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Guides / Wine Regions / Hungary

Hungary

Vintages

Explore the vintage chart for Hungary from 2014–2023.

Winemaking

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Hungary’s wine regions benefit from diverse climates and soils, producing exceptional wines across its varied districts. However, each year brings unique challenges and opportunities, from spring frosts to long growing seasons and occasional extreme weather events like hail or drought. Understanding vintage conditions helps uncover the story behind the wines.

Recent Vintages To Explore
2023
The late start due to wet conditions gave way to a warm fall, favoring reds like Kékfrankos and whites such as Furmint. The Villány region and Tokaj, producing exceptional dry and sweet whites, delivered standout results.
2022
A warm, extended summer produced ripe and aromatic whites like Olaszrizling and bold reds such as Kékfrankos. Look to the Balaton and Eger regions for standout wines.
2021
Whites from cooler regions such as Somló and Mátra excelled with high acidity and minerality. Tokaj faced challenges but produced elegant dry Furmint and Aszú wines in smaller quantities.
2020
A near-perfect year for winemakers, with balanced reds from Villány and Szekszárd and aromatic whites from Mátra and Balaton. Tokaj saw good botrytization for Aszú, making it an excellent year for sweet wines.
2019
Whites fared better than reds in many regions, with Eger and Mátra producing particularly fresh and vibrant wines. Some reds from Szekszárd and Villány also showed promise, but careful selection is advised.
2018
An outstanding year for bold, fruit-forward wines across the board. Seek out full-bodied reds from Szekszárd and Villány, and rich, ripe whites from Balaton and Somló. Tokaj also performed well, producing both dry and sweet wines of exceptional quality.
2017
Reds excelled in warmer regions like Villány and Szekszárd, offering great structure and ripe tannins. Whites from Balaton and Neszmély stood out for their aromatic intensity and balance.
2016
Whites from cooler regions, such as Mátra, showed great freshness and balance, while reds were more variable. Tokaj produced some excellent wines despite the cooler year.
2015
An almost ideal vintage with excellent wines produced across regions. Considered a standout year. This was a fantastic year for both red and white varieties, with balanced acidity and ripeness. Look for structured reds from Szekszárd and Villány, and vibrant whites from Eger and Tokaj.
2014
Considered one of the most difficult years in recent memory, with uneven ripening and lower yields in several areas. Focus on producers known for meticulous vineyard management, as the wet conditions heavily affected grape health. Tokaj struggled with rainfall but skilled winemakers produced some age-worthy sweet wines.
Vintage Chart Legend
Highly Consistent
Average Consistency
Variable Consistency
Large Production
Medium Production
Small Production
Hot Temp/Low Rain
Average Weather
Cool Temp/High Rain
Wines

Dive deeper into Hungarian Wines

How Wine Folly Rates a Vintage

We gather the facts about a vintage and how those features affect the wines. This way, you can better find the vintages that fit your needs (whether you're a collector or looking to drink now).

Quality

Generally speaking, the more consistent the vintage, the better the quality.

The crop consistency determines the quality of a vintage. In some years, we see average to high consistency.

On other vintages, quality is much more variable. In these variable years, it's best to look for producers who consistently produce high-quality wines because they can roll with difficulties growing grapes.

Weather

Ideally, producers want consistent temperatures year in and out for consistent quality. Of course, this is not very likely to happen as weather changes frequently. During harvest, rain, hail, and heat waves are key events that can create a difficult vintage.

Seasonal events include frost, hail, drought, and even wildfires. These events affect the quality or size of a vintage.

In warmer climates, getting enough rainfall during the growing season is key for healthy grapes and ripening.

In cooler or more moderate climates, getting enough but not too much rain and getting the right amount of sunshine and heat are important for producing ripe grapes.

Volume

Contrary to popular belief, low volumes do not always equal high quality. Producers can have very high-quality years where volumes are also high.

The opposite is also true, where we might have low yields but the quality may also be low due to disease in the vineyard or poor weather conditions.

So why do we care about volume? If there's more, it can lower prices, and the prices might be higher if there is less.