Visit Babarczi Vineyard and Winery

The so called “Open Cellars” is an annual, nationwide event at Pentecost weekend. On 23 May wine enthusiasts are quite likely to “bump into a cellar”, since almost all of them are open and prepared for the visitors. Pannonhalma wine region is “cool” in many aspects, and Babarczi family winery awaits its guests with delicious food, live music, guided tastings and treat even for the unlucky driver.

Professor Gergely Szolnoki (Geisenheim University, Germany) has recently said in a conference that to be competitive in the market, cellars should offer extras and should think of the non-drinkers as well. The Babarczis have always been doing so, without having heard the professor’s advice.
Transfers are provided by the wine region, but if you prefer going by car, your driver will be well treated.

5 reasons to visit Babarczi Vineyard and Winery

– Pannonhalma wine region is one of the less known wine regions of Hungary, however, its importance is constantly growing. Discover it before others!
– Due to its cooler climate, wines of Pannonhalma are elegant, crispy, refreshing.
– It is a versatile wine region and Babarczi estate represents this versatility perfectly. Aromatic, refreshing Irsai Olivér, majestic Chardonnay and Rhine Riesling, playful aerated sparkling wine and a whole line of remarkable, complex red wines.
– The winery surrounded by a large courtyard and vineyards will make you feel at home. Cosy atmosphere and lovely staff including Zsuzsa Babarczi, the perfect hostess of the house and Ali, the “perpetuum mobile” dog of the estate.
– Events are the core of the winery to create a community of “Babarczi-lovers”, and as a result the team is experienced in these open-door things, they really know what makes guests feel good.
More info below the photos

Pannonhalmi Aeternum by Babarczi Vineyard and Winery

Babarczi family winery has already been proved the potential of Pannonhalma wine region to make stunning, elegant red wines. Marianum Cabernet Franc, Babarczi Merlot and their estate wine called Birtokvörös have been acknowledged at national and international contests and panel tastings. The new red wine is a Bordeaux blend and just like Marianum commemorating the late Mrs Mária Babarczi, this new wine also has a Latin word in its name with ‘aeternum’ meaning ‘eternal’.
Cover photo by Soma Fehér

Babarczi Pannonhalmi Aeternum 2022

Grapes: Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon
Ageing: 12 months in French oak barrel, and the rest in bottle
Price: 13990 HUF, however, in February visitors to the estate can purchase it at 11990 HUF.
How to get to the winery? It takes about 90 minutes by car mostly via M1 motorway, and 2 hours with public transport. It is worth combining with a winery visit and tasting, for more information contact the winery.
Website of the estate

The philosophy behind the wine

It is more than challenging to run an estate, but the family is always there, a team built on love. Zsuzsanna, the daughter focuses on the winemaking, and meets the challenges together with her brother László, her sister-in-law and certainly with her father, the founder of the estate. Let us quote the rest from Babarczi team:

“For us, Aeternum is not just the launch of a new wine. It is an idea that originates from the family. From a relationship that spans generations and connects us even when time has changed so much. The family is the constant point to which we can always return. It sustains us, gives us strength, and carries us forward even when the weight of work, decisions, and the passing years becomes increasingly heavy.

This premium wine is about perseverance. About values that do not fade, do not go out of fashion, and are not made for the moment. Just as family ties are not for a short period of time, Aeternum also requires time and gives time. Attention, patience, presence.

Pannonhalmi Aeternum opens slowly. Its aroma first reveals spices, pink pepper, cloves, nutmeg, barrel vanilla, and a delicate smokiness. After a few minutes, it really opens up, filling the glass with cassis, eucalyptus, forest blackberries, plums, and forest cherries, with a background of dark chocolate and a hint of cedar. On the palate, it is a full-bodied, mature wine with a still-young tannin structure. It is worth waiting for. The oak notes return in the flavour, followed by fruit and chocolate, with spices and vanilla lingering in the finish. A serious wine with great potential.
A sip that transcends the moment.
A wine that stays with us. In aeternum.”

