines before being released, along with the already-released vintage of the same wine.

Date and time: 22 October 2026, 16.00–20.00
Venue: Petrény Pince (Petrény Cellar), Cellar No47, Szépasszonyvölgy, Eger, Hungary
Registration on this email.
Transfer bus is provided from and to Budapest with limited places available, so if you are member of the wine trade, write to them now!
Phone: 0036 36 518 422
The list of exhibitors is not published, but all the Bikavér producers are invited, visitors can expect to taste many samples. Tóth Ferenc Winery, Gál Tibor Winery, Kovács Nimród Winery and Thummerer Winery will participate for sure.

Pork cheek and Várvédő Bikavér in Macok Bistro

The wine in our cover photo is from Tóth Ferenc Winery, it is Várvédő Egri Bikavér 2022, you can taste it at the “en primeur” tasting along with a not-yet-released sample of the wine. As part of the gastronomy campaign of Egri Bikavér Season, several restaurants offer a signature dish paired with Bikavér. Várvédő Egri Bikavér 2022 will be paired with pork cheek in Bikavér jus with potato foam, porcini and chips of aged ham by Macok Bistro, one of the best eateries of Eger, just by the feet of the Castle of Eger.
Vérvédő Egri Bikavér is “Grand Superior”, a blend of Kékfrankos, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noirfrom Sík-hegy vineyard, aged for two years separately in new and almost new 225 and 500 L Hungarian and Franch oak barrels, then blended and matured a few more months in stainless steel tank before bottling.

More about Macok Bistro
More about Tóth Ferenc Várvédő Egri Bikavér 2022

See full list with the 12 brilliant masterclass wines

To be exact, 39 wineries will be represented at the Warsaw Wine Experience on 22-23 November. What is more, a brilliant masterclass will showcase the diverse contemporary wine scene of Hungary. WWE is one of the most dynamic wine events of Europe, this year it will be unmissable!
More about Warsaw Wine Experience

Earlier we introduced 7 of the exhibitors here, and now let us introduce 3 more!

These three wineries are imported by Kociolek i Vino.
To see the full list of exhibitors, scroll down.

The annual grand tasting of Bordeaux blends by Winelovers team will take place in the 5-star, glamorous building of Hotel Corinthia Budapest. The shiny marble floor will give the floor to the blockbuster reds of at least 60 wineries. Villány family winery Gere Tamás & Zsolt’s extremely long aged flagship wine, Aureus Cuvée 2012 is one of the beauties featured at the event.

Date and time: 21 November 2026, 14.00–21.00
Venue: Corinthia Hotel Budapest, Erzsébet krt 43–49, Budapest, Hungary
Early bird ticket (until 31 October): 15 900 HUF / approximately 43 EUR
To purchase your ticket click here (webshop in Hungarian) or write to the organisers
Exhibitors come from all over Hungary, see the full list here.

Rewarding patience

While most aged red wines on the shelves are from most recent vintages, the current vintage of Aureus Cuvée is 2012. This patience to release vintages is characteristic of Gere Tamás & Zsolt Winery, a stubborn and rewarding attitude to ageing. About the vintage they say: “The spring took an early and good start, which has been degraded after a while. The early summer was without rain, slightly cooler, but by the middle of the year the summer has become extremely warm, which lasted until the end of the harvest. We have finished with nice and sunny warm autumn.“ The wine is made of 40% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon from three emblematic vineyards: Kopár, Várerdő and Csillag. The hand harvest took place at the end of October and at the beginning of November. The wines aged separately for 30 months, in 70% used oak and 30% new oak, 225 and 500 L barrels.
“The glass is greeted by clean, charming scents. The play of forest fruits and tobacco, the right proportion of barrel spices gives the impression of an already mature wine. Earthy notes and restrained fruit scents guide the wine. Over time, coffee also arrives due to roasting. The matured aroma, the serious body, makes it even more complex. It still has a great future ahead of it, as it has elegance and potential.”
It costs only 7490 HUF / approximately 20 EUR on the webshop of the winery!
More about Gere Tamás & Zsolt winery

If you are interested in importing Gere Tamás & Zsolt wines, contact the commercial manager!

Hungarian wineries at Warsaw Wine Experience – more than ever!

The friendship between the Polish and Hungarian peoples has a long history, but this legendary relationship was overshadowed by the former Hungarian regime. Those dark days are over; Hungary has a new government, and hopefully our Polish friends will once again welcome us with open arms. Polish importers 2Bratanki, Kociolek i Vino and WinaWulkaniczne have joined forces and will be presenting the widest selection of Hungarian wines to date at the Warsaw Wine Experience on 22 and 23 November 2026. Let’s introduce seven of the confirmed participating wineries!

