In 2001, Oremus Vineyard was named the ‘winery of the year’, and its proprietor Istvan Szepsy won the award for the best winemaker. The winery has been around for 400 years, and its name is derived from its location in the Tokaj region of post-Communist Hungary. During the communist period, the Szepsy family lost much of its land to the state. After reclaiming it, they increased its land to 20 hectares. Choose the Best Winemakers in Europe.
Today, Hungary has one of the most renowned winemaking cultures in Europe. Its wine history is likely to predate the Roman Empire, but Tokaji was first mentioned in the late 1400s. Kings throughout the centuries hailed the wine. Today, landlocked Hungary produces 3.4 million hectoliters of wine annually. The country’s wine industry floundered for many decades, sandwiched between Romania and Austria. However, that has changed.
The legend behind Eger wine is fascinating. In 1552, the invading Ottoman forces could not conquer the city’s castle, and the people mixed a bull’s blood with the wine. They believed that the wine could age for ten years. And they were right. It is now a global favorite. A few bottles of Eger are available at the Ferenc Toth winery.
The history of Hungary’s wine industry is fascinating, and it continues to evolve. Although the wine industry was established in the early 1990s, it is still in its infancy, so wine lovers outside of Hungary may not demand it by its appellations for a few more years. This country is still recovering from civil war and being plundered by outside investors, but the level of investment will influence the success of the wines.
Hungarian wine is diverse and delicious, with several varieties grown in different regions. Bulls Blood red wines and Tokaji white wines are famous in the UK, and a new generation of winemakers is producing even more diverse and exotic varieties. Hungarian wines are also made from indigenous grapes, such as furmint, the most widely used grape in the country, and have turned into a world-class dry white.
Tokaj is Hungary’s most well-known wine region and is part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. The area is north-eastern Hungary near the Bodrog River and the Tisza. It includes a small amount of Slovakia. The Tokaj region places excellent emphasis on vineyard origin and has classified its grapes as grand cru vineyards since 1737. Wines from Tokaj are known for their botrytized sweets, and many of the vineyards are named after a particular vine variety.
Read Also: The Most Famous Wine Regions Of The World