An earlier article of ours about Babarczi Birtokvörös (‘Estate Red’)

Welcome to my estate!

About the Cabernet Franc made by Babarczi

Marianum Cabernet Franc 2022 from Pannonhalma

10 great wines to remember, #1

Towards the end of the year, we look back to some of the great wine moments we have enjoyed. All the 10 wines we will list until New Year’s Eve are special for some reason and they are all worth buying, multiple bottles, if you can afford. (The order is NOT a ranking.)
(Cover picture background was painted by Emma Katalin Dobos)

Pannonhalma is one of the smallest wine regions of Hungary, a place to watch. Babarczi is a family winery making crispy, lovely white and rosé wines, and recently producing memorable red wines as well.
Marianum, the name refers to the founder’s wife, the deceased mother, whose memory is cherished by the son and daughter, László and Zsuzsanna.
Marianum is a typical example of Cabernet Franc with a basket of berry fruits on the nose (blackberry, blueberry, red currant) and also a lot of spices, even a hint of oriental spices. It has a decent body, yet, I would say it is more of a sleek beauty than a blockbuster beast. It has its integrated tannins (the wine aged in French and Hungarian oak for 10 months), it has the body, it has pleasant acidity but most of all it has balance, elegance, harmony. A charming Cabernet Franc that leaves you cry for another glass.
It has been selected the Best Wine of Pannonhalma this year at the regional wine contest, where 113 wines were tasted.
In the latest issue of Vince wine magazine, Marianum received 4 stars, which means “outstanding”.

Vince magazine review:

Deep ruby colour. Complex, intense nose full of red fruits, especially sour cherry accompanied by some oaky notes and sweet spices. When tasted, it fills the mouth all around. Ripened, integrated tannins, silky texture, vibrant acidity. Fruity palate with significant barrel notes.
It has an ageing potential of at least 3 more years.
Retail price is around 25 EUR.

More about Babarczi Vineyard and Winery

How did it start?

Zsuzsi’s diary – the winemaker’s life

Success of earlier vintages of Marianum

Babarczi Marianum – gold again!

Borsmenta online food and wine magazine published the diary of a female winemaker, Kata Zsirai for a year. From now throughout a year another wine woman, Zsuzsanna Babarczi – Zsuzsi in short – tells the readers about the everyday life of a winemaker. Let us share the first chapter of the diary!

Borsmenta literally means peppermint, but if we take the word apart (bor s menta), the meaning changes into “wine and mint”, expressing the theme of the publication brilliantly. Borsmenta is a wine and food publication featuring things that spice up our life, just like wine and mint.
Borsmenta is full of wine reviews and recipes of mouth-watering dishes, it is more than worth following it! (Borsmenta is in Hungarian, but automatic translation is not an issue in our times.)

Zsuzsi’s diary, 1st chapter

My name is Zsuzsi Babarczi, and I am the winemaker and production and sales manager at Babarczi Winery. I was surprised and very excited when Edit Szabó (founder and editor-in-chief of Borsmenta) asked me to take part in this exciting adventure, namely to present my year. My first thought was whether people would be interested in what a female winemaker does on a daily basis, but then I decided to go for it – what did I have to lose?

The beginnings

Let me start at the beginning. There is an old photo of my mother planting grapes at the end of our garden, and I am already there with her, invisible, as she is pregnant with me – this was in 1980, to be precise. My parents bought a plot of land in the town of Győrújbarát at that time, planted grapes in the garden, and in 1986 they built a cellar as well. They thought it would be a nice little extra income alongside their main jobs. Then, in 1993, our lives took a turn: my dad lost his job, and since they were already working on about 5 hectares at the time, he decided to focus on that, but on a larger scale. The stars were aligned, as there were many vineyards for sale, so they invested all their savings in land and vines. Meanwhile, my brother and I were growing up, and between work and school, we didn’t have much time for anything else, no shopping malls or anything like that. I’m not saying that I preferred hoeing to going to Lake Balaton, but in those days, we didn’t really have a choice, and it was natural for our parents to involve us in the work.
However, studying always came first, and it never occurred to us not to continue our education. I knew for sure that I would not go to agricultural university, and if possible, I would seek my fortune as far away from viticulture and winemaking as possible. At that time, the international relations program (my father still cannot remember the name) started at Széchenyi István University in Győr, so I applied for that. I had always been interested in history, law, economics, and languages, and this program was a mixture of all of these. I later completed my master’s degree in Veszprém. I really enjoyed it.

