Hungarian champagne panorama

In the case of champagne, the second maturation of the wine takes place in the bottle, which is mixed with so-called tirage liqueur (yeast and sugar) during the process, so that they become carbonated due to the natural effect of the bottle (0.75 l) fermentation process using the Méthode traditionelle method. Carbonated wine has long been known in the Champagne region of France, as due to the cool climate, fermentation was often completed only in the spring of the year following the harvest – but since this process deviated from the intention, it meant a reject. The first champagne was made between 1670 and 1715 by Dom Pierre Pérignon, the cellar manager of the Saint Benedict Abbey of Hautvilliers, in the Champagne wine region near Reims, by sealing the wine bottle with a cork, which he fastened with a wire clamp dipped in wax. Both the drink and the process have come a long way, and our country also took part in this development – the cradle of Hungarian champagne production in the 18th century was Bratislava, and by the end of the 19th century there were already 8 Hungarian factories operating from Budafok (Törley) to Velence to Nagymaros.

"With great diligence and perseverance, I managed to produce champagne wines that are much more excellent than the ones I have known so far." – József Törley, 1882

The history of Törley champagnes goes back almost a century and a half, during this period the Hungarian family business became famous far and wide, and in Hungary it is still considered the market leader. From their vineyards in Tokaj, Etyek and Pázmánd, they can store a total of 884 thousand hectolitres of drink. Their philosophy is to follow the products from the grape to the customer's table, which means that – despite the size of the company – all work processes are still in their hands; starting with grape growing, through the three processes of winemaking – champagnization – bottling and all the way to delivery. In addition to Törley products, the company group also produces BB, Hungária and Louis François products. The Budafok manufactory has a substantial museum collection, but it also hosts cellar visits, company and private events.

In 2002, József Kreinbacher's vision went further than the purchase of a few hectares of vineyards on the Somló mountain: he began to make not only wines, but also – for the first time in the wine region – bottle-aged champagnes. They farm on 60 hectares, known to pay great attention to the condition of the plantations, organic cultivation and replanting. In addition to the main Somló grape varieties – such as Juhfark, Furmint, Italian Riesling and Hárslevelű – Syrah and Chardonnay were also moved in, which also found their home here. The estate centre, winery and champagne cellar were handed over in 2011. Inspired by the former lava flows and basalt rocks of the volcanic mountain, the building complex, designed by Dezső Ekler, has now become iconic and merged with the image of Somló. The first champagnes made here were presented in 2014 and proved the founder's belief that the wine region has a place on the champagne world map at an international level as well.

The family company, founded by wine engineer Vencel Garamvári, first began to use the resources of the vineyards in Balatonlelle and later the Budafok cellars, to its advantage – today the female members of the three generations are responsible for the highest quality. The company, which preserves the decades-long traditions of viticulture and champagne production, proves its role as a flagship with several international awards. Their goal is to build a new era of wine and champagne consumption in Hungary through generations of experience, talent and creativity. They want to make a unique, well-recognizable and style-creating "Hungarian champagne", a drink in which the characters of the Hungarian terroir, the fruits of international or local grape varieties and the characteristics of traditional champagne production stand out. They would like to make champagne consumption an element of everyday pleasures, an integral part of Hungarian drinking culture.

The Hernyák family has been living and working in the Etyek wine region since 1993. In the first years, they only wanted to introduce the traditions of making spirits from Vojvodina in the village, but after a few years they found themselves helping the local Swabian community to pick the grapes during the harvests. During the time that has passed, the estate has developed a lot: the initial artisanal solutions have now been replaced by much more conscious cellar technology. After a lot of planning and gaining experience, the estate switched to organic farming in 2015, thanks to which even healthier grapes and wines can be put on the table. As they say, organic plant protection is only one pillar of this started work. Composting, the continuous involvement of renewable energies, conscious and sustainable energy management, greening and chemical-free environment have become a priority in their whole life and thinking. They dedicate a big chapter to champagne in the life of Etyek. They hope that the professional constructions of the coming years – together with local winemakers – will give the region the style with which it can stand out nationally and later internationally.

To be born in Tokaj-Hegyalja, to become champagne in Budafok – this was the motto of the creators of Sauska Terroir. Following the success of their wines, the initial "champagne" plans were given confidence by the involvement of a French soil specialist couple, who were able to determine that the area contained an extremely unique combination of volcanic and calcareous soils.

In the end, five vineyards were selected with a focus on champagne, on which four varieties are currently grown – Furmint, Hárslevelű, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The Sauska champagnes show the strength, harmony and unique potential of the Tokaj wine region through indigenous – Furmint, Hárslevelű and yellow muscat – and world varieties. The company places great emphasis on its environment so that it can live in harmony with it. They try to achieve all this by striving for biodiversity, weeding with mulch, continuous capital arrangements, and paying attention to soil revitalization. And the storage capacity is ensured by the Budafok cellar unit with its natural temperature of 12-16 degrees – so there is no need for cold stores with high heat output either.

The blending takes place in Tokaj, and the fermentation using the traditional method takes place in 150-year-old cellars in Budafok, where their champagnes are born and after proper maturation, they are released from here. The workshop's thick, light-blocking walls, balanced ventilation, and constant temperature and humidity independent from the seasons are reminiscent of classic cellars found in Champagne, thus enabling the brand to achieve the highest quality.