Eastern Europe Wine Triangle
Hungary | Romania | Bulgaria – 11 Days from US$ 2985
Our Eastern Europe Wine Triangle is a full-bodied wine combo visiting Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria. What fantastic countries to travel for regular tourism, but as wine enthusiasts, you will be in heaven. There are so many beautiful regions, great wines, and wine experiences.
For the purposes of this example itinerary, we will assume you start in Hungary, then visit Romania and finally Bulgaria. But remember that this route can be done in either direction.
- Arrive Budapest – Hungarian wine tasting introduction
- Budapest city tour – Half day Etyek region wine tour
- Visit Eger and learn about Bulls Blood – overnight in Tokaji
- Explore the famous Tokaji wine region – back to Budapest
- A short flight to Bucharest – Romanian wine tasting introduction
- Explore the Dealu Mare wine region – hotel, tours, and tastings
- Break from wine – Visiting beautiful Brasov and Dracula´s Castle
- Travel to Bulgaria and enjoy a Sofia city tour – Intro wine tasting
- Enjoy the Melnik wine region and ancient Monasteries
- Exploring the Melnik wineries and Bulgarian wine
You now know from reading our website we customize everything so can adapt to your preferred flights and dates, meaning we can change the order to suit.
Dracula themed wine on wine tours Romania, of course!
Day 1 – Arrival in Budapest – Introductory Tasting
We will meet you at Budapest airport and transfer you to your hotel in the historic center of the city. In the evening you will have an introductory tasting, a broad flight of Hungarian wines at a very atmospheric wine bar, our favorite is Doblo in the historic center.
Your choice of lodging in Budapest, and around your Eastern Europe wine triangle, will depend on your preferences, location, hotel-style, and budget. When planning your tour we will discuss hotel level, and anything from 3 to 5 star can be arranged. We suggest it is better to spend on experiences rather than lodging, you spend most of your time outside of course. However, if you fancy splurging we have some lovely options.
Click for a Great introductory article on Hungarian wine
Day 2 – Budapest & Etyek (Budapest´s Vineyard)
Today your Eastern Europe wine experience starts with a half-day city tour of Budapest. There are a number of historic monuments we will show you on this resume of the capital. Budapest is equally spectacular by day or night so in the evening make sure to stroll along the river.
After seeing some of the city from both sides of the river we will drive 30 minutes or so to the nearest wine region to Budapest, called Etyek. We will start with some fuel and enjoy a traditional cold cuts, bread, vegetables and double cream lunch at a traditional Master Butcher shop and cellar in Etyek. It’s likely to be quite hot out here so we will quaff a Froccs Spritz on arrival.
Budapest is a wonderful city to explore and use as a base for your Hungary wine tours
A visit to this butcher´s shop and storerooms is a great visual experience, eating there is even better (as you can see in the photo above). We will visit the cellar to see dozens of hams hanging and maturing and we will meet Master Butcher and his wife, hearing a little about the process, and sit outside eating and drinking in a place that seems so far from the bustle of the city but is in fact very close.
After lunch we move on to our first tasting of the day, Etyek is full of winery options and if you have fixed ideas of where you want to go let us know beforehand. Below we mention two places that we normally visit, where we know you will enjoy yourself greatly before we drive to our overnight stay in Tokaj.
Nestled between the two mountains of Velence and Buda, the Etyek-Buda wine region originally covered around 5600 hectares but today vines are only planted on 1600 hectares. Viticulture and winemaking have been the most important agricultural activity here since the 11th century.
Meet owners and wine makers in Etyek 
Up close and personal in the ham cellars
Our first visit will be to Kuria – the video below shows you the minimalist design of this winery, the stylish tasting rooms, and eye-catching labels. The wines are superb as you will taste on site.
The area is predominantly limestone based, rich in volcanic minerals which can be picked up easily. The terroir is ideal for white grape varietals such as Olaszrizling, Chardonnay, Rhine Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, and Sauvignon Blanc. Only a few reds are made in Etyek, principally Portugieser, Kadarka, and Pinot Noir. We will enjoy a premium tasting at Kuria before strolling round to the nearby Hernyak winery.
Hernyák Winery is one of the most dynamically growing family wineries in the area, and the members of the family will proudly show us around their impressive projects. Hernyak´s vines are planted across 8 hectares on the south-east-facing slopes around Etyek which offer the best micro-climates: Orbán (0,6 ha), Tóra (2,4 ha), Báthori (2 ha) and Sánci (3 ha).
