Winery · Villány

Villány: Hungary's Bordeaux

Name: Villány: Hungary's Bordeaux
Address: Villány, HU

At Hungary's southern edge (45.5°N latitude), Villány's cool mesoclimate rivals Bordeaux varieties—Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc blend into powerful reds on the sunny south-facing Villány Hills.

What to do there

TourVillány: Hungary's BordeauxAfter the Ottomans left Villány depopulated, Serb settlers came first, in 1692–95; German settlers followed from 1745, and by the mid-1750s the village was German-majority. Local tradition credits them with bringing Portugieser vines, and from about 1760 they built the 50+ cellars along Baross Gábor utca. Attila Gere's Kopár — named 'Barren' because the vineyard barely has topsoil — became a legend of Hungarian red wine. Sauska 48 is the only Hungarian entry on Michelin's world-18 best vineyard restaurants: 48 seats, and the vines you see from the terrace are in the wine you're drinking. The former limestone quarry above holds 130 sculptures by artists from Hungary and around the world.