The Valley of the Beautiful Woman (Szépasszony-völgy) is a small valley about a fifteen-minute walk west of Eger's centre, lined on both sides with wine cellars carved into the tuff rock. About thirty cellars are open for tasting during the afternoon and evening, selling directly from barrels and bottles propped on crude wooden tables outside the cave entrances.
The wine to try is Egri Bikavér — Bull's Blood of Eger — a robust, tannic red blended from Kékfrankos, Kadarka, and other local varieties. The name comes from a legend of the 1552 siege: the Ottomans, seeing the Hungarians fighting with unusual ferocity, concluded they must be drinking bulls' blood. The reality is more prosaic — local winemakers blended cheap varieties to make a bold, affordable wine — but the story has stuck. Come in the late afternoon, settle at a barrel, and work through a few tastings before dinner.