Wine Tasting In Budapest City Centre

Sip Delightful Hungarian Wines, Paired with Salami & Cheese Plate In A Downtown Cellar!

Enjoy an exclusive wine tasting in Budapest city centre, located in an atmospheric cellar near the Basilica. You will taste 9 Hungarian wines + a welcome sparkling wine – including recent award-winners – from both well-known, large and smaller boutiqe wineries.

The tasting includes:

  • A glass of sparkling wine
  • 4 reds, and
  • 4 whites, plus
  • 1 dessert wine from the famous Tokaj region.
  • + 1 call back

To make the experience even more complete, tasty nibbles of Hungarian salami, cheese, sausages, nuts and dried fruits acompany the served wines along with a short but immersive introduction to Hungarian wine making and each wine you taste

a young, dark-haired woman smelling red wine in a glass, possibly in a wine bar
a young male somelier pouring sparkling wine to a young woman with long light brown hair, Location: the vaulted, cellar-like interior of the Palinka Museum

Wine Tasting Experience in Palinka Museum

Savor the complexity and heritage of Hungarian wines as you explore a curated selection, ranging from the renowned Tokaj to the robust Kadarkas of Villány, guided by our knowledgeable specialists.

9 different wines for tasting / 9 different charcuteries

Duration: 120 min. – Price57

Details – Wine Tasting In Budapest City Centre

Location – Getting There

The Pálinka Museum in Király utca, in the heart of Budapest’s Old Jewish Quarter, near Gozsdu Courtyard hosts the Hungarian wine tasting program.

It’s very centrally located and easy to get to from anywhere within Budapest.

Dates & Staring Time:

  • Saturdays at 18.00

TIP: The wine tasting program will have a special New Year’s Eve edition on December 31, 2023 between 22.00 – 01.00 with a buffet dinner at midnight.

Duration:

  • 2 hours (18.00- 20.00)

Price Of Hungarian Wine Tasting Experience

  • 57 EUR
a row of tables and chairs in the Pálinka Museum, vaulted brick ceiling
The Cozy Interior Of The Pálinka Museum

What’s Included?

  • A glass of fine prosecco from the Kreinbacher Estate
  • 9 wines from various wine regions of Hungary (4 reds, 4 whites, 1 dessert wine) – View list of wines below!
  • 9 charcuteries that match the wines’ characteristics (cold cuts, salamis, sausage, ham, smoked beef tongue, Hungarian cheeses (goat cheese, Pannonia), walnut, dried fruits, cucumber, honey) – See full list below!
  • A bottle of mineral water (still or sparkling)
  • A basket of sourdough bread
  • Guiding and introduction to the wines you’ll taste, Hungarian wine regions as well as a glimpse into local viticulture
various (empty) wine glasses, and a cheese and cold cuts plate on a table covered with white table cloth, location: Pálinka Museum
various glasses (white wine, red wine, water, champagne), 2 bottles of mineral water, and the charcuterie plate in the foreground on a wine tasting program
Cheese & Salami Plate
A Wine Expert Will Introduce Each Wine
A Wine Expert Will Introduce Each Wine

Why Go? – Highlights Of The Wine Tasting Program

You’ll get an expert introduction to local wine through an exclusive 9-tier wine tasting that covers the most important aspects of Hungarian wine making and history.

For each wine sample we serve you tasty bites, small chaurcuterie of Hungarian paprika salami, goat cheese (soft and hard), cured ham of Hungarian grey cattle, nuts, dried apricot etc. (see the list below) that perfectly complement the wines.

There’re also slices of fresh, sourdough bread to help you soak up all the alcohol from the wines, as well as a bottle of mineral water

What’s more, a charming urban cellar and museum hosts the 2-hour event providing pleasant and fitting setting.

The venue is in Budapest’s centre, easily accessible by public transport and close to major attractions.

the vaulted interior of the Pálinka Museum with a couple of tables along the wall
A Chic Urban Cellar – Venue Of The Wine Tasting

TIP: After the tasting with all the wine you sampled you are all set for partying in the nearby ruin bars and clubs. Consider this program as a pregame!

Wines You’ll Taste – Wine Tasting In Budapest City Centre

You’ll start with a fresh and delightful sparkling wine from the Kreinbacher Estate in the Somló Wine Region.

Then you’ll go on sampling each of the four white wines. Quantity of samples is around 4 cl.

TIP: You don’t have to drink all quanity and each wine – should not like an item feel free to pour it out into the small stainless container provided for this prupose on the table.

