Life of a winemaker’s wife

Most wineries post a lot on social media during the harvest, no wonder, this is a period when too much is at stake, there is so much emotion. We came across this somehow unusual harvest post on the Facebook page of Gál Tibor Winery, the speaker is Gréti, Tibor Gál’s wife. The text below is the translation of her beautiful confession – we thought it was appropriate for the end of the year.

What’s life like in the family of a winemaker? Not boring, you bet!
Hi, I’m Gréti, the wife of a winemaker, and we’re just in time for this blog post, as we’re about to enter the most important, most adventurous and – and the most complicated period requiring a lot of flexibility –, the HARVEST.

Years ago, I mostly met wines and winemakers at posh or cozy tastings in Budapest, I mostly read about harvest in my hardcover books, and who the hell thought that in a few years I’d be taking a leap into the middle of winemaking?

Well, since I did and became the wife of an amazing, absolutely wonderful winemaker, I’ll tell you how I’m experiencing my life in a winemaking family.

So, to start with, I used to live in Budapest, studying agricultural engineering at the University of Horticulture and my wine loving friends started introducing me to the world of wines.

I went to fantastic tastings, worked in a wine shop and therefore I had the chance to taste a lot of wines. Then I worked with the Borjour team, one of the best places to be, in the centre of the vibrant wine life of the city. In case you don’t know them, they organise super creative and themed tastings, especially in Budapest. These events are cool, they have great atmosphere and you get to meet the winemakers a lot.

Because what better way would be for the simple consumer than getting first hand information about the magic we only imagine? And here comes the mystical twist. In a city, at a table, surrounded by a bustle of neatly dressed people in starched collars, basking in the beauty of stately buildings, we hold the “juice” in our hands. We smell it, taste it, swirl it and have a charming, useful, pleasant chat about how the dream in a bottle is made. The imagination comes: of a thoughtful winegrower taking slow, pleasant walks through the vineyards, of a winemaker tasting wines in a cellar with a pleasant interior. Several romantic images: what an expressive work, inspiring and wonderful!

Well, we are not so far from the truth, because it really is AWESOME. But not as described above. In reality, there is no starched white collar in the vineyard or the cellar, but there are two hand jobs. Real contact with nature and life. The excitement and fulfilment of creation.

There are mornings when we have to get up very early, and there are evenings when we got home late to the family. Wet, sticky harvests with wasps, tense excitement over the perfection or imperfection of the year’s harvest. We have to be wine professionals, restaurateurs, managers, all at the same time. Juggling with the duties to be done and living together with nature.

In fact, the wonder of being a winemaker is the reality of life. I lived in the forest as a child. I know what it is like to live together with nature. Of course, back then I did not know or understand the significance of this. I am grateful to life that I can finally live my adulthood in a landscape and in a life in which I can coexist with nature, with all its beauty and difficulties.

So, there are indeed romantic, slow walks through the vineyards. Sunrises, breakfasts in boots on the top of jeeps. There are contemplative tastings with my husband. And there are proud moments holding our own wine in our hands.

It’s an amazing journey being in a winemaking family. It’s tough, it’s down to earth, but most of all it’s a fantastic journey!

More about Gál Tibor Winery

Our recent article with James Suckling’s high scores for Gál Tibor

James Suckling’s global report on Hungary