The red wine also known as "Eger Bull's Blood" or "Egri Bikavér" in Hungarian is the best known from the Eger (German Erlau) wine region. The name "Bikáver" (bull's blood) may also be used in the Szekszárd wine region. According to legend, the name originates from the 16th century, when the Turks besieged the city of Eger. The defenders, to give themselves courage, drank in vast quantities of red wine so that their beards and clothes were dyed red. The Turks then fled because they assumed that the opponents had drunk bull's blood. The wine is produced in various uses of the varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Kadarka, Kékfrankos (Blaufränkisch), Kékoportó(Blauer Portugieser), Kékburgundi (Pinot Noir), Merlot and also small amounts of Lunel (Muscat Blanc). In the past, the main grape variety was Kadarka, but today it is only used in proportions. There are different versions, the cuvée and the type of ageing is left to the winemaker. After a longer ageing period, powerful wines are produced that do justice to the name. The famous oenologist Tibor Gál (1958-2005) played a major role in creating a new-style Egri Bikavér and declaring it the first wine in Hungary with protected origin.
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