Whites:

  • Etyeki Kúria – Irsai 2022 (Etyek-Buda) 12%
  • Sike Balázs – Chardonnay 2021 (Badacsony) 13,5%
  • Szászi Birtok – Szent György-hegyi Olaszrizling 2021 13% (Badacsony)
  • Tokaj Nobilis – Furmint 2021 (Tokaj) 13,5%
5 bottles of Hungarian white wine on a white clothed table
White Wines You’ll Taste

Reds:

  • Heimann & Fiai Kadarka 2021 (Szekszárd) 12%
  • Kiss Gábor – Cabernet Franc 2022 (14%) (Villány)
  • Villa Tolnay – Névtelen Cuvée 2019 (Badacsony) 13,5%
  • N.A.G. – Föld és Ég Kékfrankos/Blaufränkisch 2018 (14,5%) (Mátra)

Dessert Wine:

  • Oremus – Sweet Szamorodni 2017 (Tokaj) 12%
10 bottles of Hungarian white and red wine on a white clothed table, location: tasting room of the Pálinka Museum
All The Wines You’ll Taste

+ 1 call back – you can ask for an encore from the list.

1. Irsai Olivér – Etyeki Kúria 2022, Etyek-Buda, (White), 12%

A Modern Irsai Olivér for the second time from Etyek.

The typical fragrance and freshness of the variety with the expected elegance from the winery characterizes this lovely white.

A dynamic sip, good acidity, notes of white flowers, grapefruit, tropical fruits, citrus, and sweet fruit aromas.

Snack: Fresh, soft goat cheese

a bottle of Etyeki Kuria white wine and half a glass next to it
Irsai Olivér From Etyek

TIP: Etyek is a famous wine village in the close vicinity of Budapest. We offer wine tours with meal, transfer to and back, as well as guiding so you can get to know this charming area and its wines. Find out more about Wine Tour in Etyek with transfer form Budapest.

2. Chardonnay – Sike Balázs 2021, Badacsony (White) 13,5%

This is a highly exciting Chardonnay from the volcanic slopes of the Badacsony Hills in North Balaton.

An abundance of white fruits, with hints of apple, peach, complemented by some pear and citrus in taste, with a touch of grapefruit and spices.

It has a well-rounded sip, with excellent acidity and lasting minerality.

Snack: Pannonia cheese – “the Hungarian Emmentaler”

3. Olaszrizling (Riesling) Szent György-hegyi Szászi Birtok Badacsony 2021 (White) 13%

A true Central European variety, with numerous synonyms, and although it is taken most seriously in Hungary, the Riesling can also be found in significant quantities in neighboring countries.

Its origin is shrouded in mystery, but one thing is certain:

Lake Balaton is inconceivable without Riesling, and Riesling is inconceivable without the Balaton.

The Riesling from Szent György-Hill is the iconic item of the estate. The selected clusters from three local areas go into the wine, which undergo spontaneous fermentation in steel tanks and then spend 3 months in barrels.

italian riesling szasz wine estate hungary
Riesling From Szász Estate, Badacsony/Lake Balaton

This item is perhaps the estate’s best-known wine.

  • Straw yellow with greenish hues
  • Apricot, acacia honey, and coconut
  • Creamy, soft, yet salty in flavour

A true terroir wine!

Snack: Pork liver paté

4. Furmint – Tokaj Nobilis 2021, (White) 13,5%

A fresh, fruity Furmint with lower alcohol content due to the slightly earlier harvest. Following 50 % fermentation in steel tanks and 50 % fermentation in barrels the two parts were blended.

The aroma of this wine evokes crisp fruitiness (think pear and chamolime)

It is an elegant, high-structured wine, with a touch of residual sugar that makes it round. In taste, it is rich in minerals and oak barrel aging, with a long-lasting finish.

Snack: Mangalica pork salami Pannonia cheese –

a bottle of Tokaj Furmint wine in wide bottle placed on the edge of a brick wall
Furmint From Tokaj

5. Kadarka – Heimann & Fiai 2021, Szekszárd (Red) 12%

A true Kadarka from the home of this classic Hungarian red.

This fine, spicey red is a result of wild-fermentation with minimal handling, spontaneous fermentation in whole bunches, and 10 days of skin contact.

After gentle pressing, it was returned for 3 months of aging to the same concrete tank where the fermentation took place.

Elegant, light red with notes of berries, dry autumn leaves and fresh bell peppers.

Snack: Smoked beef tongue

a hand reaching for a wine glass with some red wine in it, possibly on a wine tasting event

6. Kiss Gábor – Cabernet Franc 2022, Villány, (Red) 14%

This outstanding cabernet from the Villány region (southern Transdanubia) was aged for 5 months in used 500 liter French oak barrels.

Sweet fruity aroma, delicate barrel spices, a clean, flavorful sip.

Ripe, fleshy fruits (black berries, cherries) roll onto the palate with lively acidity, while the sweet sensation of barrel spices (cappuccino, caramel) extends gracefully into a long-lasting finish, harmonizing with the mature, almost velvety tannins.

Snack: Dried ham of Hungarian grey cattle

a hand holding a glass into which someone is pouring deep red wine
Cabernet Franc From Villány

7. Villa Tolnay – Névtelen (Anonymus) Cuvée 2019, Badacsony (Red) 13,5%

This exquisite red blend of Merlot and Cabrenet Franc from the Lake Balaton‘s northern slopes, the Badacsony Hill, is a result of organic grape cultivation, hand-harvested Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon from the Csobánc Hill, fermented in oak barrels.

