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!

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  

The prestigious title has been awarded for 33 years, the nominees of the 34th edition have been announced recently. Szekszárd and Villány wine regions have given 5-5 award winners each so far, Eger follows them with 4 title holders. Will Szekszárd take the lead with Vesztergombi or will Eger gain on those two on the leaderboard with Lamport of Thummerer? Or will Pannonhalma get its first winner with Liptai of Pannonhalma Archabbey? And also Szepsy Jr can get the 4th title for Tokaj and Szentpéteri the 3rd one for Kunság. See some interesting statistics below. A gala dinner with the nominees will take place on 30 November at Gundel restaurant in Budapest.

Some statistics of the past 33 years of the Winemaker of the Year award

– The youngest award winner is Tamás Borbély from Badacsony.
– One winner from outside the borders of Hungary: Géza Balla, a Hungarian in Transylvania, Romania.
– 3 of the recent nominees were nominated last year and the year before as well: Csaba Vesztergombi of Vesztergombi Cellar, Zsolt Liptai of Pannonhalma Archabbey and József Lamport of Thummerer Winery.
– 2 of the recent nominees can say that their father is an earlier award winner: Csaba Vesztergombi and István Szepsy Jr. And József Lamport is the chief winemaker of Thummerer Winery, with the late Vilmos Thummerer, one of the former winners.
– 8 of the 33 award winners deceased.
– There are only 2 female award winners out of the 33: Beáta Nyúlné Dr. Pühra (Etyek-Buda) and Éva Gálné Dignisz (Kunság).
– There is one father and son winner pair: late Mihály Figula and Mihály Figula Jr from Balatonfüred–Csopak.

Wine dinner at Gundel restaurant with the nominees

Date and time: 30 November 2024, 18.00–22.00
Venue: Gundel restaurant, 1146 Budapest, Gundel Károly út 4., Hungary
Tickets cost 20 000 HUF (approximately 50 euros)
Order your ticket here (in Hungarian, but google can help)

More about Gundel restaurant

Wine regions with the most award winners

– Szekszárd: 5
– Villány: 5
– Eger: 4
– Etyek–Buda: 3
– Tokaj: 3
– Balatonboglár: 3
– Balatonfüred–Csopak: 2
– Kunság: 2
– Neszmély: 2
– Badacsony: 1
– Hajós–Baja: 1
– Mátra: 1
– Outside Hungary: Romania: 1

Former award winners

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

 

 

112 wineries, 180 award winning wines

The 3rd edition of Winelovers Wine Awards international wine contest took place at the beginning of July with a parade of wine experts from Taiwan to the US. On 14 September the wine enthusiast public can meet the producers of many medal-winner wines and certainly they can taste as many as they can comprehend. The venue is the 5-star glamorous Corinthia Hotel Budapest, the very same place where the contest took place.

Date and time: 14 September 2024, 14.00–22.00
Venue: Corinthia Hotel Budapest, Erzséber krt. 43–37., Budapest, Hungary
Some of the exhibitors: Eszterbauer Winery (Szekszárd), Etyeki Kúria (Etyek), Feind Winery (Balatonfüred–Csopak), Fehérvári Wine Estate (Somló), Heumann Winery (Villány), Holdvölgy (Tokaj), Koch Winery (Hajós–Baja / Villány), Pannonhalma Archabbey (Pannonhalma), Sauska (Tokaj / Villány), Steigler Cellar (Sopron), Tornai Winery (Somló), Vesztergombi Cellar (Szekszárd), Villa Sandahl (Badacsony), Zsirai Winery (Tokaj)

See the full list of exhibitors
Tickets: Before 13 September tickets cost 14 900 HUF / 38 EUR (on the spot it will cost 16 900 HUF / 43 EUR).
Tickets and more info here.

Let us introduce the WWA medal winner wines of the cover picture wineries

Eszterbauer Winery (Szekszárd)

The family winery in Szekszárd won 6 medals, 1 gold, 4 silver and 1 bronze medals. Mesterünk 2021, the gold winner wine is a varietal Merlot (the bottle shot in the cover photo features the 2019 vintage, which was a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc). It aged for 19 months in small barrel. The grape came from Görögszó vineyard, and the wine is produced only in the best vintages. It received 90 points! ‘Mesterünk’ means ‘Our master’ and it refers to winemaker László Pálinkás’s grandfather and tutor, a great professional.

