By Eszter Tiefenthaler / Vince Magazine
Quiar Birtok
(Balatonfőkajár)
Quiar Birtok winery was founded by Tamás Sipőcz in 2015, fulfilling an old dream. Their goal is to promote their wine-growing location in Balatonfőkajar, which is outstanding in a national context, with the help of their outstanding quality, organically, hand-cultivated wines produced on their vines.
Why did you decide to exhibit at the Budapest Wine Festival this year? What are your expectations for the festival?
With six harvests behind us, the winery has now reached a level where we consider it worthy of being presented to the general public. We want to attract as many wine lovers as possible to our booth and taste our award-winning wines.
Are you preparing a special wine for the festival?
The main wine we will be bringing to the event will be a silver medal-winning kékfrankos from this year's wine competition, which is unmissable in the tasting line-up, and our public favourite, an amber wine aged in an amphora.
As a visitor, you've probably been to the festival before. What are your impressions and memories?
The Budapest Wine Festival is the most unique of its kind in Hungary, thanks to its location. Enjoying the night view of Pest with a glass of fine wine in hand is an unforgettable experience.
PALO Borbirtok
(Paloznak)
Their two-hectare estate is nestled in the picturesque surroundings of Paloznak, at the junction of Lake Balaton and Bakony. In addition to cultivating their vineyards and making their wines, the guesthouse plays an important role in the life of the estate, inspired by simplicity and closeness to nature. András Weltner, the manager of the winery, answered our questions.
Why did you decide to exhibit at the Budapest Wine Festival this year?
The festival is a great opportunity to get in front of a wider audience and promote our brand. We not only want to showcase our wines, but also our guest house, which is an integral part of our estate. We expect the festival to help us build relationships with both the wine-loving public and our professional partners. We will be sharing a stand with 0.75 Bistro and Palack Wine Bar, and we would like the public of our other two hospitality venues to get to know PALO Wine Estate. The estate can also be a wonderful venue for weddings, small corporate events, team building and get-togethers for up to 16-18 people.
What are your impressions and memories of previous Budapest Wine Festivals?
We have been attending the wine festival for decades, and every year it is a cheerful weekend full of meet-ups. One of our most memorable experiences was an impromptu wine tasting where we were able to sample the specialities of a small, family-run winery. This inspired us to participate as exhibitors at the festival.
Are you preparing any special wines for the festival?
We are preparing with a full range of our winery's products. I would highlight the following: our 2022 Olaszriznling, which won the gold medal at the Grow du Monde wine competition, and only a few bottles are available, which we have reserved for the festival. Our silver medal winning lot is the 2023 Olaszrizling - a comparison of the two should also be exciting for visitors. Our only red wine is a freshly bottled Cabernet franc 2023, which will be available for the first time at the wine festival.
Fivérek Borbirtok
(Szekszárd)
Young winery, founded in 2020. They farm 20 hectares in the best areas of the Szekszárd wine region. They have a diverse range of grape varieties, but do not produce more than 3-4000 bottles of any one grape variety. In 2022 and 2023 they achieved several international successes, returning from Berlin with three gold medals (their 2021 Cabernet Franc, 2022 Kadarka and 2022 Alkony Merlot), and their Alkony Merlot was awarded gold at Vinagora as well. They believe that success is a team effort and that in winemaking, the winemaker is the conductor. The vineyard and winemaking work at the estate is managed by László Milhoffer, who answered our questions.
Why did you decide to exhibit at the Budapest Wine Festival this year?
As we are only a few years old, we haven't had much insight into the festivals, but this year we participated in the Rosalia Wine Picnic and came away with a very good experience. We were very impressed with the curiosity of the wine consumers about the new cellars and the wines there. They are looking for something new and different, and I see that many of them found it here. I expect the same for the event in the castle.
What are your impressions and memories of previous Budapest Wine Festivals?
I had the pleasure of attending the festival a few years ago. The first thing that struck me was the venue itself and the professionalism.
Are you preparing anything special for the festival?
We will have several red cuvées and sparkling wines, as well as my personal favourite, a siller with "a little twist". I suggest tasting our Alkony Merlot, which came home with a gold medal from Vinagora, and our Omnium red cuveé, which boasts two gold medals.
