Central Europe’s Wine Renaissance

The wines of Central Europe are recovering after decades of neglect and offer plenty for adventurous wine lovers.

Kathleen Willcox·Tuesday, 07-May-2024. Winesarcher.com

A revolution is relatively easy to start. Get enough discouraged people, throw in a changing social climate and an ineffectual political system incapable of reacting to or quashing that unrest, and suddenly, a revolution takes down an entire government.

What happens next is much more gradual.

The collapse of communism between June 1989 and December 1991 felt like a fever dream, and a new beginning for those living it, and those watching it. But the reality on the ground was much different. As with many other regions of the world post-revolution, there was an attempt to adjust, then a backlash and then another era of readjustment and a desire for progress and democracy in some quarters contrasted by an urge to go back into the iron arms of the fatherland in others.

Amid the tumult, many of Central Europe’s most ancient wine cultures were reborn. We’re not talking the more exotic, Instagrammable Eastern Europe wine cultures like Georgia, where a range of « interesting » to delicious wines are crafted from grapes you haven’t heard of (and can’t pronounce) on-skin in amphora, then aged underground and consumed with merry fanfare in boho-rustic digs. But we’re also not talking exclusively international stars like Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay being aged in used French barrels consumed with great solemnity on rarefied estates.

It’s somewhere in between: the grapes are unfamiliar, but the winemaking style is recognizable and the spirit is both laid-back and serious – a very happy place to be for winemakers increasingly seeking new markets filled with curious, young drinkers who are ready to explore, but may need want to head completely off-road.

Communism, the fall and the slow rebuild

Under the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), Joseph Stalin and his ideological heirs masterminded the seizing of private agricultural farms, including vineyards, and transformed them into co-ops under the supervision of the state. The focus was on quantity, not quality, when vineyards weren’t ripped out and replaced with other crops.

« When we speak about the Iron Curtain era, we speak of massive state-owned farms, » says Marinela Ardelean, founder of Wines of Romania. « We speak of vineyards covering thousands of hectares, and no concern towards the quality of the final product. It seems some immoral winemaking decisions were also made occasionally when the demand surpassed the production capacity. Low crops were seen as undermining the socialist economy and could become a reason for jail or labor camps. »

Distribution was to countries within the USSR or to their allies. When communism fell, many of the previously state-owned farms were closed or sold. While some previous owners fought to reclaim their old estates, the path forward was not easy, especially because the farming and production facilities were not in great shape.

But as some of those countries, like Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia and Croatia entered the EU, new funding and trading opportunities arrived, like presents on Christmas morning. As did investments from the occasional capitalist.

« The first private investment in wine in Romania was SERVE [Society for Exceptional Euro-Romanian Wines] in 1994, » Ardelean explains. « It opened in 1994 in the Dealu Mare region, thanks to a Corsican investor, Guy Tyrel de Poix. Other investments followed, and they all invested in new technology and the switch towards the modern era. »

Many winemakers and members of the public were itching to prove what their countries were capable of, post-fall.

« We could not wait to express ourselves and be open to the public, and the other way around, » says Robert Kindl, general manager at Tokaj-Oremus in Tolcsva, Hungary. « It was an interesting time as the wines from Hungary, especially Tokaj, could make a big impact when they were presented at international shows at the beginning of the 1990s. »

Flash forward to today, and we find revived wine cultures cranking out wallet-friendly wines that importers, retailers and somms are finding appeal to those hard-to-please younger wine lovers who have no desire to drink mom’s California Cabernets, and older enophiles seeking new adventures. 

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One of the most significant steps forward for Croatian wine specifically – and Central European wine more broadly – was when the late, great Croatian-American Miljenko « Mike » Grgich (1923-2023) returned to Croatia after fleeing communism in the 1950s.

He returned in the 1990s, eager to help boost the economy. Grgich asked the newly elected president, Franjo Tudman: « What can I do for Croatia? » his daughter Violet Grgich, president of Grgich Hills Estate in Napa, recalls. Tudman urged him to come back and make wines with as much care and precision as they were before collectivization.

Grgich, who helped put California wine on the map by crafting Chateau Montelena Chardonnay that won the 1976 Judgment of Paris, wanted to do the same for Croatia.

« Having a world-famous winemaker return to Croatia and combine native, unknown Croatian varietals with New World techniques and produce wines that could stand up on the world stage was a huge step in bolstering Croatia’s winemaking reputation, » says Ivo Jeramaz, winemaker and vice-president of vineyards and production at Grgich Hills, who was instrumental in founding Grgic Vina, Grgich’s Croatian outpost. 

In 1996, he opened Grgic Vina, and managed to popularize Pošip, an obscure white varietal at the time, as the native grape with the most potential. He exported his first wines to the US in 1998, and now Pošip and also the red Plavac Mali are synonymous with Croatian wine, thanks to Grgich. While much of the wine is consumed in Croatia itself, its allocation to the US sells out consistently now.

« As wine knowledge continues to improve around the world, people are seeking novelty in the things they drink, » Grgich says. « This has allowed relatively unknown Croatian wines to rise, as something unexpected and fresh for adventurous drinkers to enjoy. »

Another, unrelated revolution also helped grease the wheels.

« In 2011, Croatia was discovered by American tourists, » recalls Jeramaz. « The Arab Spring and turmoil in Greece left many cruise lines unable to dock at fan-favorite ports, so they turned to Croatia, specifically the Dalmatian coast. For most of these tourists, this was their first experience with Croatian, and they were enchanted. Word spread. »

Fifteen years ago, you’d be hard-pressed to find a Croatian wine in the US, but now it’s readily available – especially in major cities.

