2025-07-21

At BOR 2025, Lőrincz György Jr. — winemaker at St. Andrea and part of a new generation shaping Hungary’s wine narrative — will present on the evolving face of Hungarian reds. With deep respect for tradition and a clear vision for the future, he sees Egri Bikavér and Kékfrankos not just as regional specialities, but as powerful tools for putting Eger on the global wine map. In this interview, he shares how international studies, single-vineyard thinking, and native grape varieties like Kadarka are all shaping his path forward.

You recently completed your WSET studies in Rust — how has that experience influenced your perspective as a grapegrower, winemaker in Eger?

It was a great experience to gain a deeper understanding of the world’s wine regions and styles, and to learn how professional wine experts taste and evaluate wines. In fact, it made me fall even more in love with Eger.

The course reinforced how fortunate we are to live in such a beautiful country, blessed with incredible wine regions. I observed that all over the world, wineries strive to differentiate themselves — to stand out. We want Eger to earn its place on the global wine map, but producing simply good wine is no longer enough. We must be able to offer something truly unique and inimitable.

The key to this lies in Egri Bikavér and Egri Csillag. These wines embody everything that Eger represents — its history, its traditions, its grape varieties, its microclimate and soils — in one word: the very essence of the region. And their greatest strength, which is even reflected in their names, is that they can only be made in one place on Earth: Eger.

At St. Andrea, your red wine focus is on Egri Bikavér. If you met an international expert who hadn’t tasted Bikavér in a while, how would you convince them it’s a style worth rediscovering?

If I had to place Egri Bikavér in an international context, I would say it combines Burgundian elegance, Rhône Valley complexity, and Piedmontese energy — all in one bottle.

Eger, as a wine region, is fundamentally about cool climate, volcanic soils, and blended wines based on local grape varieties. These are exactly the kind of buzzwords that resonate with today’s wine lovers — and they all point directly to Eger. The opportunity is in our hands. We just need to make the most of it.

A blend like Eger Bikavér is not something you would associate with a single plot, yet vineyard selection plays an important role for you. How have these single-site Bikavér wines been received by the market?

Thank God, our single-vineyard wines have been well received on the market. All around the world, at the top of the quality pyramid, you find limited-production wines from clearly defined vineyard sites. In Eger, this concept has its own dedicated category: Grand Superior.

This is especially relevant because Eger has more officially classified vineyards than any other wine region in Hungary. We truly believe that we, too, have exceptionally unique vineyard sites —and we want to share them with the world. We also believe that a great terroir can express itself not only through a single variety, but also through blends — as long as the yields are low and the fruit is fully ripe.

Kadarka has such a distinctive character — if you had to compare it to a more widely known international variety or style, what would it be and why?  

That’s a difficult question, because I believe Kadarka is precisely one of those grape varieties that is truly unique, instantly recognizable, and perhaps doesn’t have a clear counterpart elsewhere.

But if I absolutely had to compare it to something, it would probably be Pinot Noir — because of its elegance, fruitiness, and spiciness. Though in many ways, Kadarka feels like these elements are turned up just a little higher. At the same time, when we work with low yields and harvest fully ripe fruit, Kadarka can express its terroir just as clearly. After all, this variety also isn’t about tannin structure — it’s about finesse and intricate detail.

What is your opinion on the current state of Hungarian Kékfrankos, and what is its future potential?

In terms of red wine, I see Kékfrankos as Hungary’s greatest opportunity, particularly for export. We are global leaders: nowhere else in the world is Kékfrankos planted as extensively as it is in Hungary! In fact, it’s not only the most widely planted red grape, but the most widely planted grape variety overall in the country. So it makes perfect sense to make it a central part of our message.

Even in Egri Bikavér, Kékfrankos is the key — the higher the proportion, the more authentic and recognizable the wine is. I truly believe it’s an excellent variety, capable of producing a wide spectrum of wine styles. There’s no other way forward — we need to understand, embrace, and boldly use Kékfrankos!