A Guide to Eastern & Central European Wine

Jan 28, 2026Chloe Faure

What makes Central & Eastern Europe great wine regions

The rise of Central and Eastern European wines isn't random, it's the confluence of factors which modern wine lovers actually want.

Let's dive on these factors:

Indigenous grapes

While the rest of the wine world plants Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, these countries have preserved grapes you've never heard of: Furmint, Graševina, Prokupac, Gruner Vetliner, Teran, Babić, Kadarka, and Vranec. These aren't obscure for the sake of it, they evolved over centuries to thrive in specific terroirs, creating wines that taste like nowhere else on earth.

Why it matters: In a homogenised wine world where "international style" wines feel like all of the same thing, indigenous grapes offer genuine discovery. You're not drinking "another Cabernet", you're drinking something entirely unique.

Lighter, more elegant Red wines

Central European wine regions excel at producing exactly what 2020's wine trends demand: elegant, light to medium-bodied reds with freshness, balance, and food-friendliness. The nature of these cooler climates allow for longer and slower maturation of the grape, hence reducing strength and ABVs.

Balanced, mineral-driven White wines

High acidity, mineral complexity, and aromatic intensity define the Eastern European region's white wines: whether from established grapes like Riesling and Grüner Veltliner or indigenous varieties like Rebula and Žilavka.

Sustainability & traditional methods

Many producers in the regions practice what Western Europe markets as "natural wine" but is simply how they've been making wine for centuries. Small, independent, experimental family-owned operations work with ambient yeasts, unique barrel aging practices, and sustainable, organic, and biodynamic winemaking.

That means, less industrial winemaking, more hands-on craft, and genuine connection to the land.

Exceptional value

That's when it gets even more interesting: you can buy world-class wines for £15-30 that would cost £40-80 if they came from Burgundy or Bordeaux. Lower international recognition means lower prices, but only for now. Smart wine lovers are stocking up before the rest of the world catches on.

Wines of Austria

Austria has moved from "emerging region" to established quality wine region, particularly for their indigenous grapes such as Gruner Vetliner and Zweigelt. With strict quality standards and a focus on indigenous varieties, Austrian wine brings precision, elegance, and exceptional food-friendliness.

👉 Browse our full Austrian wine selection

Key grapes & styles

Grüner Veltliner (White) Austria's signature grape, accounting for about 30% of plantings. At its best, Grüner Veltliner offers white pepper spice, citrus zest, and stony minerality with vibrant acidity. The top tier, Smaragd from the Wachau, produces powerful, age-worthy wines rivaling the world's greatest whites.

Best for: Anyone who loves Sauvignon Blanc or unoaked Chardonnay but wants more complexity and spice.

Riesling (White) Austrian Riesling tends to be drier and more mineral-driven than German styles, with less residual sugar and more focused structure. The Wachau, Kamptal, and Kremstal regions produce benchmark expressions.

Best for: Riesling lovers seeking bone-dry, food-friendly styles.

Blaufränkisch (Red) Austria's answer to great red Burgundy, elegant, structured, peppery, with dark berry fruit and herbal complexity. Burgenland (particularly around Lake Neusiedl) produces the finest examples, with wines that age beautifully for 10-20 years.

Best for: Pinot Noir lovers ready for something with more structure and spice.

Zweigelt (Red) Austria's most-planted red grape, creating approachable, cherry-driven wines with soft tannins. Think of it as Austria's Gamay, easy-drinking but with personality.

Best for: Anyone seeking chillable, food-friendly reds.

What to try

Look for producers from the Wachau (prestigious Danube Valley region), Burgenland (red wine country), and Kamptal/Kremstal (rising stars for both whites and reds). Austria's strict quality designations (Steinfeder, Federspiel, Smaragd for Wachau whites) help guide quality levels.

Our Austrian wine selection

At Forest Wines, we stock exceptional Austrian wine from small, independent producers:

Weinland "Josephine" Gut Oggau (Burgenland, Austria) - Zweigelt (60%), Blaufrankisch (40%) - £69
Juicy red berries, cherries, and plums with hints of pepper. Fresh acidity and gentle tannins make this a versatile wine for charcuterie, roasted meats, or hard cheeses.

