Bull's Blood
The Bikavér (Bull’s Blood) blend, exclusive to the Eger and Szekszárd regions, is the best-known of all Hungarian wines. Legend has it that the name originates from the unsuccessful siege of Eger by the Turks in 1552, when the heavily outnumbered Hungarians had nothing to drink but red wine. This proved to be to their advantage, their red stained beards and wild eyes terrified the Turks, who thought they had been drinking Bull’s Blood.
Unfortunately, the quality and reputation of the wine suffered during the years of collective farms and quotas that typified the Socialist era in Hungary. Since 1990 the improvement has been nothing short of spectacular, reflecting a renaissance of the industry as a whole. Many of the top Hungarian wine producers have a Bikavér in their portfolio, names to look out for include Tibor Gál, Thummerer, Vincze, Pók-Polónyi, Tóth, and Kőporos from Eger, or Vesztergombi, and Takler from Szekszárd.
Despite the legend, the Bikavér name was first used as a brand name in Szekszárd, not Eger, and not until the 19th century. The Bull’s Blood of both towns originally relied heavily on the Hungarian Kadarka grape. The blend that became famous and gained Eger international recognition contained a fiery combination of Kadarka, Kékfrankos, and Kékoportó grapes, with perhaps some Medoc Noir added for extra body. This lasted until World War II, following which quality control was cast aside in pursuit of larger production volumes.
Modern Bull’s Blood does not usually contain Kadarka, the producers of the high-quality versions now use Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot in the blend. The precise quantities of the three or four grape varieties blended together tend to be a closely guarded secret, adding to the wine’s mystique.
