If you’ve ever had a glass of wine on my terrace, you already know. I don’t just like Hungarian wine, I’m its unofficial international publicist. No commission. No logo tees. Just one woman with volcanic soil under her boots and a deep, ongoing love affair with this country’s most overlooked export.
It’s criminal, really, how little the world talks about Hungarian wine. It’s got everything: the history, the diversity, the tiny producers doing wildly clever things with drones and mushroom fungus (more on that in a moment). And now, finally, a bit of the spotlight.
On 12 June 2025, the Hungarian Wine Marketing Agency (Magyar Bormarketing Ügynökség Zrt) released a bold new video campaign designed to reintroduce the world to Hungarian wine – in English, no less. It’s sleek, warm, and refreshingly modern, aimed squarely at people who’ve never thought of Hungary as a wine destination. Or worse, think Tokaji is all we’ve got.
So What’s in This Magical Wine Video?
Everything they should have been shouting about years ago.
The film highlights key wines like Tokaji aszú, olaszrizling, bikavér, and szamorodni, and actually teaches you how to pronounce them without making you feel like a tourist in your own mouth. It also manages to showcase the country’s 22 wine districts, grouped into six official wine regions, with just the right balance of landscape, legacy, and youthful energy.
It’s part of Hungary’s 2025 international wine campaign, and you can watch it here. If you’ve got two minutes and a glass in hand, it’s worth it.
Why Hungarian Wine Feels So Personal
Here’s where my bias comes in: I live in the Balaton Highlands wine district, one of six that make up the Balaton wine region, hugging the north shore of Lake Balaton – Hungary’s beloved “Hungarian Sea.” It’s as stunning as it sounds, but with fewer mega-yachts and better grapes.
Egly and the Bishop’s Palace Cellars
My closest vineyard is Egly Winery, a family-run operation on the castle hill of Sümeg that uses biodynamic farming methods and switched to natural wines in 2020. They tend just 3.5 hectares, including a rare 16th-century collection of grape varieties planted on the southwestern slopes. The real showstopper comes from their tasting room in the 500-year-old Bishop’s Palace, once part of the episcopal residence, now a vaulted enoteca, wine museum, cellar tour, and restaurant.
Tastsings are by appointment only and it’s worth every bit of advance planning. The Egly family host tastings themselves at the Bishop’s Palace, and it’s as personal as it gets. Just ecellent wine, good stories, and people who care about what’s in your glass. Drop them a line at pa*********@*********ce.hu to book your tasting.
Imagine sipping their Olaszrizling or Kékfrankos among stone walls where medieval bishops once stored tithe wines, all while drones hum above surveying the vines. It’s not just wine; it’s history in a glass – no Instagram filter needed.
That said, you don’t need an appointment to enjoy the atmosphere. The cellars are open most days, and you’re welcome to stop by for a glass of wine or even a coffee. There’s lovely seating both inside and out – perfect for soaking up the Sümeg castle views with something local in hand. My father adored it here – he said it reminded him of the Hungary he remembered as a boy, just with better coffee and more comfortable chairs.
Mark Egly also hosts Natúr Sümeg (Natural Wine Festival) each spring. Its’s where the best natural winemakers and the most respected biodynamic viticulture experts meet and share their own experiences with each other and with those interested.
Mark Egly leading a wine tasting in the 500-year-old Bishop’s Palace cellars in Sümeg, where volcanic reds, natural whites, and centuries of history are poured in equal measure (palotapince.hu)
Hungarian Wine. As diverse as you!
The new international video isn’t the only thing happening in Hungarian wine this year. The Hegyközségek Nemzeti Tanácsa (National Council of Vineyards and Wines) has launched a nationwide campaign with a refreshingly Gen‑Z flair.
Called “Magyar Bor. Sokszínű, mint Te!” (“Hungarian Wine. Diverse like You!”), it celebrates the personality of both wine and drinker, with creative visuals, SPAR supermarket partnerships, social-media challenges – even a Blanka Haraszti fashion line inspired by the soil patterns of Hungary’s 22 wine districts. And yes, you can literally wear volcanic terroir. Peak Hungary, in the best way.
Part of the push is egypoharte.hu, a playful quiz-style platform matching your personality to a Hungarian wine. According to it, I’m “minerally white, structured,” with a “tendency to over-explain things.” Surprisingly accurate.
Why You Don’t See Hungarian Wine Everywhere
If Hungarian wine is this good, why is it so rarely in your local supermarket (outside of Hungary)?
Briefly: tiny production, small-batch family vineyards, and wine made for people who live in the region. That’s not a flaw, it’s what makes it magical. The best way to experience Hungarian wine is swapping your airport lounge for a cellar with 80-year-old bottles and a winery dog wagging its tail.
Ready to Dive In?
When Andrew and I bought our winehouse in the Balaton Highlands, we inherited more than a view. We got a scruffy row of vines, mostly olaszrizling, clinging to the hillside like they’d been here forever. Every year we promise ourselves we’ll learn how to prune them properly. Every year we end up watching YouTube tutorials with a glass in hand, doing our best. But honestly? That’s part of the charm.
Some of my favourite memories in Hungary are with family and friends, a bottle (or three) on our terrace, and that late golden light slipping over the vines. Hungarian wine, for me, isn’t about prestige or scores – it’s about place, about people, and about never running out of chairs or reasons to open another bottle.
Whether you’re living here, visiting, or just wine-curious, my HOW TO HUNGARY ebook’s a proper companion. Just good stories, wine festival listings, and a real love of what grows in this soil.
If you’re still in the dreaming phase, you can also grab my free guide, THINKING ABOUT HUNGARY? – perfect if you’re not quite ready to move but very ready to learn what life here actually looks like.
Anikó Woods is a Canadian-Hungarian writer, technology specialist, and digital strategist who swapped Toronto traffic for Hungarian bureaucracy. She’s the creator of HOW TO HUNGARY: Budapest & Beyond. Since moving to Hungary in 2017, she’s been deep in the paperwork trenches—fact-checking, interviewing experts, and helping others make sense of the madness. Her writing turns chaos into clarity, with a few laughs (and wine recommendations) along the way.