Gruner Veltliner Handcrafted, MA Arndorfer Mitges (Kamptal, Austria) - 100% Gruner Vetliner - £20
Slightly cloudy Gruner with delicious, rounded grapey fruit, a fleshy palate, and hints of herbs and white spice on the long finish.

Beck Ink Weingut Judith Beck (Burgenland, Austria) - 80% Zweigelt, 20% St. Laurent - £28
Juicy, fresh Austrian red wine. A blast of dark fruits, spices, and fresh, springy juiciness that leaps from the glass on the nose and hits the palate like a mouthful of summer berries.

👉 Browse our full Austrian wine selection

Wines of Germany

Germany suffers from outdated stereotypes (sweet & cheap Riesling), but modern German wine is a changing perceptions. The focus has shifted to bone-dry Riesling, elegant Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder), and a new generation of winemakers creating wines of precision, elegance, and with a sustainable approach.

👉 Browse our full German wine selection

Key grapes & styles

Riesling (White) Germany produces the world's greatest Riesling, from bone-dry to sweet. The spectrum of styles: Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, reflects ripeness and sweetness levels, but increasingly, dry Riesling dominates quality production.

Regional styles:

Mosel: Slate soils, delicate, low alcohol, laser-focused acidity
Rheingau: Fuller-bodied, richer, more powerful
Pfalz: Warmer, riper fruit, often with more body

Best for: Anyone who dismissed Riesling as "too sweet", German dry Riesling is the occasion to rediscover this grape.

Spätburgunder/Pinot Noir (Red) Germany's Pinot Noir revolution is real. Baden and the Pfalz produce elegant, Burgundy-inspired wines with purity, finesse, and moderate alcohol.

Best for: Burgundy lovers seeking exceptional value and transparency.

Silvaner, Scheurebe, Müller-Thurgau (Whites) Beyond Riesling, Germany offers fascinating aromatic whites with personality. Silvaner from Franken (Franconia) is earthy and structured; Scheurebe is aromatic and food-friendly.

What to try

Focus on the VDP classification system (Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter), Germany's association of top estates. VDP Grosse Lage indicates Grand Cru-level single vineyards producing world-class wines. Look for "trocken" on labels for dry styles.

Our German wine selection

At Forest Wines, we curated a selection of great German wine from small, independent producers:

Koehler-Ruprecht Kallstadter 'Saumagen' Riesling Auslese (Pfalz, Germany) - 100% Riesling - £70
This Kallstadt Riesling is produced in the limestone-rich ‘Saumagen' vineyard that delivers the estate’s top wines. Intense and aromatic, with ripe, slightly caramelized fruit and subtle herbal notes.

Thorle Grauburgunder (Rheinhessen, Germany) - 100% Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris) - £21
Prominent floral and white fruit notes, balanced with clean minerals and a hint more structure from some time in large barrels.

Andreas Bender Pinot Noir (Pfalz, Germany) - 100% Pinot Noir - £20
Brilliant ruby red with vibrant aromas of red fruits and subtle spicy notes. Perfectly balanced palate with soft tannins, with flavours of ripe redcurrants and raspberries with a hint of vanilla and spices from the (light) oak aging.

👉 Browse our full German wine selection

Wines of Slovenia

Slovenia's winemaking dates back to 500 BCE with the Celts and Illyrian tribes, but modern Slovenian wine has emerged as one of Europe's most exciting categories. After breaking free from Yugoslavia in 1991, Slovenia focused on rebuilding viticulture, and today it's a hotbed of natural winemaking, indigenous varieties, and experimental producers.

👉 Browse our full Slovenian wine selection

The orange wine capital: Slovenia (particularly Brda) is one of the world's leading orange wine producers, creating skin-contact whites with complexity, structure, and food-pairing versatility.

