The countries of Eastern Europe along with former Soviet republics such as Georgia, have seen somewhat of a wine boom as of late, albeit on several different tracks. The two most important countries to date are Hungary and Bulgaria. Both have enjoyed a renaissance with the fall of the iron curtain, yet it is here that the similarities end. Hungary's proud viticultural history dates back to the Romans, and the country has many ancient vineyards and a strong tradition of wine production and consumption.

Tokaji in particular is a Hungarian region which is widely recognized as producing one of the world's great sweet wines. The fame of Tokaji in conjunction with a stable government has led to large scale investment by Western firms in both money and know how. Though investment has come more slowly than to Hungary, Bulgaria's wine industry is slowly changing as well and more and more Bulgarian wine should be seen in the future. Specializing in the standard international varietals, Bulgaria's current attraction will largely be based on price, but down the road Bulgaria may yet be reckoned with as a high quality producer.