7 breath-taking cellars with underground wine experiences
The French châteaux are majestic, the Spanish bodegas are romantic, while the Hungarian underground cellar labyrinths tell tales about history. What’s more, they are really nice places to hang around during heatwaves. Let us invite you to 7 stunning Hungarian cellars, where – besides high quality, gorgeous wines – you can see wonders underground.
Chic in the cellar – Kovács Nimród Winery, Eger
“Carved in stone and elegantly furnished, our facility will meet the highest expectations of our most discerning visitors.”And it is true, proved among others by 5.0 evaluation on Tripadvisor. The winery is located in the historic Verőszala street, which is actually a line of cellars in the outskirts of Eger, the most visited city after Budapest in Hungary. The estate offers 5 different tastings from 5600 HUF to 19 500 HUF / person, and can accept up to 80 people. And even a stylish wine dinner is available, as it is featured in the second photo.
Fine-tuned by architecture – Bock, Villány
The iconic cellar has two wings, a 30–metre and a 100-metre long, and the main attraction is the circular cellar at the end of the longer branch. It is made of 70 000 used bricks, lies at 10 metres under the ground, 200 square metres with 6 arches, and it has stunning acoustics – thus suitable for concerts, weddings. It is quite astonishing to hear a person from the other end of the circle as if he was whispering to our ear right next to us. And the best is that this architectural wonder (by Ferenc Heimann architect) is available to see without prior register every day, on Saturday twice a day, for only 2000 HUF / person, including two glasses of wine.
Fun and adventure – Holdvölgy, Tokaj
The estate has just been awarded the prestigious title Winery of the Year, well deserved. The 1.7 km labyrinth, the most extensive cellar system of the estate is well worth a visit in itself, but Holdvölgy created an award winning, funny way of visiting the cellar, the Treasure Hunt. Participants can follow a map visiting 500-year-old cellar parts, altars built when locals hid in there during World War II and of course, they can find the treasures: the wines to taste. Prices are between 6900 and 13 800 HUF.
Home-made delicacies – Heimann, Szekszárd
Above, at Bock Winery, we have already mentioned a Heimann, Ferenc Heimann, the architect. His brother, Zoltán Heimann has a winery, and – not surprisingly – it was built by Ferenc Heimann. The estate has a vibrant life with tastings, vineyard hikes, art exhibitions, and on top of all, Ági, Zoltán’s wife has a stunning garden, thus wine platters include vegetables from her garden, and meat products made by the family as well. Wine tastings cost 5500 or 7500 HUF / person, and the wine platter is available for 4500 HUF / person. Since the estate is the home of the family, prior booking is advised, but they are usually open for visitors on Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons, evenings. The wine shop is open all day. Needless to say: the cellar is stunning.
Paradise during heatwaves – Tűzkő, Tolna
“Tűzkő Estate winery owns a peculiar underground cellar behind the hill, carved of leoss and strengthened with bricks at the beginning of the 1700s. These cave cellars have kept the same temperature for the past 300 years…” The estate is owned by the iconic Antinori family, though Tűzkő functions independently in many aspects. The historic and cool cellar is just one of the attractions, the youngish and active team invites visitors for vineyard hikes, off-road tours, visit to the cooperage and certainly tastings from 5300 HUF to 9900 HUF depending on the number of people and wines.
Double labyrinth – Gál Tibor, Eger
Gál Tibor wines have a circle shape label and they feature a labyrinth. “Beneath Eger lies thousands of kilometers of cellars, as intricate as life itself, winemaking, or the human search for direction. This symbol also guides us: through difficult turns, discoveries, and found centers – always toward wine and people.” The founder, Tibor Gál, known about his work not only in Hungary, but in Tuscany as well, had the cellar in Verőszala street, mentioned above at KNW. Tibor Gál Junior moved the whole winery to a new-old place in the centre of Eger city: new, more spacious and old, with a labyrinth mentioned above. The new location allows them to serve food as well, FUZIO bar offers small platters and functions as a vibrant meeting place for locals and tourists. Complete meals are also available on prior booking. Gál Tibor Winery offers several tastings from 5900 HUF to 14 900 HUF depending on the wines and number of participants.
The heritage of a hero – Teleki, Villány
Zsigmond Teleki was a world-famous viticulturist, he saved many vineyards of Europe with his rootstocks. In 1930, at the International Vine Congress in Barcelona, it was officially recognized that European vineyards had been revitalized thanks to the Teleki rootstocks’ phylloxera resistance, and in the same year, a statue was erected in Villány in honour of Zsigmond Teleki. He had a winery in Villány, and his legacy is in good hands with Csányi Winery team making Teleki wines. The cellar labyrinth is the longest one in Villány wine region, and it has some true treasures. The English website of the winery is under construction and coming soon with the winery visits.
7 breath-taking cellars with underground wine experiences
The French châteaux are majestic, the Spanish bodegas are romantic, while the Hungarian underground
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