17 February 2022 / Author: Vera Szucs-Balas / Photographer: Nandor Lang
Our first experience in Tata was that in a period of undisturbed tranquillity, more attention seems to be paid to the landscape, as there are fewer distractions and movements and less hustle and bustle. It was worth stopping on the shores of Lake Tata, with the castle in the background, to observe the rich bird life, with wild geese, ducks and herons.
One of the Neszmély wine district’s most popular events, the Spring Kvaterka, is held every year in the ballroom of the Esterházy Sparkling Wine Factory in Tata. Those of you who have been to the walkaround tasting will have already experienced the special atmosphere of the building in the English Park designed by Jakab Fellner, so this was our next stop. It was built as a beer and spirits factory precisely 250 years ago, in 1772, before becoming a restaurant. Then in 1905, Ferenc Esterházy founded a sparkling wine factory with the help of French Champagne master Hubert Emil. The building, which served as a warehouse and cold store after the two world wars, was abandoned for a long time, but thanks to the Séra family, who now own it, it has been revived and is not only a popular venue for weddings and other events, but also a must-see wine tourism experience, and here’s why.
Mihály Séra gave us a tour like he does for all visitors, opening the doors to the 1,500 square metre cellar system and recounting the adventurous life of the sparkling wine factory. The stories were brought to life by understated but authentic decorations and professional guided tours, one of the highlights of which came alongside the shaking gyropallets full of bottles of sparkling wine made from Zenit, Furmint, Riesling and Pinot Noir.
As our host explained how sparkling wine is made, we could admire the fine details such as the powdery fine lees on the sides of the bottles, which gives the sparkling wine its creaminess and buttery notes. The highlight of the tour was tasting a freshly disgorged sparkling wine – what more do you need? (For those unfamiliar with the term ‘disgorgement’, we really recommend to go to the sparkling wine factory and experience it for yourself; it will be a much better experience than just reading a definition!)
After the 250-year-old building in Tata, we discovered a modern building and story from Dunaszentmiklós. In August 2020, the new winemaking and visitor reception area of the Kősziklás Winery was inaugurated on the Öreghegy cellar row, so we made a quick stop here too. Szabolcs Emmer, one of the winery’s founders, told us about the changes, novelties and difficulties of the last few years due to the pandemic. The 70-hectare winery has long been a favourite in the wine district, so it was wonderful news for many that, following the renovations, they are now open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday in winter, while you can also visit them on Thursdays in peak season.
Listening to what Szabolcs was saying was a bit of a challenge, as few wineries can boast such a magnificent view, which was obviously also taken into account in its design, so whether you are sitting inside or on the terrace, you are almost absorbed by the landscape. After Szabolcs presented the vineyards (the eponymous Kősziklás is one of them), the talk then turned to the wines and events. He thinks their range of wines is too wide, so they’d like to narrow it down, although from the consumer’s point of view, it is great to have a very wide selection of wines. These can be supplemented at any time with a platter of cold cuts, while there is also music on the agenda about once a month. The latter events are said to sell out in a matter of hours, which is hardly surprising after what we’ve seen.
A good stone’s throw away from Kősziklás is a winery that was well known before the wine district itself. Hilltop Neszmély Winery has not only made Neszmély wines’ reputation with Hungarian consumers, but it is also one of the best-known Hungarian wineries on export markets. This is mainly thanks to legendary winemaker Ákos Kamocsay. The rarely used expression “wine legend” encapsulates superlatives and in his case, it is perhaps no exaggeration… Two of his achievements are usually cited: he was named Winemaker of the Year in the UK in 1997 and two years later, was named Wine Producer of the Year in Hungary, but if we were to be thorough, the list of awards won by the winery and its individual wines would be very long indeed. Here we will only mention the most recent award, the Hungarian Wine Grand Prix in the white wine category, which was won for the first time by a Neszmély wine – their 2019 premium Chardonnay.
Hilltop is one of the best examples of how two attributes that are not usually thought of together can be in perfect harmony: high volume, with 7-8 million bottles a year, and outstanding quality – we could use the expression ‘top quality’ if it were not so hackneyed. Walking through the winery, the sight of the temperature-controlled steel tanks, the mechanised lines and the fluid workmanship, which at a glance, gives you an idea about such technological wines and helps you understand why such consistently high quality can be expected from the wines produced here.
In contrast to this, the traditional colours, aromas and arched shapes of the wine cellar set the scene for history, when the cellar tour allows you to admire the bottles of still and sparkling wine, thickly covered with cellar mould, sleeping down here for decades, and you might even get the chance to taste them or even some of the premium wines from recent vintages.
We deliberately planned our day to end with the Szivek Winery in Kesztölc, as every time I had visited their vineyards, I had experienced a world-beating sunset. The weather had been overcast all day, but when we arrived in Kesztölc, the final rays of the setting sun appeared as if by magic, and from then on, our photographer, Nándor Láng, “only” had to take photos.
Péter Szivek and his brother György make every visit as cheerful as if they were welcoming their very first visitors. The bumpy jeep ride is just part of the experience, and the only thing more authentic than the appearance of the charmingly old four-wheel drive is its interior. Then, reaching the side of the Pilis Hills, 340m above sea level, under the limestone cliffs, it’s worth getting out and taking some time to, well, to do nothing, or more precisely, to take in the view (see the title photo of our article).
Whether you taste the wine from the white grapes grown on their 18 hectares of vineyards here or in the cellar in the village depends on your mood and the time, as does whether you want to take the time to visit the Pálos herb garden, tended by the Szivek family, and the monastery of Klastrompuszta, just a few minutes’ drive away. However, we put the programme together with Péter, and at the end of the day, we will certainly remember the saying, “the name is the person themself”.
