Egri Bikavér is a red blend that is probably the most popular Hungarian red wine. It is produced in the south near Szekszárd and around Eger in the northeast. Bikavér is always a blend, usually of at least three different grapes.
Kékfrankos (Blaufränkisch) is the flagship variety, along with Kadarka, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Zweigelt, Pinot Noir, and other regional and international varieties. As it is a cold-climate red blend, Egri Bikavér is typically fresh and approachable.
The wines are spicy and fruity, with a medium body and good aging potential. Their final profile depends on the grape selection, terroir, and vinification, but the best contemporary examples show finesse, balance, and elegance. In the past, especially during Communist rule, emphasis was put on quantity and mass production rather than quality. Read more
As a result, most of the wines were simple, somewhat rustic, and often low in quality, giving Egri Bikavér an overall bad reputation. The quality has significantly improved in the last two decades, and producers now show that Egri Bikavér can be excellent quality wine.
Egri Bikavér has three quality designations, Classicus, which needs to have at least three varieties in the blend, and Superior and Grand Superior, which need to include at least five grapes. The name Egri Bikavér, translated as bull's blood from Eger, allegedly came up when Eger was under Ottoman siege in 1552.
As the legend says, the locals drank a copious amount of wine to prepare for the fight and supposedly added some bull's blood to the wine. The locals managed to overturn the attackers, and the legend and the name were later associated with regional wines.