The wines featured in the cover photo – made by 7 of the confirmed wineries

– Tóth Ferenc Winery, Eger: Egri Csillag Superior 2025 – gold winner at the latest edition of Berliner Wine Trophy
More about Tóth Ferenc Winery

– Etyeki Kúria, Etyek: Blanc de Noirs and Brut NV bottle fermented sparkling wines – gold and silver from the latest edition of Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships
More about Etyeki Kúria

– Tornai Winery, Somló: Orange Wine – a new release of the 80-year-old winery, an orange wine made of Hárslevelű
More about Tornai Winery

– Fehérvári Wine Estate, Somló: Blanc de Blanc Grand Reserve 2020 – a stunning new release, traditional method sparkling wine from the volcanic Somló
More about Fehérvári Wine Estate

– A.Gere Winery, Villány: Gere Solus 2023 – the icon Villány Merlot has just received 100 points from Stuart Pigott independent wine expert, former wine writer of James Suckling
More about A.Gere Winery

– Steigler Cellar, Sopron: Fusion 2023 – a gold winner white blend at Berliner Wine Trophy 2026 winter tasting, made of Zöldveltelini (Grüner Veltliner), Furmint and Muscat Ottonel
More about Steigler Cellar

– Sauska, Tokaj: Tokaji Aszú 6 puttonyos 2017 – grand gold winner at the latest edition of Berliner Wine Trophy
More about Sauska

The list is still growing, we will update our readers soon, and see you, Polish friends in Warsaw!

More about Warsaw Wine Experience

More about 2Bratanki

More about Kociolek i Vino

More about WinaWulkaniczne

15 wineries await at Tornai Winery

The 11th edition of ‘Juhfark Ünnep ‘ (‘Juhfark Celebration’) will take place again at Tornai, the winery celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. Tickets are available at early bird price until the end of September. Let us celebrate the fruit of this unique volcanic terroir!

“The only way I can describe it is that this is a grape born angry. Tasting Juhfark for the first time is like meeting a little Celtic warrior, stone spear and rough pewter blade thrust in your face with the smell of woad and clay and rain and cold and sulphur up your nostrils.”
Tamlyn Currin wine writer, JancisRobinson.com
Read more about Juhfark grape variety below

Date and time: 17 October 2026, 11.00–20.00
Venue: Tornai Winery, Somló
How to get to Somló? By car it takes about 2 hours via M7. By public transport it takes much longer, 3.5 hours, including a longer walk. Free transfer is available from the town of Devecser, to avoid the long walk, but prior registration is needed via email until the 10th of October.
Tickets: 13 900 HUF (until the end of September)
The ticket includes the tasting of 31 wines from 15 wineries and some wine bites (pita, cheese, olives, fried nuts)
Get your ticket here (in Hungarian, but google can help)
Cellar tour is also available at 4.30 pm, the 60-minute cellar walk includes tasting from the barrel and costs 2900 HUF, get your ticket here (in Hungarian…)
Exhibiting wineries: 5 Ház, Baráth, Barcza, Csordás-Fodor, Fehérvári, Fekete, Hegedűs-Szabó, Kabor, Kancellár, Kolonics, Kőfejtő, Kreinbacher, Somlói Vándor, Szalai, Tornai
More information (in Hungarian)
You can also contact Hungarianwines.eu, we are here to help you.

Juhfark, the sheep’s tail

Juhfark takes its name from the sheep’s tail, as the long cylindrical shape of the bunches resemble the sheep’s tail. It is often cited as the ‘wines of the wedding-night’, since it was believed to help when a couple had been longing for a son. (The myth is debunked, see below.)
Juhfark is grown almost exclusively in the small volcanic hill of Somló, a small amount in Balatonfüred.
Rather neutral, restrained nose with some flowers and green apples. High, sometimes brutal acidity. It is really difficult to tame this variety, but there are amazing examples of it in history! If you are not afraid of straightforward acidity, take a chance on it. In Somló, the minerality paired with high acidity results some outstanding wines with great ageing potential.

Read Eric Danch’s (Danch & Granger Selection, US) about his Somló tour and about his Juhfark experiences

The myth is debunked, but Juhfark is forever!

Love & Juhfark

Our earlier article about the new release Tornai Orange Wine made of Hárslevelű

New release orange wine from Somló

Franc & Franc weekend in Villány

Cabernet Franc has found its natural home in Villány, and an important knowledge hub has also found its home in Villány, the so-called Franc & Franc Forum and Tasting Day. Now the Villány team has decided to organise the international conference with Cabernet Franc wine regions of the world in every second year – to create an even better and more fruitful event –, and in the other years Franc & Franc focuses on Villány. This year the Villány-focus version will take place. For the masterclass, only 24 tickets are available!
The opening photo features the Top 12 of last year

What happens?

