The Hungarian Wine Marketing Agency and the Hungarian Sommelier Club will jointly organise the first nationwide Kékfrankos Grand Tasting and Conference on 26–27 March 2026 in Budapest at VIRTU Restaurant.
The aim of the Kékfrankos Grand Tasting is to strengthen the recognition of the Kékfrankos grape variety both domestically and internationally, while also connecting Hungary to one of the most important emerging regional professional collaborations built around the variety: the “United Nations of Blaufränkisch / Frankovka / Kékfrankos / Lemberger / Modra Frankinja” initiative.
Another goal of the tasting is to provide a comprehensive overview of the current landscape of wines made from the Kékfrankos grape in Hungary, identify the most outstanding examples of the variety, and create an opportunity for producers to present their wines to both Hungarian and international wine professionals.
In Search of the Best Hungarian Kékfrankos wines
The Hungarian Wine Marketing Agency announced the call for entries for the Kékfrankos Grand Tasting in February. The response clearly demonstrated the strong professional interest in the variety: more than 50 Kékfrankos wines from 40 wineries were submitted.
On the first day of the event, a seven-member independent expert jury will blind taste and evaluate the wines. Based on the tasting results, a Top 25 selection will be compiled, highlighting the most exciting and characterful Hungarian Kékfrankos wines.
Conference and Kékfrankos Tasting
On the second day, the Kékfrankos Conference will welcome primarily the wineries participating in the Grand Tasting, as well as a wider professional audience.
During the programme, Mihály Lippai, President of the Hungarian Sommelier Club and chairman of the professional jury, will present the results of the tasting.
This will be followed by a presentation from Dorli Muhr, winemaker of Weingut Dorli Muhr and one of the pioneers of modern Kékfrankos winemaking, who will speak about the international cooperation around the variety.
Sue Tolson, an international wine academic, UK-born wine writer living in Hungary and Master of Wine student, will discuss the current context and future potential of the variety in Hungary.
The conference will conclude with a roundtable discussion featuring
Zoltán Heimann Sr. (Heimann Family Estate),
Sue Tolson,
Zoltán Győrffy (Pécsi Borozó), and
Dávid Novák (Hungarian Sommelier Club),
who will share their perspectives on the future of Kékfrankos.
In the afternoon, wine professionals will have the opportunity to taste the submitted wines during a walk-around tasting at VIRTU Restaurant. The tasting will take place between 13:00 and 16:30 with limited ticket availability, offering an exclusive opportunity to explore the wines in depth.
Hungarian Kékfrankos at VieVinum
The Top 25 Kékfrankos wines selected during the Grand Tasting will represent Hungary at the “United Nations of Blaufränkisch / Frankovka / Kékfrankos / Lemberger / Modra Frankinja” tasting during VieVinum, taking place 16–18 May 2026 at the Hofburg Palace.
The event will welcome leading international wine media, providing an excellent opportunity to further increase the international visibility of Hungarian Kékfrankos wines.
The Importance of Kékfrankos
Kékfrankos is one of Hungary’s most important red grape varieties. Hungary has the largest planted area of Kékfrankos in the world, and the variety can be found in nearly every major Hungarian red wine region.
It plays a key role in Hungary’s most famous red blends, Egri Bikavér and Szekszárdi Bikavér, providing structure and distinctive character to these wines.
Originating from the Carpathian Basin, Kékfrankos is considered a cornerstone of Central European wine culture. Thanks to its versatility, naturally vibrant acidity and strong ability to express terroir, Kékfrankos has become one of the flagship grape varieties of Hungarian red wines.
For this reason, the Hungarian Wine Marketing Agency places special emphasis on promoting the variety both domestically and internationally during the spring season.
Photos: Hungarian Wine Marketing Agency / bor.hu