St. Martin’s Day in Pannonhalma wine region

Are you based in Hungary and miss your family? Take part in the St. Martin’s Day “fiesta” at Babarczi in a tiny town near the city of Győr and you will feel at home, guaranteed! Babarczi Vineyard and Winery has collected several national and international gold medals and many top restaurants listed their wines, but the best experience is still to visit them and enjoy a true “Babarczi-party” with mouth-watering food and wines, warm and cosy atmosphere, laughter and dance.

Duck rillettes cover photo and recipe here by Chef Charlie
Babarczi Rhine Riesling in the cover photo pairs well with the fatty rillettes due to its crispy, brilliant acidity and elevating fruit profile.

Why on St. Martin’s Day?
Because wineries have their doors wide open at the weekend closest to St. Martin’s name day (11 November).

Why do we eat duck and goose dishes on St. Martin’s Day?
Scroll down for the answer.

What happens at Babarczi estate on the 8th of November?
Visitors can choose between 4 time slots to participate in a tasting of 5 wines accompanied by duck rillettes (by Izsóp restaurant) and fresh bread.

Tasting time options and prices
– 12.50-14.35 – 6500 HUF
– 14.50-16.35 – 6500 HUF
– 16.50-18.35 – 8000 HUF
– 18.50-20.35 – 8000 HUF
The afternoon tastings are slightly more expensive, because from 5 pm live music will be provided by a duo called AcouStone.
If you must drive, the same price applies, but you can take a bottle home.

How to book?
Write an email to the winery and don’t forget to mention the time slot you prefer.

Why do we eat duck and goose dishes on St. Martin’s Day?

Saint Martin has a special importance for Hungarians, since the famous bishop was born in the province of Savaria in 316 in the Roman Empire, in the territory of Hungary. Savaria is now called Szombathely, a city of about 90 000 inhabitants, and the church stands at his presumable birthday to commemorate him.
As a teenager, he became Christian to his father’s dislike. His father was a soldier of the Roman Empire and made his son to join the army as well. According to the legend once Martin cut his coat with his sword and gave half of it to a beggar in the street who had been robbed of his clothes. At the age of 22, Martin baptized, and devoted all his life to God. He founded the first monastery in Europe. He was so modest, that – as the legend says – he hid among the geese to avoid being made a bishop. As a memory to his modest character, people eat dishes made of goose or duck on his name day on (and around) 11 November.

More about Babarczi Vineyard and Winery

Meet Babarczi team in the city of Győr on 28–30 August

Though Babarczi Vineyard and Winery of Pannonhalma wine region has collected many accolades recently with their red wines, the majority of their production is still white. Crispy, vibrant, lively and juicy wines, why not pair them with cheese? In case you are in Hungary, it is worth visiting the city of Győr, “Wine Days” will take place in an island in the middle of the city!

Győr Wine Days

Date and time: 28 (17.00–24.00), 29 (16.00–02.00), 30 August (12.00–02.00), 2025
Venue: Radó island, in the centre of Győr, Hungary
How to get to Győr from Budapest: By car it takes approximately 90 minutes via M1. By public transport the best is to take an InterCity train from Keleti railway station, it is only one hour to Győr, then a short walk to the island.
The event is free, wines are to be purchased at the winery exhibitors.
Music program is provided, more information here (in Hungarian)

