Eger is the mosaic of the Hungarian wine regions: 66 grape varieties; colourful soils composed of dozens of different minerals, metals and rocks; legends of bulls and beautiful women overlaid on a labyrinth of underground tunnels; and, above all, a tradition of blended wines. It's complex and, at times, contradictory.
When Hungary fell to the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century, Eger, in the north-east of the country, was one of the last Hungarian strongholds still standing. 40,000 Turks laid siege to Eger castle, behind whose walls were only 1,500 soldiers and 600–700 peasant men and women. After 39 days...