Best of Budapest & Hungary

In April, Budapest Airport, the operator of Ferenc Liszt International Airport, held an exclusive wine competition at the imposing Terminal 1, where it and its key partners selected, in a blind tasting, the four wines that will be worthy representatives of the gateway to Hungary.

The airport operator organized the Budapest Airport wine competition for the first time this spring, during which two wine experts, Budapest Airport management, employees and business partners selected, in a blind tasting, the wines that were awarded the title of BUD Wine, which will represent not only the cultural values of the country, but also the best airport in the region in 2023 and the first half of 2024.

Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport is the most important airport in Hungary, the gateway to the country, as it opens up and makes accessible the world for Hungarians traveling from here, and it is here that arriving tourists get their first impression of Hungary. The operator, Budapest Airport offers high quality in every respect, so the competition was aimed at finding excellent wines that symbolize the quality and the refined taste characteristic of Budapest Airport, and at the same time represent Hungarian viniculture.

The competition was open to entries in four categories, premium red wine, premium white wine, gastro red wine and gastro white wine, and the event enjoyed unprecedented popularity, with a total of 321 wines from eighty-seven Hungarian wineries competing for the title. The evening’s nearly eighty judges assessed the wines according to criteria such as color, clarity, intensity of aroma and flavor and character.

The winners of the BUD Wine title, as decided by management and partners:
•    Premium white wine:
    2017 Béres Tokaji Lőcse Furmint - Béres Vineyards and Winery
•    Premium red wine:
    2019 Szekszárd "Golden" Premium Pairing - Szekretár Wine Estate
•    Gastro white wine:
    2022 Angyal Tokaji AURA - Angyal Winery
•    Gastro red wine:
    2019 Bolyki and Bolyki Superior Bikavér - Bolyki Winery

In the category of sustainable wineries, a special prize was awarded to the Zelna Winery, which is certified organic and uses non-absorbent sprays approved under organic regulations, only for preventive purposes, and natural materials for soil cultivation. The Szekretár Wine Estate, which produces Budapest Airport’s premium red wine, also operates as a sustainable winery.

“The selection of Budapest Airport’s wine was an honor, as the winning wines will represent Hungarian viniculture at airport events and among our partners over the next year. Hundreds of wines competed for the title, which shows that being named BUD Wine is prestigious, as the selected beverages will symbolize the most important values of Europe’s best airport, quality and great taste,” said Katalin Valentínyi, chief communication and government relations officer for Budapest Airport.