Guide to Hungarian Wine Regions

HUNGARY’S PROTECTED AREAS

There are 37 protected areas in Hungary: 31 of them are PDOs and six of them are PGIs. The 31 PDO zones include the 22 wine regions of Hungary (all bear a PDO status), two large geographical areas (with several PDOs within them), and seven sub-regions.

BALATON PGI

Includes nine PDOs and the Balatonmelléki PGI within it

BALATONMELLÉKI PGI

Since the Balaton PGI was approved, this PGI has not been used much.

• Balatonboglár PDO (2,800 hectares) mainly produces bulk sparkling and still wines
• Badacsony PDO (1,430 hectares) is one of the top volcanic regions of the country.

• Balatonfüred-Csopak PDO (1,640 hectares) is a top region for Olaszrizling.

• Balaton-felvidék PDO (1,031 hectares) is a good value region, producing mostly whites.
• Tihany PDO (95 hectares) is Hungary’s smallest wine appellation.
• Káli PDO (453 hectares) is a sub-region of the three northern Balaton PDOs.

• Zala PDO (671 hectares) is located west of Lake Balaton.

• Nagy Somló PDO (442 hectares) is a region grouping three uncontinuous hills.

• Somló PDO (326 hectares) is a sub-region of the Nagy Somló PDO; it comprises one of the hills.

FELSŐ-MAGYARORSZÁG PGI

This is “Upper-Hungary,” the area surrounding the Mátra, Bükk, and Eger regions.

• Debrői Hárslevelű PDO (940 hectares) is a sub-region of the Eger PDO, only for white wines from the Hárslevelű grape.
• Bükk PDO (1,150 hectares) is a region with great potential, but is not highly cultivated.
• Mátra PDO (5,470 hectares) is the second largest wine region of the country

• Eger PDO (5,160 hectares) is home of the famous Bull’s Blood red wine, and the newer Egri Csillag white blend.

ZEMPLÉN PGI

This is the area surrounding the Tokaji region.

• Tokaj PDO (5,155 hectares) is Hungary’s oldest historical wine region, famous for its botrytized sweet wine, Tokaji aszú.

DUNA-TISZA KÖZÉ PGI

This is the area between the rivers Tisza and Danube. It is flat land with sandy soil, which is the best combination for producing easy-going, bulk wine.

• Duna PDO is a huge area, a bit smaller than the Duna-Tisza közé PGI, but similar.
• Csongrád PDO (2,600 hectares) has an extreme continental climate, with the highest average temperature of the country.
• Hajos-Baja PDO (2,150 hectares) has soil that is between the sand of Kunság and the loess of Szekszárd. It produces easy-going, cheap, aromatic white wines.
• Kunság PDO (23,300 hectares) is Hungary’s largest wine producing area.

• Izsáki Arany Sárfehér (3,800 hectares) is a sub-region of the Kunság PDO, only for white wines from the Arany Sárfehér grape, near the town of Izsák.
• Monor PDO (340 hectares) is a sub-region of the Kunság PDO.
• Soltvadkerti Ezerjó PDO is a sub-region of the Kunság PDO. Only for whites and sparklings made from Ezerjó, near the town of Soltvadkert.

DUNÁNTÚL PGI

This is the area west of the Danube river.

• Pannon PDO encompasses other four PDO regions, and is the area south of the Balaton PGI and west of the Danube.
• Pécs PDO (720 hectares) lives in the shadow of Villány, and has good value medium body reds.

• Szekszárd PDO (1,620 hectares) also produces the Bull’s Blood red wine blend.

• Tolna PDO (1,950 hectares) lives in the shadow of Szekszárd, and has good value light reds.
• Villány PDO (1,620 hectares) is the premium red wine region of Hungary.

• Etyek-Buda PDO (1,410 hectares) is known for its sparkling wines, and charming cellar rows.

• Neszmély PDO (1,355 hectares) is near the Danube, and focuses on international grape varieties.
• Mór PDO (650 hectares) is the spiritual home of the Ezerjó grape variety.

• Pannonhalma PDO (596 hectares) is one of the first wine regions of Hungary.

• Sopron PDO (1,615 hectares) is near the Austrian border, specializing in light reds from Kékfrankos.