Budapest Airport wine shopping – we have checked the prices for you! 5 best buy wines from Hungary

The term “duty free” has become an expression without the real meaning that some duties are not added. Yet, Heinemannstore at Budapest Airport applies a so called “single price” strategy, as a consequence, the prices are reasonable. We have checked the prices of several wines, and we can say: yes, go for them! What is more, there is a wide selection of styles, wine regions and wineries. Whether you are looking for a Kékfrankos, Villányi Franc, Bikavér or something noble from Tokaj, you will find great wines. And in some cases, the wines are cheaper than at the winery!
By Ágnes Németh

Should I board or should I check in?

When you need to take a few bottles of wines from one country to the other by plane, there is always some Mathematics involved. Is it more economical buying wine in shops with the best prices and then check a suitcase in with the wines? Or should I rather buy some wine at the airport and take the bottles on board, sparing the cost of the checked in suitcase. From Barcelona, for example, the airport shopping is not a solution, since they sell wines (cavas) from only a few producers, and they are the big ones. Freixenet (owned by Henkell), Codorníu (owned by a US investor) and a few more. What is the point of buying a bottle of Freixenet, when it is available everywhere in the world, in every hypermarket, from Australia to Canada? Whereas in Budapest, the wines of several renowned wineries are available, trustworthy wines from prestigious family wineries, at every price range.
I often conduct tastings of Hungarian wines, and I can easily put together a nice flight at Heinemann Duty Free shop, and even the prices are reasonable (to see why the prices are reasonable, scroll down).

Would you fancy a Bikavér from the “double” Winemaker of the Year?

Thummerer Winery is the only estate in Hungary receiving the prestigious Winemaker of the Year award twice. In 1995 the award went to the founder, the late Vilmos Thummerer, while last year the winner was József Lamport, chief winemaker of the winery. Thummerer is one of the most trustworthy Hungarian wineries with constant high quality, elegant wines and reasonable prices. Bikavér is a true Hungarian wine, a red blend with strict regulations. A Superior Bikavér has to be made of at least 5 grape varieties, the majority must be Kékfrankos. The minimum ageing is one year in oak barrel and 6 months in bottle.
Thummerer Superior Bikavér 2022, Eger, airport price: 16.99 EUR
Webshop price of the winery: 15.46 EUR

The “Tokaj trick”

Tokaji Aszú is undoubtedly the “king of the wines” and the “wine of the kings”. The hand-picked botrytised berries turn the Furmint and Hárslevelű wines into liquid gold with unparallel rich and complex flavours and aromas. And yes, the hard work and the fruit of the unique terroir has its price. If you cannot afford a Tokaji Aszú at the moment, you can still enjoy Tokaj buying a more affordable Tokaji Szamorodni. This wine style is also traditional and strictly regulated, and the lower price is due to the less labour consuming harvest method: for Szamorodni wines the intact and the botrytised berries are harvested together. (Read more about the different Tokaj styles here.) And you can also try Katinka, it is also a noble sweet wine, and it is “just” a late harvest wine, so there are no botrytised berries at all, yet the brilliant acidity and the typical Tokaj grapes make it a stunning wine. No wonder Katinka has been the most sold wine of the airport shop several times!
Patricius Tokaji Aszú 5 puttonyos 2018, Tokaj, airport price: 34.99 EUR, winery webshop price: 32.84 EUR (12 000 HUF)
Patricius Stilla Aurea Tokaiensis Tokaji Szamorodni 2021, Tokaj, airport price: 17.99 EUR, winery webshop price: 19.16 EUR (7000 HUF).
Patricius Katinka, Tokaj, airport price: 14.99 EUR, winery webshop price: 16.42 EUR (6000 HUF)

Look for the coolest offers!