👉 Browse our full Orange wine selection

Key grapes & styles

Indigenous grapes:

Rebula (Ribolla Gialla): Mineral-driven white, often made as orange wine with skin contact
Malvazija Istriana: Aromatic, coastal white with salinity and freshness
Refošk (Refosco): Structured red with firm tannins and dark fruit
Teran: Mirrors the structure of Syrah, robust and food-friendly

Regional styles:

Primorska (Coastal Region) Bordering Italy's Friuli, Primorska produces Slovenia's most famous wines. The Brda (Goriška Brda) subregion is essentially an extension of Collio, producing world-class whites.

Podravje (Northeastern Region) Slovenia offers electrifying sparkling wines and dry white wines like Rebula, Furmint, Yellow Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Grigio. This cooler region excels at aromatic whites and elegant sparklers.

Posavje (Southeast Region) The warmest region, producing both whites and reds, often as light, easy-drinking styles.

What to try

Slovenian whites (especially Rebula and Malvazija), orange wines from Brda, and reds from the Karst region (Refošk, Teran). Look for producers experimenting with extended skin contact and amphora aging.

Our Slovenian wine selection

At Forest Wines, we brought together a selection of great Slovenian wine from small, independent producers:

Bela Vipava White, Burja (Golavna, Vipava, Slovenia) - Rebula, Malvasia, Welschriesling - £31
An intense orange wine with floral aromas, ripe tropical and stone fruits on the nose and fresh citrus, oyster shell and some richer herbal notes on the palate. Good texture and medium body balanced by a streak of acidity.

Verus Sauvignon Blanc (Ljutomer-Ormož, Slovenia) - 100% Sauvignon Blanc - £17
Vibrant fruit, the classic gooseberry, passionfruit and nettles aromas; good depth of flavour and length. Crisp and elegant on the palate.

Matic Postopoma Orange (Stajerska, Slovenia) - Kerner, Riesling - £23
Bright citrus notes and a mineral note give it a lively finish. Naturally fermented with wild yeasts and aged in old Slovenian barrels, it’s unfined, unfiltered, and bone-dry with a rich texture and saline edge.

👉 Browse our full Slovenian wine selection

Wines of Hungary

Hungary has one of Europe's longest winemaking histories and 22 distinct wine regions. While the world knows Tokaji (the legendary sweet wine), modern Hungary produces an incredible diversity of styles, from crisp, mineral whites to structured, age-worthy reds.

👉 Browse our full Hungarian wine selection

Best for: Sweet wine lovers (Tokaji Aszú), anyone seeking mineral-driven whites (dry Furmint), and fans of structured, age-worthy reds.

👉 Browse our full dessert wine selection

Key grapes & styles

Indigenous grapes:

Furmint: High-acid white, ranging from bone-dry to sweet Aszú
Hárslevelű: Aromatic, floral white, often blended with Furmint
Kadarka: Historic red grape making a comeback, producing elegant, spicy reds
Kékfrankos (Blaufränkisch): Structured, peppery red
Irsai Olivér: Aromatic, Muscat-like white for easy drinking

Regional styles:

Tokaj (Northeast) Home to Hungary's crown jewel white dessert wine, Tokaji is made from the Furmint grape. Tokaji Aszú, made from botrytized (noble rot-affected) grapes, is one of the world's great sweet wines, with honey, dried apricot, and incredible aging potential. But dry Frumint white wines are also becoming a wine that drinkers love for its refreshing feel.

Eger (Northeast) Famous for Egri Bikavér (Bull's Blood of Eger), a rich, spicy red blend historically made from Kékfrankos (Blaufränkisch), Kadarka, and other indigenous varieties. Modern examples balance tradition with elegance.

Villány (South) Hungary's premium red wine region, producing Bordeaux-style blends and single-varietal Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and increasingly, indigenous varieties like Kadarka.

Somló (West) A volcanic hill producing distinctive, mineral-driven whites from Juhfark, Furmint, and Hárslevelű.

What to try

Tokaji Aszú for sweet wine (5-6 Puttonyos indicates sweetness level), dry Furmint from Tokaj, Bikavér from Eger, and single-vineyard reds from Villány. Hungary offers exceptional quality at accessible prices.