20 November

– 17.00 Masterclass with the Top 12 Villányi Franc wines of 2025
Venue: Bock Winery, Villány
Speaker: András Horkay DipWSET wine expert, the “voice of Villány”
– 19.00 Welcome dinner
Venue: Grandior Wine Bistro, Günzer Tamás Winery, Villány
A limited number of professionals can participate free of charge. If you are a wine professional and interested, contact the organisers here.
A limited number of tickets are available for wine enthusiasts, the price is 23 990 HUF. At the moment only 24 tickets are available!
Buy your ticket here. In Hungarian, but google can help.
Tickets include the masterclass and the welcome dinner with a welcome drink (additional drink consumption is to be paid individually).
Translation will not be provided.

These were the Top 12 wines last year:

Top 12 Cabernet Franc from Villány in 2025

21 November

– Tasting Day
Only 9 tickets are available!
– Starting from 8.30, participants visit 5 wineries, and at each winery there will be several representatives of other wineries.
– Altogether 60 wineries will pour their Cabernet Franc wines.
Venue of registration and starting the tour: Polgár Winery
Other venues:
– Bock Winery
– Vylyan Vineyard and Winery
– A.Gere Winery
– Vinatus Winery
– Sauska
Tickets cost 39 900 HUF, and tickets include
– the tasting of all the wines,
– transfer between the venues,
– wine bites at each place,
– lunch,
– tasting glass,
– tasting booklet,
Get your tickets here, in Hungarian, but google can help.

The laziest Sunday lunch is actually a dinner. Why not getting up late, having breakfast in bed (with sparkling wine, of course), and enjoy a relaxed dinner with a special twist? Caviar & Bull offers several degustation menus, one of them features plates from around the world, and they actually take us to the remote places. The first stop is obviously Budapest and foie gras.
Text: Ágnes Németh
Photos: Caviar & Bull (except when marked differently)

Plus: There will be a Bock wine dinner on 25 September with wines from the previous century! More about the wine dinner

The best way to survive: decrease prices

The best way at least for us, restaurant goers. Life is not easy, Hungary has a new government, but after the mindless waste of money of the previous regime, it will take time to recover economy. Several restaurants have closed or reduced the number of opening hours, or in more cases, the opening days. Caviar & Bull is open every day for dinner (from 5 pm to 11 pm), and their recent news is that they have lowered the prices.

Plus: some stunning harvest photos

As János Frittmann of Frittmann Winery commented in a recent interview, 2026 is probably the worst vintage in the past 50 years regarding quantity. As for quality, what is left, seems to be great and healthy, as the photos taken by the Frittmanns prove it (see photos below). Meet them in the city of Szeged, on 16–20 September, in the picturesque Dóm square!

Miserable and blessed times

Spring frost and hail, summer draught and the spreading disease called ‘grapevine flavescence dorée’ all add up to make winemakers’ life miserable. János Frittmann, who happens to be the president of the Hungarian National Council of the Wine Communities, claims that the crops of vintage 2026 is the worst in the past 40-50 years, especially in Kunság wine region, where the spring frost destroyed 50% of even more of the grapes in some places. Not to mention the decrease of consumption.
Yet, life goes on, the ripened grape has to be picked, there is no time to cry over the spilt milk – and though the quantity is behind the expected, the quality is great with healthy, beautiful bunches in the vineyard and by now mostly in the press and the vats. Frittmann team started this years’ harvest in the middle of August and it still goes on.

Vella Terra will have its 12th edition in Madrid with 89 artisan winemakers from 13 countries. Hungary will be represented by an amazing cellar called Csetvei, named after the founder, Krisztina Csetvei, who will pour the wines personally. Taste the “foxy” wines from Mór, a tiny Hungarian wine region!

Date and time: 26 October 2026, from 12.00 to 20.00
Venue: Próxima Estacíón event venue, C. de Aniceto Marinas, 10, Moncloa, Madrid
Tickets cost 25 EUR / person, and they include a tasting glass. Visitors will have the chance to buy directly from the exhibitors.
Exhibitors: Most of them (27) come from Spain, obviously, but Austria, Chile, the Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia will also be represented.
More information

Vella Terra credo:

“At Vella Terra, we value every winegrower committed to producing wine with the lowest possible level of intervention, and we stand against fake natural wine. We are the only natural wine fair in Spain, and one of the very few in Europe, that requires wine analyses from every exhibitor. We travel to visit wineries and follow one of the strictest participation criteria among natural wine fairs. We believe that until there is clear labelling within the wine sector, and as long as fake natural wine can still be easily sold on the market, those of us who organise fairs like this have a responsibility to provide clarity for the end consumer.”