Picture yourself in a wonderful green land with colourful blankets on the grass, and imagine what it feels like when the lovely spring sunshine gently kisses your skin while sipping a glass of heavenly rosé. Doesn’t it sound idyllic?
This dreamy scene is actual reality, and you can experience it at Rosalia Festival! Between 11-13 May, City Park (Városliget) will become a haven for wine lovers with its more than 50 winemaker stands. As it’s the time of the year when nature wears its nicest attire, the countryside surroundings will be as tranquil as they can be. The area’s calm and relaxing vibes make it the perfect place for a fun day trip. Let’s learn about winemaking and taste the best of the bests! Here is our TOP 7 list!
Borbély Winery
The Badacsony landscape, the vines, the love of and respect for the wine have been present in the life of the Borbély family for decades. Since the beginnings, the winery has put special emphasis on traditional winemaking. The talented winemakers (such as Tamás Borbély, multiple nominee for Winemaker of the Year 2012-2017) embrace mainly white wine varieties, which are characteristic of the region, on their 23-hectare vineyard. Using both modern and traditional technologies, Borbély Winery produces fresh wines such as its Bóbita sparkling wine and Kinnagangon pinot noir rosé, but offers more unique, rich flavoured wines too. The latter is represented in the vinery’s Kéknyelű, Bács-hegy Olaszrizling, Szürkebarát, and Rózsakő wines. The special wine selection is inspired by the family’s motto: “Fiery wine, volcanic taste”.
Having seen the development of wine tourism and the importance of personal contact with consumers, Borbély Winery opened its own wine and guest house. In the cosy guesthouse surrounded by vineyards, which can host up to 12 people, the wine lovers may take a rest after the wine tasting sessions all year round.
Hilltop Winery
The 2017 vintage was a great opportunity for chief winemaker Ákos Kamocsay to make excellent wines. Kamocsay Premium Wines were made with healthy, ripe fruit, including the creamy and mellow rosé filtered from pinot noir, which can be tasted at this year’s Rosalia Festival. This elegant rosé wine is the ultimate beverage for the lovers of intensive fruity flavours.
The wines of the Kamocsay Premium selection are made of grapes from the best vineyards of the Neszmélyi wine region. The fruit yield limitation, manual harvest, decades long experience and modern technology together guarantee the high quality viticulture of Hilltop Winery. The wine varieties mainly bear the characteristics of a certain vineyard, the most of which are facing north, to the Danube. Besides the breathtaking view, the air flow coming from the riverside creates a unique microclimate that further improves the already outstanding quality of the wines.
Tiffán’s Winery
Tiffán’s Winery, which is based in Villány, Hungary’s southernmost wine region, provides wine aficionados with posh rosés and fruity red wines. If you happen to be a regular visitor of the country’s wine festivals, you have probably known the Villány region and its Tiffán’s wines. At Rosalia Festival you’ll have a chance to taste them again (or for the first time) in a welcoming environment.
The Tiffán family has been producing fine wines since 1746. Ede Tiffán, the founder of the company was named the Winemaker of the Year in 1991, and he earned a lifetime achievement award this year. The new generation of winemakers includes Gabi Tiffán, Zsolt Tiffán Jr. and his fiancée Beatrix who are more than happy to show you the winery’s spicy red wines, the fruity 2017 Rosé Cuvée and the newcomer RedY, a light and easy-to-drink red blend. The Cuvée Carissimae 2013 will also be in the City Park with an incredible story behind its production.
Gál Vineyards and Winery
There are two wine regions that provide high-quality resources for Gál Vinery, situated 25 kilometres from the capital, in Szigetcsép. 66-hectare vineyards in Szigetcsép, Szigetszentmárton and Szigetújfalu – all three towns are part of Kunsági wine region – yield wine varieties such as Rajnai rizling, Cserszegi fűszeres and Kékfrankos. Gál Winery also manages a territory of 10-hectare vineyards on the hills of Lesencefalu, in Balaton Uplands that boasts Olaszrizling, Szürkebarát, Chardonnay and Cabernet sauvignon.
At Rosalia Festival the Gál family’s two rookie wines will be launched for the first time: a Cabernet sauvignon rosé from the Balaton Uplands area and a sparkling wine (a blend of Szürkebarát and Ezerjó) from Szigetcsép. The winery will bring a selection of 2017 rosé wines to the festival too, including Kékfrankos, Zweigelt, Pinot noir, Szent Márton and Cabernet sauvignon. Additionally, Gál Winery’s white and rosé wines has been awarded on two international wine competitions this year, and their winemaker, Éva Gálné Dignisz was the first woman to win the Winemaker of the Year award in 2013.
Dúzsi Family Winery
Former road-cyclist Tamás Dúzsi is an active consultant winemaker and viticulturist from the Szekszárd wine region mostly known for its full-bodied, spicy reds. A more than 3,3-hectare Kékfrankos (the most dominant grape in the region) vineyard belongs to the family-operated winery that produces wines out of 400 tonnes of grapes every year. Their quality assortment includes more than 25 different types of white, red and rosé wine, of which several took home prizes and medals from large-scale, nationally and internationally recognized wine competitions in the past years. Tamás Dúzsi’s winery specializes at Kékfrankos, Kékfrankos-based blended wines and rosé wine with exotic, fruity aromas. Dúzsi wine is available in several wine stores and restaurants across the country, find the details on their website and visit their stand at Rosalia!
Varsányi Winery
This family winery manages a territory of 90 hectares, including the greatest vineyards of the Aldebrő-Egerszalók area such as Öreghegy, Királyi and Cinege. Since 2014 chief vintner István Patai has been making wine for Varsányi Pincészet with great care and enthusiasm.
Ever since the beginnings, their mission is to establish a modern winery that merges the traditions of the Eger wine region with up-to-date technology. Although the first remarkable accomplishment came after the refinement of the Debrői Hárslevelű wine, the winery is famous for its high-quality rosé wines which they have been producing since the ‘90s. Their latest wine collection called Varsányi Grand Selection launched in May, 2017 and contains limited edition premium wines made of grapes from the vinery’s best vineyards. Varsányi Winery is awaiting all wine lovers at Rosalia Festival!
Gancia Champagne House
The first Italian champagne makes every day festive. The Piedmont-based winery was established in 1850 and it is now one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Gancia has become one of the most significant wineries in Italy, making 16 different types of champagne with a majority of DOCG products. It is thought to be the symbol of Italian lifestyle and celebration.
Apart from the light Prosecco, Gancia provides fruity rosé, sweet Asti and dry Brut so that everyone can find their favourite. In 1980, a descendant of the Gancia family launched the Pinot di Pinot selection that includes Brut and rosé champagnes, the classic Italian aperitifs.
You either have a glass of prosecco with your colleagues after work, or drink aperitif before a family dinner, Gancia will be by your side in the greatest moments of your life. You can never go wrong with Garcia’s products, as their unique flavour suits formal occasions, laid-back house parties and everything in-between.