The annual grand tasting of Bordeaux blends by Winelovers team will take place in the 5-star, glamorous building of Hotel Corinthia Budapest. The shiny marble floor will give the floor to the blockbuster reds of at least 60 wineries. Villány family winery Gere Tamás & Zsolt’s extremely long aged flagship wine, Aureus Cuvée 2012 is one of the beauties featured at the event.

Date and time: 21 November 2026, 14.00–21.00
Venue: Corinthia Hotel Budapest, Erzsébet krt 43–49, Budapest, Hungary
Early bird ticket (until 31 October): 15 900 HUF / approximately 43 EUR
To purchase your ticket click here (webshop in Hungarian) or write to the organisers
Exhibitors come from all over Hungary, see the full list here.

Rewarding patience

While most aged red wines on the shelves are from most recent vintages, the current vintage of Aureus Cuvée is 2012. This patience to release vintages is characteristic of Gere Tamás & Zsolt Winery, a stubborn and rewarding attitude to ageing. About the vintage they say: “The spring took an early and good start, which has been degraded after a while. The early summer was without rain, slightly cooler, but by the middle of the year the summer has become extremely warm, which lasted until the end of the harvest. We have finished with nice and sunny warm autumn.“ The wine is made of 40% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon from three emblematic vineyards: Kopár, Várerdő and Csillag. The hand harvest took place at the end of October and at the beginning of November. The wines aged separately for 30 months, in 70% used oak and 30% new oak, 225 and 500 L barrels.
“The glass is greeted by clean, charming scents. The play of forest fruits and tobacco, the right proportion of barrel spices gives the impression of an already mature wine. Earthy notes and restrained fruit scents guide the wine. Over time, coffee also arrives due to roasting. The matured aroma, the serious body, makes it even more complex. It still has a great future ahead of it, as it has elegance and potential.”
It costs only 7490 HUF / approximately 20 EUR on the webshop of the winery!
More about Gere Tamás & Zsolt winery

If you are interested in importing Gere Tamás & Zsolt wines, contact the commercial manager!

Franc & Franc weekend in Villány

Cabernet Franc has found its natural home in Villány, and an important knowledge hub has also found its home in Villány, the so-called Franc & Franc Forum and Tasting Day. Now the Villány team has decided to organise the international conference with Cabernet Franc wine regions of the world in every second year – to create an even better and more fruitful event –, and in the other years Franc & Franc focuses on Villány. This year the Villány-focus version will take place. For the masterclass, only 24 tickets are available!
The opening photo features the Top 12 of last year

What happens?

20 November

– 17.00 Masterclass with the Top 12 Villányi Franc wines of 2025
Venue: Bock Winery, Villány
Speaker: András Horkay DipWSET wine expert, the “voice of Villány”
– 19.00 Welcome dinner
Venue: Grandior Wine Bistro, Günzer Tamás Winery, Villány
A limited number of professionals can participate free of charge. If you are a wine professional and interested, contact the organisers here.
A limited number of tickets are available for wine enthusiasts, the price is 23 990 HUF. At the moment only 24 tickets are available!
Buy your ticket here. In Hungarian, but google can help.
Tickets include the masterclass and the welcome dinner with a welcome drink (additional drink consumption is to be paid individually).
Translation will not be provided.

These were the Top 12 wines last year:

Top 12 Cabernet Franc from Villány in 2025

21 November

– Tasting Day
Only 9 tickets are available!
– Starting from 8.30, participants visit 5 wineries, and at each winery there will be several representatives of other wineries.
– Altogether 60 wineries will pour their Cabernet Franc wines.
Venue of registration and starting the tour: Polgár Winery
Other venues:
– Bock Winery
– Vylyan Vineyard and Winery
– A.Gere Winery
– Vinatus Winery
– Sauska
Tickets cost 39 900 HUF, and tickets include
– the tasting of all the wines,
– transfer between the venues,
– wine bites at each place,
– lunch,
– tasting glass,
– tasting booklet,
Get your tickets here, in Hungarian, but google can help.

7 Hungarian highlights

1054 wines from 17 countries were entered into the 27th edition of VinAgora international wine competition, held in Budapest, Hungary. Champion winners were announced in 8 categories this year, while 17 Grand Gold medals were awarded. A total of 220 wines received Gold medals, representing more than one-fifth of all entries, while 100 wines were awarded Silver medals. In addition, 315 wines received the Commended distinction.