These wines boast an elegant acidity, complexity, and charm thanks to reduced yield and focused wine-making approach. In recent years our Sauvignon blanc, Pinot noir, Grüner Veltliner and the estate’s cuvees have enjoyed widespread recognition and can be found in the best Hungarian restaurants.
After tasting at these two wineries we will drive the short distance back to your hotel in central Budapest and leave you free to explore the city by night.
Day 3 – Eger and overnight Tokaj
We will pick you up early-ish today as we will be driving to Tokaj via another excellent wine region, Eger. This 11th-century town is famous for its castle, lovely cobbled streets and its “Bull´s Blood” wine. The legend surrounding this local blend is an interesting one – feel free to read below:
Read a great article on Egri Bikaver here
As you may have read Egri Bikaver is required to be a blend of the Kekfrancos variety, at least 50% and then at least 3 French varieties. The superior level of Bull´s Blood will have 4 other varieties blended with Kekfrancos. You will have the chance to try several examples during this trip and draw your own conclusions on the aroma, flavor, and quality.
In the “Valley of the Beautiful Woman”, a few kilometers from Eger town many cellars found side-by-side has been nicely restored and made into wine bars and restaurants. If you decide to add an overnight stay in Eger then this valley is lovely to stroll around in the evening, trying a glass or four at several places. Our favorite converted cellar belongs to the Ostoros Winery.
We will visit a couple of wineries in addition to the Valley of the Beautiful Woman. Two that we highly rate are Bolyki and Kovacs Nimrod. These two places have very different architectural styles, both with interesting stories and great wine.
Kovacs Nimrod Winery – Eastern Europe Wine
Several old press houses and cellars have been connected to form the winery, cellars have been extended and joined to increase capacity. Clients will love the tasting room which is very well-appointed and, as the owners are fans of jazz and blues, you will try wines with names such as Dixie, Cool, Blues, etc. Piped music in the tasting area and bathrooms. Our premium tasting will include these music-themed wines, plus the flagship, limited issue NJK line. Another interesting wine is their Pinot Noir produced exclusively from clone number 777 which is perfect for this terroir.
The stainless steel tanks, presses, filters, bottling, and labeling (which is done manually for 100,000 bottles per year) are in the above-ground part of the press houses. Grand Cru comes from near the top of the Nagy Eged hill – Limestone and Rhyolite Tuff volcanic deposits give a complex highly mineral character. Nimrod also owns two other vineyards on lower slopes in other nearby locations where Granite and Limestone dominate soils.
Bolyki Winery – Hewn out of solid rock
Not many Wineries look like this one. Cut into huge limestone rock faces, with 2 massive blocks guarding the entrance. We were told that these two blocks fell down onto several tanks that were at that location, crushing them and sending thousands of liters of wine down the hill.
People then came out of the woodwork with plastic bottles to claim their “free” wine. Needless to say that the tanks, barrels and other equipment is now safe and stable underground. There are two very impressive tasting rooms that remind you of a King Arthur round table room hewn into the rock. The wine labels are very entertaining, or slightly disturbing, depending on how much you have been drinking today!!!
Kekfrancos is the cornerstone grape used to create Bulls Blood, or Egri Bikaver (Egri meaning “from Eger”) with other regional varieties such as Csillag. There is the white Furmint which is popular in many Hungarian wine regions and a large number of French varieties are also grown.
Our suggested hotel for your night (or two nights?) in Tokaj is absolutely beautiful. The Degenfeld Castle Hotel is a mansion owned by the current Count Degenfeld. This grand old house is spectacular and is surrounded by lovely grounds and lots of vineyard plots. To work off the great wine and food you will be consuming you can stroll up the hill through the vines to the chapel for great views over the wine region.
The rooms and suites are very nicely restored and you feel the history and opulence of the place at a very reasonable price. In addition to the Degenfeld, there are a number of other great lodging options, quaint B & Bs in period buildings plus several boutique hotels. Just let us know your preferred style and budget.
