St. Andrea: Reviving Hungary’s famed volcanic blends

St. Andrea has become synonymous with world-class, award-winning Hungarian wines, which still offer fantastic value compared to many more famous names. The winery is rightly proud of its Best in Show award at DWWA 2021 and has continued this track record with two Gold and four Silver medals at DWWA 2025; multiple other international awards; and the title of Hungary’s ‘Winery of the Year 2025’.

A statue of the Virgin Mary watches over the vineyards.

Local heroes

What is particularly special is that these medals have been awarded to truly local wines: Egri Bikavér and Egri Csillag. Both are PDO blends that can only be produced in the cool climate of Eger, on volcanic hills in Hungary’s northeast.

György Lőrincz has been winemaker at St. Andrea since its founding, more than 20 years ago. The winery’s name honours its deep connection to Christianity – as well as György’s wife, Andrea, who he says must be a saint to be married to a winemaker. Their son György has joined his father at the winery, and father and son share a philosophy: terroir comes first, best expressed through blends based on local varieties that channel the vibrancy of the cool climate and volcanic soils.

Kékfrankos forms the core of all their Bikavérs, giving a real sense of place, with small proportions of at least three other permitted grapes. The vines are low-yielding and the fruit is always harvested by hand – and only when fully ripe.

St. Andrea’s vineyards sit on volcanic hills in north-eastern Hungary.

Bull’s Blood

Until recent decades, Egri Bikavér, or ‘Bull’s Blood’, was a simple, rustic red blend associated with legends of brave Hungarian soldiers fighting off the Turks. Today, St. Andrea’s pioneering work has demonstrated that Egri Bikavér can rise to the level of a flagship wine.

St. Andrea’s superb Nagy-Eged and Agapé Grand Superior Bikavérs both come from one of Hungary’s highest vineyards, the Nagy-Eged hill, a 501m limestone outcrop where vineyards reach 450m. This is also the origin of the winery’s flagship white, Mária, based on Furmint. This will soon become Egri Csillag, ‘Star of Eger’, the white sister blend to Bikavér, along with St. Andrea’s other Egri Csillags: Örökké and Boldogságos, which both capture the bright elegance of the region.