It was aged for 10 months in oval large and French barrels.

You’ll be treated to notes of sour cherry, black currant, elegant spiciness, delicate acidity, excellent balance.

Snack: Paprika salami from Csaba

3 men holding a glass of red wine in their hands and talking

8. Föld és Ég Kékfrankos/ Blaufränkisch Earth & Heaven By N.A.G. 2018 , Mátra Hills, 14,5%)

N. A. G. stands for Németh Attila Gábor the firts letters of the wine maker’s name who produces unique, rustic-style wines in Mátra Hills (Norhtern Hungary)

This robust Blaufränkisch is fermented in an open tub, then aged for 15 months in a third-fill used Hungarian barrel.

Alongside ripe black and red berries, you can detect presence of chocolate and delicate woody notes, both in aroma and taste, giving it a warmer character than usual.

Snack: Hard goat cheese

a young male sommelier ttrying to open a bottle of red wine on a wine tasting program (6 bottles of opened wine stand in front of hime
The Charming Somelier

9. Oremus – Sweet Szamorodni 2017, Tokaj, Dessert Wine 12%

This fine sweet wine from the world-renowned Tokaj wine region is the crown on your wine tasting experience.

One thing is sure, it will leave a lastin impression on you and you will want to take a bottle with you.

This szamordoni is light yellow in color, with lively silver reflections.

It’s very sweet with 90 grams of residual sugar, the sweetness is combined with incredible spiciness.

If you have a sweet tooth you’ll love it, otherwise it won’t be your favorite out of the 9 wines.

a bottle of straw yellow Oremus Szamorodni wine with a bottle of Tokaji aszu wine together with some other bottles of wine
Szamorodni – All Around Sweetness

This Szamorodni’s true excitement lies in the flawless balance between acidity and sugar, along with long, creamy, citrusy, honeyed flavors.

Snack:

  • Dried apricot

Charcuterie – List of Snacks

  • Mangalica liver paté
  • Csabai paprika salami
  • Smoked beef tongue
  • Dried grey beef ham
  • Mangalica salami
  • Gomolya cheese
  • Pannonia cheese
  • Soft goat cheese
  • Hard goat cheese
  • Pickled cucumbers
  • Walnut
  • Dried Apricot
  • + a basket of sourdough bread and
  • a bottle of mineral water (still or sparkling)
assorted cheeses, salamis and sausages on a black square ceramic sevring plate
The Charcuterie Plate You’ll Be Served With The Wines

About Our Hungarian Wine Tasting Experience

We tested the Hungarian Wine Tasting experience in the Pálinka Museum on October 21, 2023. We found the place easily in the middle of Budapest’s centre, right across the entrance to Gozsdu Court.

Our hosts and the sommelier were very kind and knowledgable about Hungraian wines, wine making techniques and winegrowing regions.

A large map of the 22 Hungarian wine regions propped up on the table and a smaller version of as a place mat placed in front of the guests served as a great information source.

After a short introduction by the charming, young wine expert we started the tasting with a lovely sparkling wine from the Kreinbacher Estate (Somló region) -a perfect appetizer to set the the mood for the evening.

Young male somelier opening a bottle of wine in a vaulted tasting room in Pálinka Museum

We received a our charcauterie plate – the items placed in order of the wines from left to right.

Slices of fresh sourdough bread in a basket and a bottle of mineral water were also provided.

The sommelier explained each wine in short – telling as much as he thought necessary to help us truly experience and appreciate the wines.

Luckily he wasn’t too wordy and let us enjoy each item at our own space. For each wine he also told us about the food it was paiered with.

The local cheeses, salamis, paté, nuts and prune complemented the wines nicely, enhancing the overall experience.

At the end you can call back one of the wines from the range if you think you can handle a half-glass more in terms of alcohol.

A male sommelier pouring me a glass of white wine during the Hungarian Wine Tasting Experience in Pálinka Museum

TIP: To avoid getting wasted – I’m a lightweight when it comes to alcohol – I ate lots of bread and drank glasses of water. Furthermore, I didn’t drink all the 4 cl of the wines I didn’t like that much.

My favourites were:

  • Chardonnay 2021 by Sike Balázs from Badacsony and the
  • Névtelen Cuvée 2019 a red blend byVilla Tolnay also from the Badacsony Hills

Conclusion

We highly recommend the Hungarian Wine Tasting experience in the Pálinka Museum in downtown Budapest if you want to learn about and taste local wines.

The list of wines you’ll be sampling is a great introduction to Hungarian wines, regions and technology encompassing both well-known and small, boutique vienries.

The cheese and salamis and other delicacies on the plate were a fitting pairing for the wines.

Overall a very nice program for a Saturday evening in Budapest!

Hungarian wine regionsWine Festival In Buda CastleBudapest city centre