I don’t consider myself to be a foodie or a wine connoisseur, but when I find myself planning a trip to one of the well-known wine regions of Central-Eastern Europe you bet I’m going to sample the local varieties. Personally, I like medium-bodied whites, while Alex is a fan of full-bodied reds. Together, we make a great team to sample a variety of local wines when we travel.

As a child, my family has had a vineyard on the hills, in the countryside. We had both whites and reds. I always loved to help when the grapes were picked and it was a joy to play, barefoot, so that we smashed the grapes before they were prepared to be made into wine. Currently, we still have a small vineyard at home, with just enough red grapes to have wine for us or for our friends’ delight.

For the first time ever, during our wedding anniversary trip to Eger in 2015, we visited an old wine cellar and also tasted the local, well-known wines of Eger. And both activities were planned, before our trip.

If you find yourself in Central-Eastern Europe, here are some options for your taste buds.

Croatians Wines

Croatia’s wine making history goes back to the ancient Greek settlers but the country only has two main wine regions:  Continental (Kontinetalna) and Coastal (Primorska), which each region being divided into sub-regions.

Continental Croatia, with its typical continental climate, is responsible for the white wine production, while Coastal Croatia, with its Mediterranean climate, produces both dry whites and dry reds.

Czech Wines

The Czech Republic Czechia is a lot more popular for its beers than its wines, but that doesn’t mean you cannot interesting options here. The country has only two wine regions: Moravia and Bohemia, with the first being the center of the wine producing industry and has four grape growing sub-regions.

You should definitely try out these wines when visiting the Czech Republic: Cabernet Moravia – medium-bodied red wine – , Solaris – full-bodied white wine, grown mostly in the Bohemia region – and Moravian Muscat – dry white wine.

>>read more detailed information on this website

Hungarian Wines

There are no less than 22 wine regions in Hungary, each with a different micro climate which results in different tastes. The ancient Magyars knew how to make wine way before the Romans came along, proof found in the Hungarian word for wine (“bor”), which is not derived from Latin.

The most popular for wine tourism are the following regions: Tokaj, Villany, Szekszard, Eger, Badacsony and Balatonfured-Csopak. All can be easily reached from Budapest and they offer wine tasting facilities.

Tokaj is part of UNESCO Heritage Sites, located just 2 ½ h drive from Budapest, and the region is popular for dessert wines, with the most well known being Tokaj Aszu. The grapes are harvested late in the season to allow the high alcohol, specific acidity and sugar content to build up.

Eger is famous for Egri Bikaver (Bull’s Blood of Eger), the most well known Hungarian red wine. The area also has some amazing fresh white wines. It is easy to reach Eger either by car (1 ½ h drive) or by train from Keleti pu (less than 2h). Buses are also available.

>>read more detailed information on this website

Romanian Wines

Romania has seven wine regions, each with a lot of sub-regions. The produce both whites and reds, each with their unique taste and body.

The most popular regions are: Cotnari – known for Grasa de Cotnari, a white wine -, Recas – producing whites, reds and roses – , Murfatlar – also producing whites, reds and roses – , Bohotin – producing an aromatic red called Busuioaca de Bohotin – and Panciu – also producing whites, reds and roses.

Many locals still have vineyards, which means a lot of wine is produced for own consumption – or to share with friends. Ask your Romanian friends if they know anyone who makes wine and you will be very pleased. We had a couple of varieties of red grapes which produce a very aromatic red, naturally sweet.

>>here is a list of the Romanian wineries

Slovenian Wines

Slovenia has three wine regions: Littoral, Lower Save and Drava Valley, with the Littoral being the most-well known internationally. Wine making in the country has existed since the Celts and Illyrian tribes, way before the Romans came in the area. Almost all of the wine produced in the country is consumed locally, so you may not have heard much about Slovenian wines.

The Littoral wine region borders one of Italy’s wine regions (Friuli-Venezia Giulia) and is most well known for Rebula white wine and Merlot-Cabernet blends. It is a predominantly white wine producing area, but it also produces the country’s most red wine.

>>read more detailed information on this website

Photo credits:
Istria – Croatia
Eger – Hungary
Prague – Czech Rep
Romania
Slovenia