A Tokaj Revival with Hungarian Bubbles
Hungary might not be the first country that comes to mind for fine bubbly, but its Hungarian sparkling wine has a remarkable story. We journey through its history to explore the regions and grapes.
A Royal History of Hungarian Bubbles
At the turn of the 20th century, Hungary was a powerhouse of sparkling wine. It was second only to France in production, with over twenty sparkling wineries producing pezsgő (pronounced “peh-zsh-gő”) and exporting 6-8 million bottles across Europe each year. Sparkling wine had been made in Hungary since the mid-1800s, centered in Pozsony (Bratislava) and Budafok (on Budapest’s outskirts).
In 1882, József Törley – a Hungarian who trained in Champagne – opened a winery in Budafok, recognizing the local demand for Champagne-style wines. He even planted vineyards in nearby Etyek-Buda, a region whose cool climate and limestone soils closely resemble Champagne’s. Törley’s pezsgő became a hit with the Austro-Hungarian aristocracy and burgeoning middle class, and by the early 1900s his cellars were turning out around 2 million bottles annually. The company introduced modern techniques (like chilled disgorgement) and earned Törley a knighthood from the Habsburg emperor. Hungarian sparkling wine was truly in its golden age, flowing at imperial courts and cafes from Vienna to Paris.
World wars and Communist rule brought this era to an abrupt end. After World War II, Hungary’s wine industry was nationalised, and quality took a backseat to quantity. Giant state-run wineries churned out inexpensive fizz for the masses, often in a sweet, simple style. These wines gave pezsgő a reputation for cloying sweetness and mass-market mediocrity.
The fall of communism in 1989 sparked a sparkling wine renaissance in Hungary. Independent winemakers across Hungary began experimenting with traditional-method sparkling wine again.
Regions Embracing Pezsgő
Several regions stand out in Hungary’s new sparkling landscape. The Etyek-Buda district (just west of Budapest) has long been considered Hungary’s “Champagne region” due to its chalky soils and cool climate. Etyek’s crisp base wines have underpinned Hungarian pezsgő since the 19th century and continue to do so for major producers. Another historic region is Mór, also cool-climate, which together with Etyek helped originate Hungarian fizz.
In recent years, Tokaj has emerged as an exciting new hub for sparkling wine. Situated in the northeast, Tokaj’s volcanic hills and moderate climate provide grapes with full ripeness and zesty acidity, a perfect recipe for quality bubbly. The region’s flagship white grape Furmint is proving surprisingly adept as a base for sparkling wines. As Master of Wine Caroline Gilby notes, Furmint can show a sugar-acid balance similar to Chardonnay if picked at the right moment. It’s a relatively neutral-flavored grape with naturally high acidity and moderate alcohol – traits that “lay the foundation for quality sparkling wines” in Tokaj.
After a difficult, rain-soaked 2010 vintage in Tokaj produced very high-acid grapes, more local winemakers began turning to sparkling wine as an outlet. While Furmint usually leads the blend, many Tokaj sparklers include Hárslevelű for aromatic nuance, and some experimental cuvées even add Chardonnay or other varieties. The result is a new category of Hungarian sparkling that marries Tokaj’s distinct terroir with Champagne-like winemaking.
Furmint and Friends
Best known as the backbone of Tokaji Aszú, Furmint is now proving its worth in both dry and sparkling wines. It contributes razor-sharp acidity, longevity, a mineral backbone and a flavor profile that is subtle with occasional hints of quince or honey, especially as it ages. This neutrality is an advantage for sparkling wine, allowing autolytic notes from lees aging to shine through without clashing.
Hárslevelű, another Tokaj grape, often joins Furmint to soften the blend and add a whisper of floral aroma and stone fruit. Stylistically, Hungarian pezsgő made by the méthode traditionnelle (traditional Champagne method) can be impressively high in quality, often indistinguishable from a French crémant or grower Champagne in blind tastings.
These Furmint-based sparklers, in particular, seem to handle prolonged lees contact very well, developing rich, toasty notes while maintaining piercing acidity. It’s not uncommon for premium bottlings to spend 24-36 months (or more) on the lees before disgorgement, yielding fine mousses and creamy textures.
Expect flavour profiles that include citrus, green orchard fruits like apple or pear, and subtle notes of quince or honey – the latter two being signature hints of Furmint’s character. With Hárslevelű in the mix, you might detect a whisper of honeysuckle or wildflowers on the nose. Long-aged examples bring brioche, biscuit, and roasted almond tones from yeast autolysis. A great Tokaji sparkling, for example, was noted to have apple crumble with lemon zest and quince aromas, a creamy yet elegant palate, and a crisp, mineral finish.
These are sophisticated sparklers meant to be sipped just as you would Champagne – as an aperitif, with canapés or seafood, or alongside local dishes (think savory pastries or mild Asian cuisine). And thanks to their acidity and structure, many can age gracefully in bottle, gaining complexity over time.
