July and August took me mostly back to Hungary, with a little time spent in Prague. So, naturally, this edition of my wine diary is dominated by Hungarian wines, Moravian wines, and a few other Central European discoveries.
If you are looking for wine recommendations from Hungary and Central Europe, these are six of the bottles that stood out most in my tastings over the past two months.
Hungary is one of those wine countries where you can keep returning and still find something new. Its wine regions are remarkably diverse: volcanic hills, limestone and loess, cooler northern vineyards and warmer southern areas all contribute to very different wine styles. Somló, for example, is one of Hungary’s best-known volcanic wine regions and is particularly associated with white varieties such as Hárslevelű, Furmint and Juhfark. The Mátra, meanwhile, offers higher-altitude vineyards and a cooler environment that can help preserve freshness.
Prague added another dimension to these two months. Czech wine is still relatively unfamiliar to many international wine drinkers, but Moravia in particular has a strong wine culture and a fascinating collection of local and lesser-known grape varieties.
What I enjoyed most about this selection is the variety. We have aromatic Hungarian whites, an unusual interpretation of Merlot, a distinctive Olaszrizling from the Mátra, a little-known Moravian red variety, a powerful Syrah from the Balaton-felvidék and a mature Crianza from Toro.
Six wines to look out for
A Hárslevelű from Somló, a white Merlot from Villány, an Olaszrizling from the Mátra, Neronet from Moravia, Syrah from the Balaton-felvidék and Tinta de Toro from Toro.
As with my previous wine diary, these are not necessarily the most expensive or famous bottles I tasted. They are the wines that I would happily recommend to someone looking for something interesting to open next. My previous wine diary followed exactly this approach: combining the story behind each wine with the tasting experience and the reason it stood out to me.
Kancellár Birtok – Nagy-Somlói Hárslevelű 2021 from Somló
Hárslevelű is one of those Hungarian grape varieties I find particularly easy to fall for. It can be wonderfully aromatic and floral, but it can also have a rounded, textured character that makes it more than just an aromatic white.
This bottle from Kancellár Birtok comes from Somló, one of Hungary’s most distinctive volcanic wine regions. For me, Somló is particularly interesting because its wines can combine freshness and mineral character with quite a lot of texture.
The wine is pale straw-yellow in colour, with an expressive nose led by white blossom and delicate floral notes, alongside fresh citrus and a hint of ripe tropical fruit. There is also a subtle honeyed character that adds complexity without making the wine feel heavy.
On the palate, it is fresh and energetic, with bright, youthful acidity and a nicely defined mineral character. It is relatively light, but has a lovely rounded, almost creamy mouthfeel. There is no obvious oak influence, so the aromatic character of Hárslevelű and the freshness of the wine remain at the forefront. The finish is clean, refreshing and long, with citrus, floral and mineral notes lingering on the palate.
A lively and approachable example of Hárslevelű, combining aromatic intensity with freshness, structure and a surprisingly creamy texture. It is exactly the kind of Hungarian white that reminds me why exploring beyond the country’s best-known varieties is so rewarding.
Sazü Core Syrah 2024 – Balaton-felvidék
Sazü is based in Mindszentkálla in the Balaton-felvidék, an area increasingly interesting for ambitious, characterful wines. The winery’s vineyard is influenced by volcanic basalt and relatively poor soils, and this Syrah shows how well the region can handle a variety that needs plenty of warmth and time to ripen.
The wine is deep purple in colour with ruby hints and has high viscosity, with very big tears in the glass. The nose is intense and elegant, with ripe red cherries, plum, blueberry and strawberry marmalade. These fruit notes are balanced by milk chocolate, coffee beans, bay leaf and a slight earthy character.
On the palate, it is super juicy and full-bodied, with high alcohol and acidity that are well balanced. The tannins are high but very ripe, giving the wine plenty of structure without making it feel harsh. The dark-fruit character from the nose comes back on the palate, together with the spices.
It is a youthful and intense wine with excellent ageing potential. The finish is fresh and very dark-fruited, and seems to go on and on. A great example of a New World-style Syrah showing what the Balaton-felvidék can achieve with bold red wines.
Rejiji Bionda White Merlot 2023 – Villány
How often do you see a bottle of white Merlot?
That was the first thing that made this wine interesting to me. Bionda is made from 100% Merlot, but instead of producing the red wine we normally associate with the variety, Rejiji has created a white wine from it. The grapes come from the Kopár vineyard in Villány, and the wine spends time in second-fill Hungarian oak and on fine lees.
The nose has medium-plus intensity, with white flowers, vanilla, marzipan, tea and a touch of almond dominating, while citrus stays more in the background.
On the palate, it is slightly more powerful and creamy, with more stone-fruit character. White peach comes through clearly, with another touch of nut and vanilla. The 14% alcohol is very well integrated, and the wine remains balanced. The finish is long and peachy, with the fruit staying on the palate for quite a while.