Wines of our cover photo

– Vesztergombi Vintage 2021, Szekszárd – Grand Gold winner

This vintage has several vintages–since here Vintage is the name of the wine. It is a blend of five grapes: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz and Kékfrankos. The wine named Csaba also received gold medal.
VinAgora fact sheet
More about Vesztergombi Cellar

– Vylyan Sauvignon Blanc 2025, Villány – The Best Hungarian Sauvignon Blanc

It is the VERY FIRST Sauvignon Blanc of Vylyan, it has just debuted, and it costs only 2790 HUF / around 7.8 EUR on the webshop of the winery! Vylyan won 3 gold medals alogether at VinAgora.
VinAgora fact sheet
More about Vylyan Vineyard and Winery

– Frittmann Hajnal 2025, Kunság – gold medal

When an easy-going, affordable wine gets gold medal, there is hope for humanity. Yes, every-day, thirst quenching, charming wines can also be appreciated. This white blend costs only 1700 HUF / less than 5 EUR on the webshop of the winery!
VinAgora fact sheet
More about the wine

– Garamvári Mimi Blanc de Blancs brut NV, Balatonboglár – gold medal

Garamvári Vineyards is one of the most successful wineries of VinAgora–this year with 5 gold medals! Mimi is a special traditional method sparkling wine, actually, it is a love message made of Pinot Blanc…
VinAgora fact sheet
More about Garamvári Vineyard

More than 20 wineries

A. Gere, Bock, Gere Tamás & Zsolt, Jackfall, Koch, Sauska, Teleki and many others will bring their wines to the capital of Hungary, to save wine professionals from a 2.5 hours’ drive. From the light and easy drinking, Portugieser based RedY through the iconic Bordeaux blends to the highly acknowledged Villányi Franc, Villány has a lot to present, not to mention the traditional method sparkling wines and the more and more popular Villány white wines.

Date and time: 28 April 2026, 13.00–18.00
Venue: Castle Garden Bazaar terrace, Budapest
To register write an email to this address, stating your wine professional status.
Wine connoisseurs can also register in limited number.
Exhibiting wineries: Agancsos, Bíbor, Bock, Fontányi, Gere A., Gere Tamás & Zsolt, Jackfall, Jammertal, Koch, Lelovits Tamás, Maczkó Róbert, Matias, Maul Zsolt, Mikeházi, Mokos, Rejiji, Riczu Tamás, Ruppert, Sauska, Streit-Zagonyi, Szemes, Teleki, Vinatus, Wassmann

Read about the top 12 Villányi Franc wines of 2025 here

Top 12 Cabernet Franc from Villány in 2025

Record number of wines were entered at the 57th Villány Regional Wine Contest. 361 wines were judged on 25 March, 257 of them are red – no wonder, Villány focuses on red wines. The Champion wine is Rejiji Wines Falcon Cuvée 2020, the most successful winery is Koch Winery with 6 grand gold, 14 gold and 15 silver medals. The best white wine is Gere Tamás & Zsolt Olaszrizling 2025.

Grand gold winner for less than 6 EUR (retail)

The white wine with the highest score is made by Gere Tamás & Zsolt Winery. Zsolt Gere, the second-generation winemaker is a devoted professional, and his care and attention towards the vineyards and the wines is rewarding.
– This wine is made of 100% Olaszrizling variety.
– 26-year-old vines (on average) from Szarkás, Dobogó (Nagyharsány), Kenderföld (Kisharsány), Máriagyűd, Nagytótfalú (Siklós).
– 45 000 bottles were made.
– Alcohol: 12.5 %, acidity: 5.7 g/l, residual sugar: 1.4 g/l
Clear, pale colour, intense aroma. Crisp, lively style, citrusy, green notes blend with sweet, fruity, ripe pineapple notes. A harmonious, well-rounded wine with the almond aromas, characteristic of Olaszrizling. Light and easy to drink, with lovely acidity.
(Note that Olaszrizling is a completely different grape variety from Rhine Riesling.)
More about Gere Tamás & Zsolt Winery

In case you are interested in importing Gere Tamás & Zsolt wines, contact Zsolt Takács sales manager.

