Viticulture in Hungary has been established since a long time. Common sources refer to the Romans who first planted vines as is the case in most European wine growing regions. Though nearly every European language’s word for wine derives from the Latin word “vinum”, the Hungarian word for wine is “bor”. Some historians believe this might indicate an early Hungarian connection to winemaking unrelated to the Romans, feeding the suggestion that Hungarian wine could predates most of the other wine cultures of Europe.
Wines from Hungary enjoyed a good reputation already during medieval times. Especially the sweet dessert style wines from the Tokaj region that shaped the image then and are still well known today.
During the end of the 19th and in the 20th century “modern” grapes such as Blaufränkisch, Zweigelt, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon were introduced. The further development of Hungarian viticulture stagnated during the period of Communism, however, there has been a renewed interest and investment in modernisation since the fall of the Iron Curtain. Still, Hungary is often described as the wine world’s best kept secret.