Day 4 – World-famous Tokaj wine region
Many of you wine enthusiasts out there will have tasted, or at least know about Tokaji Aszu. The confluence of two rivers, the Bodrog and Tisza (see photo below), creates an early morning mist that aids the development of Botrytis Cinerea or “Noble Rot” producing one of the world’s greatest sweet wines. Our Tokaj wine tours will focus on the best terroir in this highly prestigious area, the Mad wine region. Yes, you are reading that correctly, Mad!
You can see that the Degenfeld Castle hotel in Tokaj is surrounded by its own vines
Mad has a dense concentration of high-quality producers and we visit a selection of them, with some non-wine activities added to the blend if you wish. For example, we could take you out on bikes around the vines or by canoe down the river.
One of our favorites is the very well-respected Holdvolgy Winery (Moon Valley). Decanter 18 award-winning wines (95 points) are produced on around 26 hectares and aged in one of the oldest cellar systems in the region, stretching some 2 km underground. A visit here involves a “treasure hunt” game where you are given a map of the cellars and have to navigate to points where there are tastings – you can see Gary above looking confused already. Doing this after a number of tastings could take you longer!
The Barta Winery is a high-quality producer and also provides a couple of great options to stay overnight. We can tour their production and storage facilities and also walk their Old King vineyards located on the imposing King´s Hill you see in the photo above. These vineyards are stony and very steep, with a South-west aspect and winemakers have taken advantage of this terroir since the 13th century. The mansion-house and also the period style B & B are great lodging options, ask us about them if you like the look of the place in this link.
The Oremus Winery was acquired by the famous Ribera del Duero icon of Vega Sicilia in 1993. After the ravages of the Communist, mass-production era the winery has invested heavily in vineyards, infrastructure, and research, trying to re-discover the best terroir for Furmint and bring back the quality that existed before Soviet intervention. We tour the cellars and winery, the vineyards can be walked and of course, we enjoy an extensive tasting. After our time in Tokaj, we will head back to Budapest for your last evening in Hungary.
Day 5 – Fly to Bucharest & Introductory Tasting
Depending on the time of your flights we will pick you up and take you to the airport for the 90-minute flight to the Romanian capital. Upon arrival, you will be met by our representatives and driven into Bucharest to your hotel in the center.
In the evening you will enjoy an introductory Romanian wine tasting with a local expert and then be free to wander or eat dinner in the historic center.
Day 6 – Full day in Dealu Mare
Dealu Mare has the greatest concentration of wineries and vineyards on wine tours Romania and a visit here could last several days if you were to investigate in-depth. As you will probably only have a day or two we will take you to several notable places found along the range of hills that act as a spine for this wine region. We will eat at a winery restaurant or at a countryside eatery and get the chance to pair local food with Romania wine.
We can have you stay out in the wine region if you wish – there are not a large number of options out here and demand is high, hence we should decide early on where you should stay. Our favorite is Vinalia which also has a boutique winery in a lovely setting. The area looks like Tuscany in many ways, and if the Marchesi Antinori thinks so then it must be true!
Wineries we can mention from personal experience are SERVE for example. While SERVE is an acronym which might, as a brand name, seem a little strange; the wine, winery and client experience will not disappoint. As you can see in the video of the winery the production facility is modern and new world, and we can assure you that the customer service is top-notch. They have restored a lovely house next to the winery to receive visitors and conduct tastings, with both indigenous and international grapes on offer for tasting.
What we really like at SERVE is the visit to the vineyard plots giving you not only close-up contact with the vines but a chance to enjoy lovely views from the top of the hill. The brand ambassador or an agronomist Eastern Europe wine producer will take us around the vineyards, winery and lead a tasting.
Lacerta is a great little place located in a slice of heaven. Rolling hills and vines surround the winery and country house, the winery is a delight to visit and the wines are very nice indeed. We will be shown around by the winemaker who will explain the Romania terroir and its results.
The tasting room is found at the top of a spiral staircase winding up from stacks of oak barrels in the climate-controlled cellar, the views over the vineyards are perfect as you sip the fruits of Lacertas´ labor. The winery is owned by two Austrians who fell in love with the region and it is easy to see why.
Another of our favorites in the high investment, high-quality bracket is Metamorfosis. This place had a large influx of funding from the Antinori family who were looking for a new site to extend their horizons while continuing the production premium wines with innovations in winemaking.
Everything about this winery screams quality and attention to detail. Humidity sprayers in the cellar, which has barrels laid on stones which can be watered if they require even more humidity on very hot, dry days. They are using new Botti casks that have a computer-controlled oxygenation machine, which you don’t see every day! Ana will be showing us around and she is also an agronomist, so she really knows what she is doing.