A favourite recipe from Tamás Gere in Villány

A cookery book was published in 2010 with recipes and food stories from the most famous winemakers of Hungary. 15 years passed and it is fun to look through this book, the smiling faces, the dreams they had mentioned back then. Tamás Gere was 60-year-old in the book, he spoke about his dream of his son, Zsolt taking over, and about himself, dreaming of a grandchild. Now, Zsolt is managing the winery, and the happy grandpa can spend time with his gorgeous and naughty granddaughter!

 

In the book Tamás Gere recalled his childhood, when he adored his grandmother’s sweet pastries. He also spoke about the travels in the wine regions of the world, from Chile to Portugal, where he realised how much he loved fish. As for the family gatherings, he is happy to have several women in the family, they can share the duties among themselves, and he can enjoy the festive dishes, for example plates made of their home breed chickens.
The following recipe is a Swabian pork dish, a memory of the old times, when they used to kill a pig at home and made all the meat products themselves.

35th Winemaker of the Year of Hungary

The 5 candidates this year: Zsolt Gere, (Gere Tamás & Zsolt Winery, Villány), István Ipacs Szabó (Ipacs Szabó Winery, Villány, Pécs Research Centre), József Lamport (Thummerer Winery, Eger), Attila Szentpéteri (Szentpéteri Winery, Kunság), Csaba Vesztergombi (Vesztergombi Cellar, Szekszárd). The name of the winner will be announced on the 5th of December.

 

Former award winners

2024 Zsolt Liptai, Pannonhalma
2023 Tamás Günzer, Villány
2022 Mihály Figula Jr, Balatonfüred–Csopak
2021 Beáta Nyúlné Dr. Pühra, Etyek-Buda
2020 Tamás Borbély, Badacsony
2019 Csaba Koch, Hajós-Baja
2018 Géza Balla, Arad (Romania)
2017 † Mátyás Szőke, Mátra
2016 Pál Mészáros, Szekszárd
2015 † Mihály Szöllősi, Neszmély
2014 Tamás Dúzsi, Szekszárd
2013 Éva Gálné Dignisz, Kunság
2012 Károly Áts, Tokaj
2011 Péter Vida, Szekszárd
2010 Ottó Légli, Balatonboglár
2009 Dr. György Lőrincz, Eger
2008 † János Konyári, Balatonboglár
2007 János Frittmann, Kunság
2006 Vencel Garamvári, Balatonboglár
2005 Béla Vincze, Eger
2004 Ferenc Takler, Szekszárd
2003 János Árvay, Tokaj
2002 † Ernő Malya, Etyek-Buda
2001 István Szepsy, Tokaj
2000 † Mihály Figula, Balatonfüred-Csopak
1999 Ákos Kamocsay, Ászár-Neszmély
1998 † Tibor Gál, Eger
1997 József Bock, Villány
1996 Zoltán Polgár, Villány
1995 † Vilmos Thummerer, Eger
1994 Attila Gere, Villány
1993 Ferenc Vesztergombi, Szekszárd
1992 † Tibor Báthori, Etyek-Buda
1991 Ede Tiffán, Villány

 

Gere Tamás & Zsolt and other top wineries

The annual walk-around tasting of Bordeaux blend wines takes place again in the 5-star, glamorous Corinthia Hotel Budapest. Blends of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc are magnificent, just like the venue abundant in marble and velvet. Tickets are on sale now, and early bird tickets are available!

Bike tour with 6 stations

‘Gördülő Dűlők’ means something like ‘Rolling Vineyards’, it is the name of a bike tour visiting wineries, organized every year. The “harvest edition” gives the participants opportunity to get an insight of the harvest, do a bit of physical activity and obviously taste some thirst quenching wines. The meeting and starting point is Gere Tamás & Zsolt Winery in the centre of Villány.

