Best of Budapest & Hungary

Often referred to as one of the most prestigious, most popular wine and combined art fests in the CEE region, the Budapest’s International Wine and Champagne Festival is organized for the 27th times this year, on Sep 6-9, in the beautiful historic setting of the UNESCO World Heritage site Buda Castle. Even for guests who are not wine experts, the ambience and the programs of this festival guarantee an unforgettable time spent in Budapest.

“The festival attracts tens of thousands of visitors to the Buda Castle from all over the world; it is unique even by European standards,” organizers say. They believe that the combination of the world heritage setting and the assortment of premium local wines greatly contributes to the acknowledgment of Hungarian wines in the world market and to a more pronounced image of the country as a popular travel destination. Every September, while presenting thousands of different wines of over 150 wineries from Hungary and abroad, the fest offers live music, gourmet food and countless programs. The aim of this festival is nothing less than to introduce the best wines of Hungary and the world, to invite wine-makers to a personal meeting with wine-lovers and provide an unforgettable experience to everyone. Event attendees will, as in the past, be able to taste wines and network with independent growers to learn about the differences between styles, regions and country production methods. This festival takes mundane wine tasting to new levels. Instead of inviting guest countries, organizers decided to highlight Lake Balaton this year, to draw more attention to the characteristics of the region’s grape varieties and wine styles, and promote the region as a wonderful tourist destination in the fall season. Often called the ‘Hungarian Sea’, the Balaton will also be the focus of the Wine University, to be organized at the MOM Cultural Center on September 3, three days before the festival kicks off in the castle.

Twice the fun

Trying the so-called ‘A couple of wine couples’ program is a must at the festival: winemakers will offer their wine in a "two drinks for one" system, to encourage experts and non-experts alike to make comparisons, to recognize certain types of grapes or vintages. In 2018, an application named Vinometer is introduced to provide guidance to foreign guests and those Hungarians who are newcomers to the world of wine tasting. It offers thematic tasting tours and several games (free WiFi is available at the festival’s venue).

On Sunday, starting at 12.30 PM, a parade will be held: representatives of Hungarian wine regions, members of wine orders and wine-lovers' associations will march through the streets in the castle, in a colorful, spectacular procession, to evoke the atmosphere of harvest parades. Another tradition is the Charity Wine Auction that benefits the Hungarian Maltese Fund. During the four days of the festival, the most popular Hungarian bands of world music, folk music, folk dance and jazz genres will step on stage, such as the Kéknyúl, the Kiscsillag, Antonia Vai, the Kodachrome, the Saverne and the Rafael Márió Trio, in addition to the Gereben Zita Quintet, the Studio11, Mörk, Boban Markovic’s son Marco Markovic, the Canarrot, Zoordo and the Fanfare Complexat, to name only a few. Arts and crafts programs will be available for children at the Oroszlános Courtyard: they can learn how to use corks to create different types of toys, presents and decorations.

Gastronomy

The Wine Festival offers a cornucopia of culinary delights, ranging from traditional festival cuisine and street food to gourmet specialties. Gastronomy exhibitors this year include PizzaMe, Terra Tuffola, the Litvanian Dziugas and Szega Market (both offering cheese), Szittya Pita Kenyérlángosozó, The Ritz-Carlton, Budapest hotel’s restaurant Deák St. Kitchen, SPAR Grillmobil, Fresh Corner, Julius Meinl and Pellini Caffè, along with Gerbeaud and Bolka Bonbon. Those wanting to consume their lunch or dinner at a laid table in the midst of the Festival can do so under the Baroque gate at the exclusive Budapest Terrace, by choosing the Laid Table service which includes a three-course lunch or dinner with wines, in addition to the daily ticket for the festival.