I found this wine at champion price in June, of course I grabbed the last bottle. Zenit is a crossing between Bouvier and Ezerjó grapes created in Pécs Research centre in Hungary by Ferenc Király in 1951, but it was officially recognized only in 1976. Thanks to its good abilities („usefully early ripening”, as it is written in Wine Grapes) Zenit is getting more and more popular. It gives slightly aromatic wines with pleasant, refreshing but not too high acidity. With low yield it can give elegant, subtle wines, and MSP Zenit is a beautiful proof of that made by Sándor Mérész chief winemaker of Etyeki Kúria (hence the name MSP, now MSV, “p” stood for project and now “v” stands for vision).
Etyeki Kúria MSP Zenit 2023, Etyek, airport price: 9.99 EUR
Webshop price of the winery: 12.45 EUR (4550 HUF)

Kékfrankos, Villányi Franc and Duennium for the eternity

Kékfrankos is the most important black grape variety of Hungary with a potential to become sexy and trendy. It is fruit driven, juicy, enjoyable and truly Hungarian – though it is also famous in our neighbouring countries in other names like Blaufränkisch and Frankovka Modra. Vylyan Kékfrankos is a “cool” wine and not just because the label features Dr House.
(Read the story of the label here.) Villányi Franc is an appellation in Villány, our southernmost wine region, with strict regulation, made of 100% Cabernet Franc wines. Super Premium Villányi Franc wines have to be aged for at least one year in oak barrel and one year in bottle, and the maximum yield is 35 hl/hectare. Vylyan Super Premium Villányi Franc has this label only for the airport, the “normal” name is Mandulás, referring to one of their most important vineyards. And Duennium, the flagship wine of the estate is a great choice if you want to give a very special wine for a very special person. The little plant on the label is Ginkgo biloba, the symbol of eternity. The blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Cabernet Franc (30%) and Syrah (10%) wines are aged separately in Hungarian oak (80% new) barrels for 18 months, and after the blending of the best barrels, the wine rests in stainless steel tank for 6 more months.
Vylyan Kékfrankos 2023, Villány, airport price: 11.49 EUR, winery webhop price: 8.18 EUR (2990 HUF)
Vylyan Super Premium Villányi Franc 2021, Villány, airport price: 31.99 EUR, webshop price: 25.68 EUR (9390 HUF)
Vylyan Duennium 2017, Villány, airport price: 38.99 EUR, winery webshop price: 35.28 EUR (12 900 HUF)

Half bottle, full pleasure

Did you know that Hungary has a long tradition of sparkling wine production? Hungarians made sparkling wine earlier than the Spanish. (The first Spanish bubbly was made in 1872, whereas the first Hungarian sparkling company was founded in 1834, and the second in 1859.) Nowadays many wineries have one sparkling wine in the portfolio, while Sauska produces a whole range in their own state-of-the-art sparkling cellar, under the guidance of the world-famous Régis Camus from Champagne. Sauska Brut is made of Furmint, Hárslevelű and Chardonnay, the dosage is only 8 g/L, and it is aged on the lees for at least 18 months. This little gem is a lovely gift to your friends, to each of them. I wonder if it were available chilled as well! Though then it would never reach those friends…
Sauska Brut NV, Tokaj (half bottle), airport price: 9.99 EUR
Winery webshop price: 10.92 EUR (3950 HUF)

Why are the prices so good?

At the Budapest Airport Heinemann Duty Free shop, there is technically no tax exemption automatically applied to wines by the state, because the excise duty on still wine in Hungary is already 0 HUF, and EU law mandates that VAT must be collected for passengers traveling within the EU. However, in practice, the VAT (Value Added Tax) is the tax that “disappears” from the final price due to the store’s pricing policy:

• No VAT for passengers travelling outside the EU: If your destination is a non-EU country, your purchase is completely VAT-free by law.
• No price difference for passengers travelling within the EU: Although EU regulations legally require you to pay the 27% Hungarian VAT, Heinemann uses a Single Price This means the shelf price of the wine is exactly the same for all passengers, regardless of where they are flying.

Even though VAT will technically appear on your receipt if you fly within the EU, Heinemann absorbs this cost from its own profit margin so that you pay the exact same amount as a traveller who is legally buying it tax-free.