Our Hungarian wine selection

At Forest Wines, we put together a small, but mighty selection of great Hungarian wine from small, independent producers:

Tornai Premium Furmint (Somlo, Hungary) - 100% Furmint - £16
Grown on the volcanic slopes of the Somlò hill in Hungary, expect flavours of lemon, apple, lime zest, pear, and mineral notes. The wine is concentrated with mouth-watering acidity.

Tokaj Hetszolo Late Harvest 50cl (Tokaj, Hungary) - Furmint, Harslevelu - £23
Its nose offers bright citrus, elderflower, and tropical fruit aromas. On the palate, it's smooth and elegant, with a crisp, mineral acidity that balances the creamy texture.

Sebestyen Kadarka (Szekszárd, Hungary) - 100% Gamza (aka Kadarka) - £22
Light-bodied, full of wild strawberry, currants, an earthy undertone and white pepper spice to keep things interesting. Full of personality, think about it as the love-child of a Pinot Noir and Beaujolais Nouveau.

👉 Browse our full Hungarian wine selection

Wines of Czech Republic

The Czech Republic (Czechia) quietly produces excellent wines, particularly whites, from regions straddling the southern border with Austria and Slovakia. While beer dominates Czech drinking culture, wine regions like Moravia are gaining international recognition.

Best for: Fans of Austrian and German wines seeking undiscovered alternatives with exceptional value.

👉 Browse our full Czech wine selection

Key grapes & styles

Key grapes:

Grüner Veltliner (Veltlínské Zelené): Following Austrian traditions
Riesling (Ryzlink Rýnský): Dry, mineral-driven styles
Müller-Thurgau: Easy-drinking, aromatic white
Pinot Noir (Rulandské Modré): Elegant, Burgundian-inspired reds
Svatovavřinecké (St. Laurent): Indigenous red with depth and spice
André: A cross of Blaufränkisch and Saint Laurent, think soft tannins and fruit.

Regional styles:

Moravia (South) The heart of Czech winemaking, bordering Austria and producing similar styles—aromatic whites and lighter reds.

Bohemia (North) Smaller production area with cooler climate, producing delicate whites and some sparkling wines.

What to try

Moravian Grüner Veltliner for Austrian-style whites, Pinot Noir from cooler sites for elegant reds, and sparkling wines (Sekt) made in traditional method.

Our Czech wine selection

At Forest Wines, we have a small but great selection of Czech wine from small, independent producers:

Blanc de Noir Sekt Nature, Krasna Hora (Moravia, Czech Republic) - 100% Pinot Noir - £34
Excellent alternative to a classic Champagne. Delicate but rich, with apple skins and yeasty biscuity aromas. Soft, mousse-y texture, bone dry finish, very classy.

Syfany, Andre (Moravia, Czech Republic) - 100% André - £22
A year in acacia barrels help develop the flavours in this wine, with nice dried fruit, black pepper, black fruits and woody flavours from the barrels. On the palate it has a high acidity with full, enveloping tannins and a nice savoury finish.

Utopia Cider, Patience Ice Cider (Sudkuv Dul, Czech Republic) - £31
Although not a wine, this is a renown Czech produce that wine drinkers will enjoy: iced cider. Think tarte tatin in a glass, paired with the crisp acidity of biting into a crunchy red apple.

👉 Browse our full Czech wine selection

Wines of Georgia

The true birthplace of wine, Georgia has the oldest history of winemaking. Archaeological evidence from pottery shards found in Georgian villages shows residues of wine dating back to 6000 BCE, predating any other wine-producing region by thousands of years.

Even today, its techniques, such as qvevri winemaking, has been recognised in 2013 by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Georgian orange wines such as Kisi are praised as one of the most complex and ancient expression of skin-contact wine. This is the true home of slow and traditional winemaking.

The Qvevri method: Large egg-shaped clay vessels that are buried underground for fermentation and ageing, resulting in amber-coloured wines (orange wine) with great structure, tannins like red wine, complex aromatics, and incredible ageing potential.

