Kadarka is a red grape with an uncertain origin. It is most likely a native Balkan variety that spread during Ottoman rule. Due to its finicky nature, it has slightly declined in popularity, but it is still an important red variety, especially in Hungary.

Kadarka is a late-ripening grape that mainly produces fruity and elegant red wines. It is versatile and terroir-driven, so the wines can often vary in character, but they usually have light to medium body, bright acidity, and low tannins. The aroma is typically fruity, often with hints of spice and sometimes with subtle floral notes. 

This herbal liqueur is produced with a combination of 40 carefully selected herbs and spices, including ginger, angelica root, lemongrass, and orange peel. The blend is aged in oak casks for six months until it achieves its herbal, bittersweet flavor.

Originally invented as a stomach remedy, Unicum was first produced in 1790 by Dr. József Zwack. The mass production of the liqueur started in 1840 when the doctor founded the first Zwack Company, followed by the central distillery in 1892. In the aftermath of the Second World War, the company was overtaken by state, while the Zwack family fled the country, taking with them the original recipe. 

Szilvapálinka is a traditional plum brandy from Hungary, and this Szatmári version is one of the esteemed protected varieties. It is made from Penyigei and Besztercei plums, which have to make up at least 80% of the base.

All the plums used in the production of this brandy have to come from the region, and the entire process (mashing, fermentation, distillation, maturation) has to take place in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County. The resulting drink is clear and colorless, though some versions often attain a distinctive yellow or amber hue during maturation.

The flavor and the aroma are reminiscent of plums. All plum brandies coming from the region have to be rested and oak-aged. 

Alföldi kamillavirágzat is a wild chamomile flower grown on the saline soils of the Great Hungarian Plain. This fragile cultivar is hand-picked, dried in central Hungary and then used in tea sachets or infusions. It has a strong, sweet, intense smell and tastes slightly bitter.

Since the essential oils in wild chamomile are preserved much better than the ones in normally cultivated chamomile, Alföldi kamillavirágzat is also prized for its medicinal purposes and used in treating gastrointestinal pain or externally, for treating the gums and mouth sores.

Cserszegi Fűszeres is a white Hungarian grape that produces light and refreshing white wines. The grape is a hybrid between Savagnin Rose and Irsai Olivér, which is also a white Hungarian cross introduced in 1930. Cserszegi Fűszeres was created in 1960, but it was released in 1982.

It became one of the most successful Hungarian varieties and is now the second most common white grape in the country. Cserszegi Fűszeres produces approachable, aromatic wines that typically have a hint of spiciness. The grape is used for dry and off-dry styles, though dry wines are usually of better quality. 

Hungarian pálinka is a fruit brandy distilled from various fermented fruit such as plums, apricots, or cherries. The name pálinka has been protected under European Union law, and can only be produced in Hungary from fruit grown within the country’s borders.

Although all varieties must be rested for a minimum of three months, some can be barrel-aged, allowing the fruit flavors to become more prominent and the drink to become more mellow and rounded. Pálinka has to have a minimum of 37.5 ABV, and no flavorings, sweeteners, or colorings are allowed in its production. 

Juhfark is one of the old Hungarian white varieties. It was once a common and popular grape, but it is now primarily cultivated in Somló, the smallest Hungarian wine region located north of Lake Balaton, known for its volcanic basalt soil.

Juhfark is now almost synonymous with the region where it prospers and results in intriguing, long-living white wines. Juhfark wines from Somló have interesting smoky notes and a distinctive mineral character. They are refreshing, lively, and zesty, with great acidity and excellent aging potential, attaining floral and honey-like notes with age. 

Egri Bikavér is a red blend that is probably the most popular Hungarian red wine. It is produced in the south near Szekszárd and around Eger in the northeast. Bikavér is always a blend, usually of at least three different grapes.

Kékfrankos (Blaufränkisch) is the flagship variety, along with Kadarka, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Zweigelt, Pinot Noir, and other regional and international varieties. As it is a cold-climate red blend, Egri Bikavér is typically fresh and approachable.