This is a fascinating interpretation of Merlot. It takes a familiar red variety and presents it in a completely different form, while still giving you plenty of texture and complexity. It also has amazing ageing potential, which makes it even more interesting.
Dubicz Sárhegy Olaszrizling 2023 – Mátra
Olaszrizling is one of Hungary’s most widely planted white grapes, so it is always exciting to find a bottle that makes the variety feel new again.
This one comes from Sárhegy in the Mátra, a distinctive site that Dubicz uses for some of its more special wines. The Mátra is one of Hungary’s higher-altitude wine regions, and it is particularly interesting for fresh, elegant white wines.
The nose is super interesting, with more floral notes than I usually expect from Olaszrizling. Acacia and lilies are followed by almond, white pear, and lemon peel, together with white pepper and a touch of honey.
There is more honey and citrus on the palate, with lively freshness keeping everything energetic. The wine has a lighter body but is still elegant and balanced. The finish is particularly impressive: long, flowery, almondy and citrusy.
A really unique Olaszrizling and one of those bottles that makes you look at a familiar variety from a different perspective. It is a good reminder that Hungarian white wines can be much more varied than the varieties we most often hear about internationally.
Konečný Neronet 2024 – Moravia
One of my favourite things about tasting in Central Europe is discovering grape varieties that are almost completely unknown internationally. Neronet is one of them. It is a Czech-bred variety developed in Moravia, where it remains relatively uncommon. That makes a wine like this a particularly fun way to discover something outside the usual international grape varieties.
Konečný’s 2024 Neronet has a super vivid and lively purple colour, with good viscosity and 12.5% alcohol. The nose is full of plum, red cherries and blueberries, with touches of mint, cinnamon and vanilla.
On the palate, it is light-bodied, fresh and juicy, with the same fruity character coming back from the nose. The tannins are medium in level but very ripe, giving the wine enough structure without making it heavy. I particularly enjoyed it slightly chilled. The freshness and moderate alcohol make that work really well, especially when you are looking for a red wine that feels lively rather than weighty. The finish is long, with cherry and mint lingering on the palate. It is a good-quality wine with ageing potential, but it is already very enjoyable now.
I would pair it with stews or spiced paprika fish dishes, where the fresh fruit and spice can really work with the food.
This is exactly the kind of wine I love discovering: a lesser-known Central European variety that gives you a completely different experience from the international grapes filling supermarket shelves.
Rejadorada Novellum Crianza 2019 – Toro
The final red in this selection takes us considerably further south-west, to Toro in Spain.
Novellum is made from 100% Tinta de Toro, the local name for the Tempranillo grape in Toro, from old bush vines planted at around 730 metres above sea level. The wine undergoes extended maceration and spends at least 12 months in a combination of French, American and European oak barrels.
The nose is intense and complex, with blackberries, blueberries and plums alongside balanced spice, milk and dark chocolate, menthol, tobacco and coffee. There are also rose and red-blossom notes that add a nice floral touch.
On the palate, it is full-bodied, with high but very ripe tannins, high alcohol and lots of freshness. The dark-fruit character continues, with the same spices coming back and everything remaining well balanced. The finish is long and dark-fruited, with plenty of fruit and spice staying on the palate. This is also a wine with great ageing potential.
It is definitely a wine for food rather than a delicate glass on its own. It needs protein to match its tannins and full body, so I would reach for a substantial meat-based dish or another hearty pairing.
A serious and complex Crianza, and a very different expression of Tempranillo from the lighter, more fruit-driven styles you might encounter elsewhere in Spain.
Conclusion of this Wine Diary
Looking back at July and August, what I love most about this selection is how difficult it would be to guess the whole story from the grape varieties alone.
A Hárslevelű from the volcanic slopes of Somló, a white wine made from Merlot in Villány, an Olaszrizling from the Mátra, an unusual red from Moravia, a powerful Syrah from the Balaton-felvidék and a mature Tinta de Toro from Toro.
Six wines, six very different personalities.
And that is probably the biggest reason I enjoy keeping this wine diary. The more I taste, the more convinced I become that wine is at its most interesting when you move beyond the obvious names. Hungary and Moravia in particular have no shortage of grapes, vineyards and producers that deserve more attention, and these two months gave me plenty of reasons to keep looking.
For anyone exploring Hungarian wines for the first time, this is perhaps the most interesting takeaway: there is no single Hungarian wine style. The country’s regions and grape varieties can produce aromatic whites, mineral and structured whites, powerful reds and plenty of wines that sit somewhere in between.
Some of these bottles were memorable because of their elegance, others because of their originality or sheer intensity. But all of them had something that made me want to go back for another sip.
The Author
Moravia is very much Europe’s secret emerging wine region and one day its artisan winemakers will be discovered by wine fanatics.
Moravia has so much to offer beyond the varieties and regions most of us already know, and discovering these smaller artisan producers is one of the most exciting parts of exploring Central European wine. I’m sure we’ll be hearing much more about them in the years ahead.