The best wines from Bükkalja en Mátraalja in Hungary

Bükkalja and Mátraalja are two lesser-known Hungarian wine regions directly east and west of big brother Eger. Mátraalja is by far the larger of the two and is best known for its spicy white wines. Bükkalja is still on the rise.

Mátraalja

A good half hour's drive from the capital Budapest lies the wine region of Mátraalja or 'Mátra'. The winemakers work from small wine cellars that are carved out of the tuff rocks. Some are hundreds of years old. Their vineyards are sheltered by the nearby Mátra mountains and the vast forests that surround them. They make white, fresh and spicy wines.

The soil composition is varied, from sand to clay. The main grapes grown in Mátraalja are Olaszrizling, Hárslevelű, Királyleányka, Muskat Ottonel, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Traminer. In addition, red wine is made from Kékfrankos, Turán and Zweigelt.

Bükkalja

The small wine region of Bükkalja has approximately 900 hectares of vineyards. Bükkalja has only been an official Hungarian wine region since 1970 and has not yet been able to build up a recognizable identity of its own. Many winemakers work as 'grape growers'. They sell their harvest to companies that then make wine from it. More and more companies are stopping this and making their own wine from their own grapes. An old tradition, because although wine growing in the region has only recently started to emerge again, wine was already being made here on a large scale in the 15th century.