More about Eszterbauer Winery

Fehérvári Wine Estate (Somló)

The estate won 1 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze medals. The gold winner is Fehérvári Magnum Brut (NV), a bottle fermented sparkling wine made of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Furmint and Hárslevelű. “Our Reserve Brut Magnum sparkling wine carries both the exclusivity of traditional sparkling wines and the innovative curiosity of our winery. An exciting specialty that offers a wonderful sight as moonlight pearls in the glass with a yellow colour. In its complex aroma, juicy peaches, pears and citrus appear at the same time, with toasty, mature aromas in the background. Its fruitiness creates harmony with the biscuit flavours, which end with a creamy finish.”

More about Fehérvári Wine Estate

Heumann Winery (Villány)

Villány family winery has vineyards in the Siklós part of the winer region and produces elegant, outstanding quality wines. At this year’s WWA the Heumanns won a gold medal for Terra Tartaro 2018 (with 91 points), while Laguna 2018 received 88 points and a silver medal. Terra Tartaro 2018 is made of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, from 15–30-year-old vines. The soil is mainly loess with high proportion of limestone. Destemmed, alcoholic fermentation and malolactic fermentation in temperature-controlled steel tanks at 28-30° C; matured in Hungarian barriques (225 l) and tonneau (500 l) for 24 months.

More about Heumann Winery

Pannonhalma Archabbey (Pannonhalma)

The legendary winery of the Benedictine monks collected not less than 6 medals: 2 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals. One of the gold winners is the super elegant flagship red wine, a wine that wins whatever contest it enters: Infusio. The 2021 vintage received 90 points. And Pannonhalmi Hemina, a white blend from 2022 received even more, 92 points! The blend is made of 50% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Blanc, 15% Sauvignon Blanc, and 15% Viognier, aged in 500 litre Hungarian oak barrels. “The wine is based on Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc that ensure the full body and the creamy structure, ornamented with the calcareous minerality and the delicate notes from the aging in used barrels and enriched by the lively fruitiness of Viognier and the vivid acidity of Sauvignon blanc. It is a complex and rich wine that can even develop with bottle ageing.” We wrote about Hemina, the story of the name here.

More about Pannonhalma Archabbey

Vesztergombi Cellar (Szekszárd)

The founder Ferenc Vesztergombi and his son, Csaba make stunning wines that are frequent protagonists of every top list and medal chart. At WWA they won a gold for Bodzás Merlot 2019 with 91 points, and 2 gold medals as well: Vintage 2019 and St László Bikavér 2021. The grape for this wine came from ‘Bodzás’ vineyard, hence the name (‘Bodzás’ means ‘Full of elderflowers’). A west facing slope planted in 2000, with vines at 230–250 metres above sea level. The soil is mainly red clay with some limestone pieces. Aged in 300L and 500L barrels for 24 months and 6 months in bottle before release.

More about Vesztergombi Cellar

Villa Sandahl (Badacsony)

This unique estate in Badacsony collected 2 gold and 2 bronze medals at this year’s Winelovers Wine Awards. Uniqe, because the Swedish owned estate produces only Rhine Riesling wines, but what Rhine Rieslings! The king of white grapes feels great on the volcanic soil of Badacsony, and now it is proved again. Roses darling 2022 and Out of the blue 2022, the gold winners have not been released to the market yet, we have to wait. Freya’s Amulet, one of the bronze winners is available and we had the chance to taste this amazing wine. Complex, juicy, luscious Rhine Riesling with several layers. At Villa Sandahl each vintage has a different topic that appears on the labels, 2020 is about gods of the Old Norse era. “Freya is the goddess associated with love, beauty, fertility, and sex (symbolized on the label with daisy flowers and bees), but she is also a brutal warrior. ”

More about Villa Sandahl
More about Freya’s Amulet

Zsirai Winery (Tokaj)

The winery run by the Zsirai sisters collected a bronze and a gold medal, and the gold winner is also the best white wine made of indigenous grape, namely of Hárslevelű: Zsirai Középhegy Hárslevelű 2021 received 95 points! ‘Középhegy’ (‘Middle Mountain’) stands for the vineyard, a windy, cooler ‘cru’. (Read more about Középhegy here.) The wine fermented spontaneously and aged in Hungarian oak barrels for 10 months. It has 8.5 g/l residual sugar and 7.4 g/l acidity. “ In addition to the elegant acid structure and minerality characteristic of the vineyard, the typical linden leaves come along nicely.”
More about Zsirai Winery

 

Find all WWA results here

 

 

 

Pannonhalma Archabbey Winery

The winery of the historic Archabbey as versatile as the monks have always been. While Benedictine monks of Pannonhalma produce several products from liquor to lavender soaps, the winery makes outstanding wines, has a wine terrace with stunning view and hosts events like a series of jazz concerts this summer. If you happen to stay in Hungary, spend a relaxed night at Pannonhalma Archabbey Winery.