But it wasn’t a straight upward shot.

« Hungary didn’t have the financial background to keep up with technology and the opportunities for learning were limited by the lack of language skills and the effects of cultural isolation, » Kindl says. « The only seeds for eventual success and hope were the wine businesses that had international investors supporting the renewal process. Investors from the Hungarian population only gained an opportunity to start wine businesses in the first decade of the 2000s. »

Unfamiliar grapes, modern techniques

Taking grapes that the average American has never heard of and crafting them into wines using techniques and vessels they know, with a modern sensibility, has made Central European wine a hot commodity in progressive wine circles.

« There was so much lost history and culture during the era of communism, » says Jenny Lefcourt, co-founder of the New York-based importer Jenny & Francois Selections, who began importing wines from former communist countries in Central Europe around five years ago, and has seen the interest in and market for them grow every single year.

« But, in a way, that era and the ending of it opened the door to a younger generation of progressive winemakers who may have otherwise had a hard time changing the way grapes were grown, » Lefcourt says. « There is a real movement toward responsible, organic farming in places like Hungary and Slovakia, and because real estate never appreciated there the way it did in the most famous European wine regions, there’s also more room for younger winemakers to get in there. »

Christopher Barnes, who set out to bridge the gap between reading about and drinking wine when he founded the online magazine and retail operation Grape Collective, is finding that there is « tremendous interest in non-traditional wine regions which include, but is certainly not exclusive, to Central Europe ».

They want new things, he says, but the clincher with these wines is the price.

« These are small production, organic wines, and they are generally less than $25, » Barnes says, which « makes it easier to take a risk. These wines are certainly not for the person who is buying California Cabernets, but that’s kind of the point. »

No rules and incredible QPR

The price is right vibe and no rules mentality makes for a seductive pairing.

Santa Barbara vintner Paul Toussaint and founder of Toussaint Cellars Wine recently traveled through Central Europe, and says everything that’s happening there felt like a flashback to California’s salad days.

« It’s so exciting to see that places like Romania are planting international grapes and making them in the classic California style, » he says. « Who knew they could produce ripe, fruit forward, opulent wines at 15.5 percent? And in Croatia, you have the same climate as Italy, and similar terroir – but they’re working with fascinating indigenous grapes. Hungary is exciting in its own way with dry, complex wines that are often a blend of indigenous and international. Bottom line, it’s like the rules are all being thrown out. It reminds me of California in the 1970s. »

Importers like the Pennsylvania-based Credo Imports are seeing excitement among wine lovers and on-premise wine buyers for many of the same regions that Toussaint ticked off.

« Emerging markets, especially ones from Europe with deep winemaking roots are drawing a lot of interest right now because there’s an appetite for exploring, especially at this price point, » founding and managing member Daniel Satola says. « We find that people are excited to explore, especially now that these countries are focusing on sustainability and indigenous grapes. »

On-premise accounts are snapping up Hungarian wines made from Cserszegi Fuszeres, Hárslevelu, Csókaszolo, Sárgamuskotály, Satola says, adding: « Don’t ask me for pronunciation tips. »

While the grapes are difficult to pronounce, sommeliers love pouring them buy the glass and sharing the « crazy history of Hungary, with its ancient roots, the tough communist era and the reemergence ».

Spreading the word

Getting the word out about the existence and fascinating trajectory of Central Europe appears to be the key to growth. That thankless, Sisyphean task has begun, but is far from over.

« In the past decade, the number of wineries in Croatia has increased, and so has the quality, » says Mirena Bagur, founder of the Croatian Premium Wine Association. « When Mike Grgrich came here it was a game-changer and he influenced a whole new generation of winemakers. We have more than 50 Croatian wines with 90-plus ratings in our book now. »

Pop culture phenomena like Game of Thrones (Dubrovnik and Split were among the Croatian cities to serve as a backdrop of the cultish HBO show) helped, as did the influx of funding from the EU.

« It really helps that we live in an era of Google now, » Bagur adds. « Our winemakers are so influenced by what’s happening in Sonoma and Napa. Tourism is booming, and our wineries look just like California. People go home and tell their friends. »

But there is still a lot of work to be done – in and out of the market. On the ground, world-renowned wineries like Tokaj Oremus are trying to pay it forward for the entire region.

« As a region, we have much to do to be able to effectively cooperate, » Kindl notes. « As for Oremus, we are always open for discussions or offering advice to our peers so we can all progress. We try to lead by example by relentlessly refining our processes and thinking long term. »

Improvements and cooperation are one half of the equation; the other half is pushing aggressively into the US market.

« Our importer has been working the market in the US for over 10 years already, » says Radojko Pelengic, proprietor of Posestvo Bela Gora in Slovenia. « Wines here have been rated very high by very known critics, and we visit the US every year to present our wines directly to customers. »

The grapes Pelengic picks and his style of winemaking – barrel-fermented Sauvignon, barrel-aged Modra Frankinja, skin-fermented white field blends – are hand-sells that become favorites once tried.

« We started to export our wines in 2018, and in 2020 we landed in the US and saw the market grow, » Pelengic says. « Right now we sell about 60 percent of our wines in the US, so it’s a very important market to us. »

They currently have a presence in five states, and would love to expand. It is just a matter, he knows, of getting people to try the wine and spread the word. A slow process, but one that appears to be gathering force.

« Once you can get someone to try these wines, you’re set, » says Barnes. « But it’s a matter of getting them to try. People still aren’t coming into my store asking for wines from these regions, unless they’ve already tried them. »