Szentesi Winery – Etyek-Buda Wine Region

Szentesi is one of Hungary’s biggest champions when it comes to re-discovering old grape varieties, and bringing them back into the vineyard and into the glass. His passion is researching ancient grape varieties (which mostly died out during the phylloxera scourge in the late 19^th century), and then acquiring rare vine cuttings from the research institute to plant in his vineyards.

He has done this with dozens of varieties, which he then makes experimental small quantities of wine with—magical re-incarnations of ancient, Hungarian varietals which have been (nearly) lost to history. He is the go-to man when it comes to growing grapes like Laska and Tihanyi Kék—grapes grown nowhere else in the world, which he brought back from nothing. Szentesi has 16 hectares of vineyards planted with nearly 30 grape varieties.

About 15 percent of the area is dedicated to growing old, obscure varieties that he has resurrected. His cellar is in Budaörs, just beyond Budapest’s border. But his vineyards are at Lake Velence, a 45-minute drive from downtown Budapest—officially part of the Etyek-Buda region. The shallow lake is Hungary’s third largest, and it contributes to the area’s special climate and terroir.