Date and time: 16 August 2024, 19.30–22.00
Venue: Pannonhalma Archabbey Winery, Hungary
How to get there: It takes about 1.5 hours from Budapest, or you can stay nearby and walk. In case you stay in the city of Győr (30 km), a transfer bus is available.
Tickets: 8500 HUF / person
Buy your ticket here (in Hungarian, but google can help)
Wine and food: Quality street food will be available and the whole selection of Pannonhalma Archabbey Winery wines, see the range here.
More about Pannonhalma Archabbey Winery

Listen to some music by Stereo Swing feat. Gabi Szűcs

Some photos of the previous jazz evening

Hungarianwines.eu team is always eager to answer all the inquiries arriving in our mailbox, the email from Gilbert & Gaillard magazine was also answered, this is how it all began. Years by years several Hungarian wines are evaluated by the prestigious wine challenge (founded in 1989), and now the first ever comprehensive article has been published written by me, Ágnes Németh, owner and editor of Hungarianwines.eu.

Longer version accepted

On Hungarianwines.eu we often quote from other articles written about Hungarian wines, to make our readers curious and read the original article. Now the funny situation is that I quote from myself:)

“A small country with great pride, Hungary is home to 22 wine regions and more than 200 grape varieties. While domestic consumption has significantly dropped over the past two decades, producers are optimistic and seeking out new markets. Seasoned wine connoisseurs will undoubtedly find exciting wines by Hungarian winemakers, whether they are looking for indigenous rarities or outstanding examples of international varieties.”
It is an honour to have completed a work for this renowned wine magazine, and it is even more heart-warming for me that the longer version was published. I submitted the article of the required 1700 words, and another one of 2700 words, just in case. How can you squeeze a country into 1700 words? Certainly, an article like this can never be complete, but my aim was to give a basic introduction to this colourful wine country, and a snapshot of the recent wine consumption and export figures. Gilbert & Gaillard published an article about Tokaj in 2021, but this is the very first article about the whole country.
The magazine is in English, distributed in 22 countries, reaching hundreds of thousands of wine connoisseurs and professionals.
Thanks to Gilbert & Gaillard for the opportunity!

Read the article online on the 80th page here.

Read the wine reviews about A. Gere, Babarczi, Gál, Grand Tokaj, Sabar and Vylyan wines on page 125.

More about Gilbert & Gaillard

Match colours and flavours

Are wines only red or white? No, there are myriads of colours and hues, ruby, purple, golden and many more. And as for clothes the fabric has a special importance whether it is silk or linen, the texture of a wine is a key feature. The next weekend is Pentecost weekend, wineries open their doors all over Hungary and winelovers go visiting, tasting and enjoying the May weekend. Babarczi Vineyard and Winery offers a unique program on Friday, 17th May: NOS Simple Hungarian designer brand will bring its new limited edition Spring Mood collection, paired with the vibrant whites and complex, elegant reds of the estate. The next day, on Saturday the winery awaits guests with a more traditional program – cellar visits and tasting, and wines will be accompanied by artisan burgers made at the winery by Izsóp restaurant team.

Fashion show: 17 May, 18.30
Tickets: 14 000 HUF
Cellar visits and tasting with burgers: 18 May
Four cellar visits are available: 13.30, 15.30, 17.30, 19.30
Price for visit + 5 wines + a chosen dish: 8900 HUF
More information and tickets here
Phone: 0036703146318
How to get there: Babarczi estate is about 2 hours by car from Budapest. It is only a few minutes from the historic town of Pannonhalma and it is about 15 minutes from the city of Győr. There is a special bus service available from Győr (Hotel Famulus) at this weekend.
More info about the bus service here (in Hungarian, but google can help or you can contact us for help).
More about Babarczi Vineyard and Winery

Our latest article about Babarczi Marianum Cabernet Franc

VinAgora special award for the most creative label

Hemina, the name of the Burgundian style blend of Pannonhalma Archabbey Winery refers to an amount – but don’t think of litre or pint or any other down-to-earth units of measurement. A hemina is the amount of wine YOU think appropriate for you – as it was advised by Saint Benedict, the founder of Benedictine order. Now the label of the wine received a special prize at VinAgora international wine competition. Well deserved, congratulation!