Királyudvar’s Pezsgő: Tokaj’s Sparkling Vanguard
One of the most celebrated examples of Hungarian sparkling wine comes from an unlikely place, the cellars of Királyudvar in Tokaj. Királyudvar (pronounced “Kee-RYE-oohd-var”, meaning King’s Court) is a historic estate that supplied wine to the Habsburgs in centuries past. After communism, it was acquired in 1997 by Anthony Hwang, an American entrepreneur who also owns the famed Domaine Huët in Vouvray, France.
Hwang fell in love with Tokaj’s Aszú wines and believed Tokaj could once again produce some of the world’s most intriguing wines not limited to only sweet wines, but dry and sparkling too. Hwang converted Királyudvar’s vineyards to biodynamic farming in the early 2000s. This holistic approach, eschewing chemicals and embracing organic practices, set the stage for pure, terroir-driven wines. In 2007, Királyudvar released its first traditional-method Tokaji sparkling wine, Pezsgő 'Henye'. It was a groundbreaking moment – the first-ever Tokaj pezsgő for the estate, and one of the earliest of the region’s modern era. Hwang was directly inspired by Huët’s renowned Vouvray Pétillant, a benchmark Loire sparkling Chenin.
The Henye sparkling is named after the Henye vineyard, a prime hillside cru in Tokaj that Királyudvar owns as a monopole. Henye’s grapes had long been prized for Tokaji Aszú; now they were getting a chance to shine in a dry sparkling format. Királyudvar uses native yeasts to ferment the base wine in barrel and to initiate the second fermentation in bottle, a cultured Champagne yeast and measured dosage is added. Bottles are then aged on their lees in Királyudvar’s cool cellars for a lengthy period: at least 3 years, often extending to 4+ years before disgorgement. This extensive lees contact imbues the wine with creamy texture and autolytic complexity but what truly sets Királyudvar’s pezsgő apart is its distinctly Tokaj twist: the dosage is done with aged Tokaji Aszú.
Rather than a typical sugar syrup or cane sugar, Királyudvar uses 6-Puttonyos Aszú as the dosage. This tiny addition (about 1 cl per liter) keeps the wine Brut, but imparts a subtle golden touch of Tokaj’s essence into the sparkling wine. As the winery says, they dose “when necessary” with a drop of aged Tokaji, meaning in some years they might leave it brut nature. The current releases tend to have a dosage around Brut level (6-8 g/L), just enough to round the sharp acidity of Furmint, without noticeably sweetening the palate.
In the glass, Királyudvar Pezsgő Henye is a revelation for those used to Champagne or Cava. It pours a pale straw-yellow color with fine, pinpoint bubbles. On the nose it offers an interplay of citrus, orchard fruit, and pastry: imagine aromas of clementine orange, ripe yellow apple, and dried orange peel, layered with fresh brioche and a touch of wildflower. There’s often a gently honeyed note (courtesy of the Aszú dosage and Furmint) that comes across as acacia honey or apricot tart. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied yet ultra-refined, with a creamy mousse caressing the tongue and vibrant acidity giving spine. That drop of Tokaji Aszú adds a whisper of richness and a silky, waxy texture mid-palate, reminding you this is no generic bubbly. Flavours of Mandarin orange, golden apple, and yeasty croissant unfold, and as it warms in the glass you might get hints of ginger or marzipan.
Despite the layered complexity, Henye pezsgő remains dry and precise, finishing with a long, mouth-watering minerality from Tokaj’s volcanic earth. Overall, Királyudvar has achieved a balance between opulence and elegance: the wine has the depth and length to rival good Champagne, yet a distinct personality that speaks of Tokaj.
Production of this wine is very limited – roughly 200 cases per year on average, which is only about 2,400 bottles. It’s truly a hand-crafted labor of love. Királyudvar often doesn’t release a new vintage every year; they focus on strong vintages and sometimes sell out quickly to collectors. The first release (2007) surprised many and proved that dry Tokaj fizz could be world-class. Over a decade later, Pezsgő Henye continues to turn heads. Critics have praised it as a “viable alternative to Champagne”, and enthusiasts who try it side-by-side with more famous sparklers are struck by its unique character. It’s not trying to be Champagne, instead, it’s something a sparkling wine that carries its own region’s DNA. By using native grapes, biodynamic vines, and a drop of Tokaji nectar in the dosage, Királyudvar’s pezsgő encapsulates the essence of Tokaj in bubbly form.
Just as Tokaji Aszú once set the gold standard for sweet wines, wines like Királyudvar Henye show that Tokaj’s future might also sparkle. It exemplifies how innovation and tradition can go hand-in-hand: old vineyards and ancient sweet wine meet modern winemaking and global sparkling know-how. The result in the glass is captivating – familiar enough for any Champagne lover to appreciate, yet offering new flavors and a story that’s completely Hungarian.