Date and time: 13 September 2025, 10.00–17.00 (Registration from 10.00 to 11.00)
Starting point and registration: Gere Tamás és Zsolt Pincészete, Villány, Diófás u. 1., Hungary
Tickets purchased online until 11 August: 11.900 HUF (approximately 30 EUR). It includes 6 wines, 5 wine bites and 1 lunch.
Tickets purchased on the spot: 13.900 HUF (approximately 35 EUR). It includes 6 wines, 5 wine bites but it does notinclude lunch.
Two bike route options:
19 km: Villány – Kisharsány – Siklós
25 km: Villány – Palkonya – Vokány – Siklós
What happens: Bikers ride individually in their own pace, if they stop at the suggested stations, they will get a glass of wine and a small bite to eat. For example, at the starting point, at Gere Tamás & Zsolt Winery participants can drink a white wine or a rosé wine (or grape juice) with salami and cheese wine bites. Those, who buy their tickets in advance, can enjoy a two-course lounge at the entrance of the Castle of Siklós with a selection of RedY wines.
More information and tickets here (in Hungarian, but google can help, for buying the tickets scroll down)
More about Gere Tamás & Zsolt Winery and Pansion

One of the 21 Best New Vintage Wines: Gere Tamás & Zsolt Olaszrizling 2024

New year, new vintage wines!

Our earlier article about a new product by Gere Tamás & Zsolt Winery

Let’s ‘WIBE’ with a red ale by Gere Tamás & Zsolt Winery

Wines and sparkling wines & music

Young, creative, passionate and make great wines – these are the Junibor member winemakers. Meet them, taste with them at Szabadság square in Budapest at this relaxed outdoor wine festival.
Scroll down to see our cover photo girls and guys!

– Date: 4–9 June 2025
– Opening hours:
Wednesday: 12.00–00.00
Thursday: 12.00–02.00
Friday: 12.00–02.00
Saturday: 12.00–02.00
Sunday: 12.00–00.00
Monday: 12.00–00.00
– Venue: Szabadság square, Budapest
– Entrance: The event is entrance free, almost: there is a festival glass obligatory for tasting, it costs 4250 HUF (approximately 11 EUR)
– Type of event: Relaxed walk-around tasting in one of the most beautiful squares of Budapest. Food will be available at street food vendors. Wines and dishes are to be paid directly to the exhibitors.
– What is special about this event? Junibor is an association of young winemakers of family wineries. Most of the Junibor members will be present, so guests can meet these cool young wine guys and girls personally. Andrea Gere from A. Gere Winery, Titi Gál, who has just been chosen Winemakers of the Winemakers, Pálma Koch, the brand new president of Junibor – they will all be there.
– More information (in Hungarian, but google can help)
– Junibor winemakers presenting their wines at the event:

Péter Frittmann (Kunság), Csaba Gál, Betty Darabont (Romania), Gergő Böjt (Eger), Ákos Kamocsay Jr. (Mór), Stefan-Wille Baumkauff (Tokaj), Ádám Várkoly, Attila Szentpéteri (Kunság), Pálma Koch (Hajós–Baja), Ferenc Bujdosó (South Balaton), Dániel Konyári (South Balaton), Bence Laposa, (Badacsony), Tamás Kovács (Balatonfüred–Csopak), Mihály Figula (Balatonfüred–Csopak)), János Bolyki (Eger), Péter Gál (Eger), Marcell Bukolyi (Eger), Titi Gál (Eger), László Babiczki (Mátra), Barnabás Cseri (Pannonhalma), Angelika Árvay (Tokaj), ifj. István Szepsy (Tokaj), Hajnalka Prácser (Tokaj), Gábor Kardos (Tokaj), Kata Zsirai (Tokaj), Zsolt Gere (Villány), Zsolt Tiffán (Villány), Gábor Kiss (Villány), Andrea Gere (Villány), Ákos Vabrik, Tamás Dúzsi (Szekszárd), András Takler (Szekszárd), Zoltán Heimann Jr (Szekszárd), Csaba Vesztergombi (Szekszárd), Csilla Sebestyén (Szekszárd), Csabi Miklós (Mór), Tamás Hernyák (Etyek), Palkó Rókusfalvy (Etyek), Előd Szijjártó (Etyek), Károly Csernus.

Wine girls and wine boys from our cover photo

Péter Frittmann (in the top left corner)

Frittmann Winery

Csaba Vesztergombi (in the middle, on the top)

Vesztergombi Cellar

Kata Zsirai (in the top right corner)

Zsirai Winery

Pálma Koch (in the middle row on the left)

Koch Winery