Wineries you should visit, but only for their wine

One of the most important wineries of the Szekszárd wine region is located in a scenic environment where the slopes of the Transdanubian Hills meet the Great Hungarian Plain. This is the place for you, if you want to take your gastro fan friends somewhere and not be disappointed. You must visit the Optimus restaurant on the grounds of the estate because the mission of this restaurant is to present the diversity of the Hungarian cuisine in a modern format. Of course, you will find good wine for every dish, or is it vice versa? Once you have rested after the hard work of tasting food and wine, dip into the 32 °C thermal waters of the Roman bath at the local accommodation. The winery regularly organises seasonal programmes, for example during grape harvest, on Saint Martin’s day or when pigs are slaughtered, so if you want to add a little extra culinary experience to your visit to Szekszárd, time your visit to coincide with one of these programmes.

In recent years, we have seen an explosion in the amount of accommodation available around the ‘Hungarian sea’, i.e. Lake Balaton. The ‘Liszkay Borkúria’ (Liszkay Wine Mansion) is something special even among exclusive accommodation-providers, and you only need to travel to Veszprém County for a fantastic view. Naturally, there is no shortage of good wine, but what makes wine tasting even more special is the regular musical wine dinner called ‘Vintner at the piano’, at which Mihály Liszkay entertains guests with his music and wine. The region is full of cultural and natural sights anyway, for example you should visit the Folly Arboretum in Badacsonytomaj. However, the best part of your visit is when you enter the imposing and luxurious accommodation and take a sip of your favourite wine.

One may think environmentalism became a buzz word only in recent years, but history and nature intertwine in the Konyári Guesthouse that is located in Balatonlelle, in a region where winemaking dates back 800 years. The land around the guesthouse has been categorised as a conservation area of local importance, and sustainability plays an important role in both winemaking and hospitality. The place is cooled by nature and not by AC units because the cellars, snuggled up to the slopes of the surrounding hills, do not need any artificial cooling device. Come and visit the endless rows of the vine plantations, and spend a few days in the serene and authentic surroundings while sipping a glass of Konyári wine.

Could we have discovered the fountain of youth? We might not have, but drinking wine (in moderation) is widely considered to maintain good health, not forgetting that grape seeds that have been used in the beauty industry for ages. Well, the Crocus Gere has found the common factor with vinotherapy. This therapy offers visitors facial and body treatment programmes which build on the organic grape and wine, which are grown and produced here on the Gere Estate. Of course, there is no contraindication to ‘internalising’ the treatment in the form of the best Gere wines.