Babarczi medals at Winelovers Wine Awards 2025

The winery won 3 silver and 1 bronze medals with high scores at the latest edition of WWA.
– Babarczi Pannonhalmi Marianum (Cabernet Franc) 2021, silver medal, 89 points
– Babarczi Pannonhalmi Sirius (Chardonnay) 2023, silver medal, 89 points
– Babarczi Pannonhalmi Aeternum (Bordeaux blend) 2022, silver medal, 88 points
– Babarczi Pannonhalmi Merlot 2021, bronze medal, 85 points

Wine & cheese pairing by Babarczi

The family winery organises several relaxed events at the estate, and certainly food is provided on these occasions. And in a recent post the winery shared their wine and cheese pairing recommendations, so that Babarczi-fans can enjoy them at home as well.
– Sauvignon Blanc – the refreshing, fruity wine with greenish notes pairs well with goat cheese or Feta or other salty, white cheeses.
– Chardonnay – if the wine is a barrel aged, creamy textured wine, it pairs well with matured, silky cheeses, like Mozzarella or Camembert. Try to add walnut and pear!
– Olaszrizling – a more restrained, subtle wine, perfect with harder cheeses of nutty character, like Gouda or Emmental.
– Rosé – fresh, fruity and playful, ideal with soft cheeses like Brie.

A recent article of ours about the success of Marianum

The Best Wine of Pannonhalma: Babarczi Marianum 2022

A recent article about Babarczi Birtokvörös (‘Estate Red’)

Welcome to my estate!

Results of the regional wine contests

Pannonhalma is a wine region to watch – we have said so several times. The annual wine contest of the region took place two weeks ago, here we present the results. Altogether 113 wines were entered from 26 producers. 25 gold, 83 silver and 5 bronze medals were given at the award ceremony. Babarczi Marianum 2022 received the highest score of the competition, therefore it has gained the title of The Best Wine of Pannonhalma.
See the category winner and gold winner wines below.

A word on regional contests

We keep saying that while a gold medal from an international contest has great prestige, regional wine competitionshave merits from other perspectives. All the wines come from the same terroir, most of them are from the typical grapes of the region, and fellow winemakers taste blind, deciding which wine shows their varieties and terroir in the most emblematic way. If a wine stands out from its peers on home field, it really worth the attention.

Marianum, and the best place to taste it

Marianum is a typical example of Cabernet Franc with a basket of berry fruits on the nose (blackberry, blueberry, red currant) and also a lot of spices, even a hint of oriental spices. It has a decent body, yet, I would say it is more of a sleek beauty than a blockbuster beast. It has its integrated tannins (the wine aged in French and Hungarian oak for 10 months), it has the body, it has pleasant acidity but most of all it has balance, elegance, harmony. A charming Cabernet Franc that leaves you cry for another glass…
The photo features the 2021 vintage, but at the contest 2022 participated.
The winery is worth a visit, especially if you like warm, home-like atmosphere. It is not far from Budapest (about 90 minutes). They offer tastings with some local food, cold or warm. In case guests prefer warm meal, 5 wines are presented and they serve pork stew with noodles and pickles to accompany the wines. Booking is necessary.

More about Babarczi Vineyard and Winery

Book a tasting here

See the category winner and gold winner wines below the photo.

Garden party to celebrate Chardonnay with more than 20 wineries

Four Seasons Gresham Palace luxury hotel in Budapest recommends one visit to wine enthusiasts: Etyeki Kúria. The estate is only 40 minutes’ drive from the centre of Budapest, the wines are outstanding, the view is fabulous, the atmosphere is relaxed. The annual Chardonnay event is a great occasion to visit Etyeki Kúria.
See the stars of our cover photo below.

Don’t sleep, drink Chardonnay!

Etyek wine region has an ideal mesoclimate for Chardonnay variety, and the wineries are well aware of this fact. Though after the huge success of the variety there was a counter trend not to drink Chardonnay (ABC – all but Chardonnay). Etyeki Kúria however kept on having a good relationship with Chardonnay, and to express their adoration, they created an annual event dedicated to the varietal. Around the shortest night of the year (St. John’s night or Szent Iván as it is called in Hungary) Etyeki Kúria offers a walk around tasting with several invited guest wineries all presenting their Chardonnay wines. The event later turns into an amazing, relaxed party – it is really worth staying.