👉 Browse our full Georgian wine selection

Key grapes & styles

Georgia has over 500 indigenous grape varieties, more than any other country. Let's dive into some of the most popular ones.

Key grapes:

Rkatsiteli (White) Georgia's most widely planted grape, Rkatsiteli produces wines ranging from crisp and fresh (European style) to deeply structured amber wines (qvevri method). Expect flavours of quince, dried apricot, orange peel, honey, and tea when made with skin contact.
Saperavi (Red) Georgia's signature red grape and one of the rare teinturier varieties (red flesh and skin). Saperavi produces deeply colored, full-bodied wines with firm tannins, dark fruit, and savory complexity.
Mtsvane (White) Often blended with Rkatsiteli, Mtsvane (meaning "green" in Georgian) produces aromatic, elegant wines with floral and citrus notes. When made in qvevri, it develops honeyed complexity.
Kisi (White) A rare grape from Kakheti producing highly aromatic wines with floral, stone fruit, and sometimes tropical notes. Kisi made in qvevri develops incredible texture and complexity.
Khikhvi, Kakhuri Mtsvivani, Chinuri (Whites) Lesser-known varieties worth seeking out. Each brings unique character, Khikhvi is highly aromatic, Chinuri is fresh and vibrant, Kakhuri Mtsvivani is structured and complex.

Regional styles:

Kakheti (Eastern Georgia) Producing over 70% of Georgia's wine, Kakheti is the heart of Georgian viticulture. The continental climate (hot summers, cold winters) and alluvial soils create powerful, structured wines with depth and concentration. Kakheti's amber wines tend to be fuller-bodied and more tannic.

Imereti (Western Georgia) Western Georgia's more moderate climate produces lighter, fresher styles. Imeretian winemakers often use shorter skin contact (weeks rather than months), creating more approachable orange wines with elegance and drinkability.

Kartli Central Georgia, producing lighter styles

Racha-Lechkhumi Naturally semi-sweet wines from mountainous terrain

Adjara Coastal region near the Black Sea

What to try

Qvevri Rkatsiteli or Kisi for the classic Georgian amber wine experience, Saperavi for powerful, distinctive reds with incredible ageing potential, and Mtsvane or Chinuri for more approachable, aromatic whites.

Our Georgia wine selection

At Forest Wines, we have a constant selection of great and traditional Georgian wines from small, independent producers:

Pheasant's Tears Saperavi (Kakheti, Georgia) - 100% Saperavi - £24
On the palate it's silky and well structured, offering flavours of more berries, black plums and soft oak. Big tannins and high acidity on the finish.

Andrias Gvino Rkatsiteli (Kakheti, Georgia) - 100% Rkatsiteli - £29
Stunning depth and complexity with a refined precision. Aromas include stone fruit, dried apricots, citrus peel, and herbal notes, with a structured, mineral-driven palate.

Andrias Gvino Kisi (Kakheti, Georgia) - £30
Made in the traditional qvevri (clay amphora) method, displaying aromas of dried stone fruit, tea, honey and herbs. The wine is very intensive, high in tannins and acidity. It has distinguished aromas and long finish.

👉 Browse our full Georgian wine selection

The wine world is changing. Consumers are seeking authenticity over status, discovery over familiarity, and value over prestige. Central and Eastern European wines deliver all three.

At Forest Wines, we're genuinely excited about these regions. We're not stocking Central & Eastern European wines because they're trendy, we're stocking them because they're genuinely excellent, offer incredible value, and provide the kind of discovery that makes wine exciting.

Whether you're exploring Austrian Grüner Veltliner, discovering Slovenian orange wine, or trying Hungarian Furmint for the first time, you're tasting history, terroir, and a winemaking revolution that's only just beginning.

Visit us at 149 Forest Road or shop online to explore our Central and Eastern European wine selection. Let's discover together what the rest of the world is only starting to notice.

👉 Browse our Central & Eastern European wine selection

A Guide to Eastern & Central European Wine

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