Change in the wine regulation of Eger

As we reported earlier, Eger wine region launched a community wine bottle with a unique shape in the summer of 2019. The distinct bottle has become more and more familiar for the wine drinkers, yet the community of winemakers was not satisfied with the result. According to the original conception the bottle was available for Egri Bikavér and Kadarka wines. The regulation – announced on 1 December 2021 – however excludes Kadarka wines and restricts the use of the special bottle only for Egri Bikavér wines.

Not dusty any more

„There aren’t too many wine regions that can take pride in possessing an unmistakable character. To be frank, we weren’t always certain that Eger was one of them, even though we have always had Bikavér right in front of our eyes. But once Eger winemakers committed themselves to Egri Bikavér it all became so obvious. We are witnessing a new era of self-awareness in the wine region. The Egri Bikavér bottle is a further step in this direction”, summerizes the region’s current efforts local winemaker, Tibor Gál.

Last summer in a conference Tibor Gál shared the the findings of a survey conducted earlier. To their surprise, Eger wine region was familiar to almost all wine drinkers, but they considered it one with “a dusty, not up to date” image. The winemakers of the region took the feedback seriously and since then they have joined forces to renew and to create a fresh, modern image keeping the traditions at the same time.

Tóth Ferenc Winery embracing Eger bottle from the start

In our cover photo above we can see some wines of Tóth Ferenc Winery, with Várvédő Egri Bikavér Superior in front. In the photo we can clearly see how distinct the shape of the Eger bottle is. Tóth Ferenc Winery has been using the new bottle since the very first moment. “We started to use Eger bottle immediately. Our customers liked it, it was good to work with it.” – explained Katalin Tóth, owner and manager of Tóth Ferenc Winery. They used the bottle for both their Bikavér and Kadarka wines. “Finally the community decided to keep the bottle only for our flagship wine, the Egri Bikavér, to make a clear, more unambiguous message.”
However, to give a clear message wineries should use the bottle. We have checked a webshop with Egri Bikavér wines, and only Tóth Ferenc Bikavér is bottled in the community Eger bottle.

The shape of the bottle was inspired by one that was used in the Eger wine region in the 1930s and then almost completely forgotten. The bottle was updated to modern standards. The „1552 Eger” inscription on the neck commemorates the siege of the Castle of Eger where the attacks of the Ottoman army were successfully repelled by the defenders.

To strengthen the perception that the special bottle is a guarantee of consistently high quality Bikavér the top two categories of the AOC system, the superior and grand superior Bikavérs are automatically eligible for the use of the Egri Bikavér bottle. However wines belonging to the classicus category have to pass a quality test in order to enjoy the same privilege.

More about Tóth Ferenc Winery 

Tóth Ferenc wines are available in several countries. If you can’t find an importer near your home, you can order Tóth Ferenc wines and other Bikavér wines from Winelovers Webshop. They ship to every European country.