📍 Upper Hungary

Upper Hungary, in the wine sense, is the north of present-day Hungary (Northern Hungary), where the foothills of the Mátra and Bükk mountains lie. The wine districts of Eger, Mátra and Bükk are located here. The area is part of Hungarian wine. Its centre is the town of Eger, baroque and known for its fortress.

Eger is the best-known district: about 5,400 hectares of vineyards on the southern slopes of the Bükk mountains. Here "Egri Bikavér" ("Bull's Blood"), a red blend, is made, as well as white wines: Egri Leányka, Debrői Hárslevelű and Egerszóláti Olaszrizling. Mátra is known above all for white wines. Bükk is the smallest of the three districts.

Growers plant Blaufränkisch (Kékfrankos in Hungarian), Welschriesling (Olaszrizling) and Fetească Albă (Leányka). These grapes are well suited to the cool northern climate and volcanic soils. The wines come out fresh, with good acidity.

Tokaj lies nearby to the east, but it is treated separately. The Mátra mountains are volcanic and the Bükk limestone; between them and along their feet lie hills with vineyards. Leányka is the Hungarian name of the grape that Romania calls Fetească Albă. All three districts lie in northern Hungary, not far from the Slovak border.