We will stay overnight in the Dealu Mare wine region at either a vineyard-based hotel or another quality hotel in the region.
Day 7 – Beautiful Brasov and Dracula´s Castle.
Brasov is lovely, viewed from the street or on high 
Dracula is a constant theme, Bran Castle near Brasov
Today is a very full day on your Eastern Europe wine triangle and we will have a short break from visiting wineries to lap up some history and culture. (It would be rude not to have wine with lunch of course). We will drive for two hours to the lovely city of Brasov and visit the (perhaps) spine-chilling Bran Castle, the legendary home of Dracula. If we have time we will visit Peles Castle also on the way to or from Brasov, this castle is a different style from Dracula´s place and, as you can see in the photos, it is absolutely stunning.
In the afternoon we will leave you free for lunch and the stroll around the lovely old town of Brasov. The old center is a real treasure and you will spend a couple of hours here, shopping, eating and drinking. Soak in the relaxing atmosphere before we head back to Bucharest for your last evening.
Day 8 – Travel to Bulgaria
Today we will change countries again, probably taking the early flight from Bucharest to Sofia to make the most of our time in the Bulgarian capital. You will be met in Sofia by our local operators there and transferred to your hotel in the city center.
You will be given time to relax and roam around Sofia. We can arrange a city tour if you wish to fill your time until the early evening when we will enjoy an introductory wine tasting and have dinner.
Day 9 – Sturma River Valley and Melnik
The Struma River Valley & Melnik Wine Region is located in the south-western corner of Bulgaria and is the last region to visit on this Eastern Europe wine tour. The area is relatively small and has a very distinct and characteristic microclimate with a strong Mediterranean influence coming from the south.
The local grape variety Shiroka Melnishka Loza is widely grown here as well as international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and other reds. A unique local white wine grape variety called Sandanski Misket will also be enjoyed.
On the way to Melnik, we will take a small detour to visit the largest Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria, the Rila Monastery. This monastery has been a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983 and is a must-see when in the area.
We will spend the night in a traditional guesthouse or more upscale hotel in the town of Melnik, remember of lodgings are selected to match your travel style and budget. The town is famous for a longstanding tradition of producing wine and storing it in long tunnels in the rocks surrounding the town. The so-called sand pyramids that surround the town are a proud symbol for locals.
Feel free to stroll through this historic town in the evening and enjoy a local meal in one of the many Bulgarian “Mehanas” (a traditional Bulgarian restaurant).
Day 10 – Exploring Melnik
Today is a day dedicated to wine, gastronomy, nature and great company. We will visit two boutique wineries located in a picturesque landscape of extensive vineyards, small villages and farm animals.
The day starts with a visit to the delightful Villa Melnik, a boutique winery that has quickly gained recognition for its excellent wines. The winery team will welcome you inside and give an informative tour of the winery, offer a wine tasting in the tasting room with some traditional appetizers.
We will then continue to the Orbelus Winery found on top of a hill in the quaint village of Kapatovo. Orbelus is a modern, new-build winery with quite unusual architecture as you can see. The facility is shaped like a giant wine barrel with half of the barrel located underground. This winery is proud to be working with only organic grapes.
A passionate winemaker will greet you and show you around of the winery followed by a wine tasting session. You will enjoy an excellent lunch at the Zlaten Rozhen hotel & restaurant including a few glasses from the Zlaten Rozhen wine cellar.
To help all the wine and food make its way south, we will have a short hike up to visit the Rozhen Monastery. The Rozhen Monastery of the Nativity of the Mother of God is the biggest monasteries in the Pirin Mountains and is one of the few medieval Bulgarian monasteries still well preserved.
We will then take you back to your hotel in Melnik and you can enjoy some free time to explore the countless historical buildings. There are many typical Bulgarian restaurants, wine shops, and galleries.
Day 11 – Return to Sofia & onward, or home!
Depending on what you now have programmed we will either transfer you back to Sofia for the return home, onward wine adventures with us or maybe travel to another location of your choice.
This Eastern Europe wine tour can easily be connected with Istanbul (Turkey), Skopje (Macedonia), Thessaloniki (Greece) or Belgrade (Serbia) if you want to stay in this area of the world a little longer.