Date and time: 14 June 2025, 17.00–22.30
Venue: Etyeki Kúria, 2091 Etyek, Báthori utca 21., Hungary
Programme: walk around Chardonnay tasting with more than 20 exhibitors until 20.30, then FunkyChardonNite starts with a live DJ set by DR.BRS.
Guest exhibitors: wineries will bring their Chardonnay wines from every part of Hungary, just a few names: Babarczi Vineyard and Winery (Pannonhalma), Garamvári Vineyard (Balaton), Kovács Nimród Winery (Eger),  (Szekszárd), Sauska (Tokaj / Villány), Vylyan Vineyard and Winery.
Full list of exhibitors here
Tickets: 18 500 HUF / 48 euro / per person
Buy your ticket here: (in Hungarian but google can help)
Free shuttle is provided for ticket holders, but pre-registration for the shuttle is needed!
Ticket includes the programme, tasting of the wines but it does not include dishes, food products.
Wine glasses are to be rented, 2000 HUF cash is needed, which will be returned when the glass is taken back.
Attention: the event is only for guests above 18.
In case of questions, contact: event@etyekikuria.com
More about Etyeki Kúria

See the stars of our cover picture below the photos.

Complex white, light sparkling or fruity red?

If you read the advice of food & wine experts, you can find examples of all the three wines above. A white from the volcanic Somló is definitely complex enough to balance the richness of smoked ham, and if it is a slightly aromatic wine, like a Tramini, it goes well with honeyed smoked ham. Prosecco or other light sparkling wine with some sweetish character will also work, and if you would go for a red, a lighter red like Kadarka or Zweigelt will do the job.

The three wines in our cover photo

Fehérvári Grand Reserve Tramini, 2022, Somló
Grape: 100% Tramini
Barrel aged Tramini from selected barrels. Concentrated rose oil and spicy barrel aromas greet you in its fragrance. Its taste is both vibrant and rich, with a very long, spicy aftertaste and refined barrel notes.
More about Fehérvári Wine Estate

Babarczi Buborczi aerated sparkling wine 2024, Pannonhalma
Grapes: Cserszegi Fűszeres, Irsai Olivér, Tramini
Fine bubbles caress the palate, while its fragrant fruit character and lively acidity make this wine the refreshing drink of the summer.
More about Babarczi Vineyard and Winery

Vylyan ‘Ördög’ 2022, Villány
Grapes: Merlot, Zweigelt, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Kékfrankos, Cabernet Franc
Ördög is a blend of the classicus product range, named after the Devil) ‘ördög’ means ‘devil’ in love in the traditional Villány legend. Energetic, thirst-quenching and full of vitality. This wine showcases vibrant fruitiness in the form of red stone fruits. Refreshing acidity, sporty structure and pleasant warm undertones characterize this wine.
More about Vylyan Vineyard and Winery  

Babarczi Estate Red with easy-to-make wine bites

‘Birtok’ means ‘estate’, and the estate wine is supposed to represent the style of the winery and the price is usually affordable. A wine to welcome guests at any time. Recently Vince wine magazine had a panel tasting of “estate red wines” – great idea –, and this new release from Pannonhalma received good review. We also tasted it – and we loved it! What is more, we got inspired and we made some typical Hungarian, easy-to-make wine bites.

Photo: Emma Katalin Dobos

Babarczi Birtokvörös 2022, Pannonhalma

Grapes: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon
Vince magazine panel: “Ruby colour. The nose reveals ripened sour cherry, subtle spices and barrel notes with a hint of vanilla. Refreshing, juicy palate with a pinch of tartness. Sour cherry, redcurrant, pomegranate. Easy-drinking with silky texture and medium length.”
Retail price is only 3300 HUF (approximately 8 EUR).
More about Babarczi Vineyard and Winery

Scroll down for the recipes!