“Hemina is the proper daily amount of wine – if you drink it, you find God, but it is not enough to make you vulnerable for the devil’s temptation.” According to the explanation of the team of the winery, Saint Benedict’s rule does not define the exact amount, probably because he was a witty theologist, who took the diverse metabolism of different individuals into consideration. However, hemina is defined according to some other sources, they say it is an ancient Roman unit of liquid volume: 0.274 litres. Yet, as Peter Züllig pointed out on Wein.Plus, “the measure of the hemina has changed again and again, especially where it is still part of the table tradition, in many monasteries”. Probably many of us prefer the first explanation, which says that hemina is an undefined unit that leaves the decision to us…

Pannonhalmi Hemina 2021 – VinAgora gold

The exciting story and the stunning label would not be worth much without outstanding wine inside the bottle. But Hemina meets the expectations raised by the look undoubtedly. The blend is made of 50% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Blanc, 15% Sauvignon Blanc, and 15% Viognier. The biologically ripe grapes of the different varieties were harvested separately. After destemming the grapes, the berries were first selected by an optical sorting machine and then pressed, the cleared juice was put into 500 litre Hungarian oak barrels for the fermentation. Also, the malolactic fermentation took place in the barrels and the fine lees have been stirring up regularly for 6 months to increase the complexity of the wine and enrich its aromas.

“The wine is based on Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc that ensure the full body and the creamy structure, ornamented with the calcareous minerality and the delicate notes from the aging in used barrels and enriched by the lively fruitiness of Viognier and the vivid acidity of Sauvignon blanc. It is a complex and rich wine that can even develop with bottle ageing.”

VinAgora result sheet of the wine

More about Pannonhalma Archabbey Winery

See VinAgora Special Prizes and Champion awards here

Winery of the Year 2023: Pannonhalma Archabbey Winery

Zsuzsanna Babarczi and the lastest 5 star acknowledgement

By Ágnes Németh

As we wrote earlier, Babarczi Merlot 2020 won gold medal at the latest edition of VinAgora international wine contest and not only a simple gold: it was selected the Best Merlot of the contest. Not long after that, the wine won gold medal at the other international wine contest organized in Hungary, at Winelovers Wine Awards. And the most recent acknowledgement: the Merlot won 5 stars at the latest panel tasting of Vince magazine, an influential print magazine in Hungary. Isn’t this row of success convincing? And who is the manager and the “engine” of this estate? A pretty lady with a smile that never fades, Zsuzsanna Babarczi.

The greatest ones of the smallest ones

My sister happens to be the tasting coordinator of Vince magazine. I remember, we were talking about this panel tasting: the topic was the smallest wine regions of Hungary: Somló, Pannonhalma, Mór and Pécs. I did not find a good idea to include Somló here, even though it is small, the smallest one, yet due to the intense influence of the volcanic soil and the international fame, Somló is somehow above the other three. I expected Somló superiority – I was wrong. The panel tasting ended with 4 five star wines, 3 from Pannonhalma and 1 from Pécs:
– Babarczi Merlot 2020, Pannonhalma
– Pannonhalma Archabbey Winery Infusio 2020, Pannonhalma
– Ács Winery Savannah 2021, Pannonhalma
– Planina Wine House Cirfandli 2021, Pécs

Zsuzsanna Babarczi – it is sometimes hard to be a woman in a men’s world

We have known each other for a long time and we met several times, certainly mostly at wine events within Hungary and sometimes abroad. “Zsuzsi” was always cheerful and radiated some inner elegance. Recently I had the chance to talk with her more. I learnt that she speaks fluent English and Italian, good French and also some German. She lived and worked in Switzerland for a while, but now she is the manager of Babarczi Winery and Vineyard, which means that she works night and day, deals with the sales, the problems of every employee, the events, the marketing and certainly with the products themselves. She lost her mother a few years ago and her father needs constant attention, so there is no time left for her private life. Yet she is optimistic and friendly, a great company. I am glad to see that finally she decided to have some new photos taken of her by a professional photographer. Job well done! The photos reflect the “Zsuzsi phenomenon”!

Hurry to grab the last bottles!

Babarczi Merlot 2020 aged in used oak barrels for 10 months. Elegant, fruit driven, velvety Merlot – a great example of the variety. According to Vince magazine panel: “Intense nose with forest fruits, raspberry, plum, spices and some toasty notes. The palate also features red fruits, mainly cherry and raspberry with some plum, chocolate and toast. A complex, elegant, intense, layered wine with subtle barrel use”.
There is only one serious problem with the wine: only 2400 bottles were made and there are hardly any left. It is time to get the last bottles and start negotiation about the 2021 vintage. The retail price is around 18 euros.

More about Babarczi Winery & Vineyard