Villány on the unfamiliar path

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Ripka Gergely

Sunny Villány, the Hungarian wine region. The Hungarian mecca for serious red wine drinkers, where (also) due to the diligent, neat and talented Swabians, wine tourism had unique successes compared to more Hungarian wine regions. Everyone must have a few favourite cellars in Villány. Almost everyone can name six or eight families out of the most well-known ones. But is there anything new under the sun in Villány besides full-bodied character, spicy cabernet francs and merlots in barrique barrels, in which there’s quite an amount of tannin, and much alcohol? In this article, we recommend a few moderately lesser known or even new names, alongside the less familiar paths of Baranya County.

Péter Bakonyi

A secret favourite of the past years is Péter Bakonyi, whose cabernet francs from Makár-vineyard present Villány’s flagship type in a completely different style from the greatest favourites (see the introduction). On the labels playful flying vehicles remind us how too seriously we take life (or wines) sometimes. The young vintner’s wines are kind and fruity, and present the variety and the terroir rather with elegance than through strength.

Horst Hummel

The German vintner loves everything that is connected to gastronomy, cooking, tastes and wines. He grows the grapes and prepares his exciting, unique (both white and red) wines with a natural, organic approach. Out of the wines he puts in is a new light portugieser, one of Villány’s specific, light wines (with a maturable, more complex result).

Wassmann

Another German-origin family, who arrived in Pécsdevecser in 1998. Biodynamic wines from Villány: it’s already possible to taste them! “We came from another planet” is the slogan on their website. They got the demeter certification in 2011, which inspects producers according to the natural way of farming, the strictest system of conditions for biodynamics. They only add sulphur to their wines produced along natural principles, in which we might discover unique, lively, and natural flavours.

“Heumann Pincészet” (Heumann Winery)

The Swiss couple, Evelyn and Erhard started their career so much as newcomers that they had to start their winery in an industrial site, further from the main Villány territory. Their story in the wine region started with a 40-years-old kékoportó (portugieser) vineyard, and since then they have received various medals and awards one after another. For example, several vintages of their Terra Tartaro wine proved that a serious Villány wine can be elegant and drinkable at the same time.

Lilla Rácz

Villány champagne, in addition from Sauvignon? Yes, this also exists. It is produced by Lilla Rácz, a talented female vintner in Diósviszló, in a hidden corner of Villány wine region. Practically, this item is the protagonist of her winery. It is a sophisticated, feminine, elegant drink, with the most beautiful packaging one can imagine for a champagne.

István Ipacs Szabó

Many may know the appreciated vintner from his previous workplace (and due to his repeated nominations for the Winemaker of Winemakers award), but maybe less people know about his solo project, which is why he has been added to our list. The red wines of Villány never have been as concentrated and pleasant at the same time, as he prepares them. His Franc or wines like “Instead of the Honeymoon” carry the virtues of the terroir and the variety in a way that the vintner’s exciting personality add to the end result instead of taking away from it.