Etyek Wine-Tasting Tour from Budapest
What to do on a hot sunny day in Budapest? There are plenty of options but few better than going on a wine-tasting tour in Etyek, a small village, surrounded by vineyards, approximately 35 minutes from Budapest.
Bunny recently did this tour with City and Wine and had a blast of a day! Read all about it below.
City and Wine
City and Wine is a small tour company organising wine-tasting tours from Budapest. They claim to be the only tour company doing these kind of tours but Bunny cannot verify this. What she can confirm is that they are excellent!
As you might know, Bunny is not normally a big fan of organised tours but how else are you supposed to go wine-tasting? She wants to drink but not drink and drive. She is even less inclined to endure a grumpy Mr. Bunny (no wine equals grumpiness in his case) behind the wheel while she is indulging in the noble art of wine-tasting.
Etyak
City and Wine is happy to pick up customers at any designated point in the city of Budapest. Bunny was picked up in front of the Opera house. The van was modern and air-conditioned (a good thing because it was a 35C degrees June day!)
The tour started with an approximately 35-minute drive to Etyak which is a sleepy little village with quaint houses surrounded by vineyards.
Apparently Etyek has a soil and climate very similar to the Champagne region in France. It is known for its Chardonnay, Savignon Blanc and sparkling wines. It has a number of small, family-owned wineries, many with tasting rooms and a charming atmosphere.
If you are visiting Budapest for only a short time, this is definitely a great way to experience some authentic Hungarian wines and enjoy the countryside as well as some traditional cuisine.
Anonym Winery
Bunny was hugely impressed when the mini-van stopped in front of the first of three wineries to be visited, a gorgeous contemporary glass and metal structure, the Anonym Winery, in Etyek. It could have been in California or South Africa! But it was a small family-run winery in Hungary, just next to Budapest…
Gorgeous Anonym Winery in Etyek
Bunny tried four different wines (generously poured, it should be noted), including Zenit, a Hungarian white grape, Sauvignon Blanc and a Pinor Noir that looked like a rose. Apparently Etyek is a region for mainly white wines. Bunny was grateful for the fact as sipping cool white wines on a hot summer day was definitely the right thing to do.
While admiring the scenery and tasting the delicious whites at the winery, she learned that Hungarian oak, used for the wine barrels, was the second best in the world. Apparently only French do oak better than the Hungarians. American oak is considered third best (The American on the tour didn’t seem too upset about their third place).
After the tasting, and copious amounts of bread and olive and pumpkin oil, Bunny and other guests had a chance to see the equipment and barrels used for wine-making. While she didn’t learn much about the wine-making itself, she was happy to visit the cool cellar.
She also made a mental note to return to the Anonym Winery when she will be expecting guests in Budapest later in the year.
Individual visits to the Anonym Winery can be arranged any time but it’s best to call ahead. Their website, unfortunately, is only in Hungarian but the friendly hostess conducting the wine-tasting spoke perfect English.
Contact details:
Email: info@anonympince.hu
Tel. +36 20 939 7193
Orosz Gyula Family Winery
The second winery Bunny visited was very different. The Orosz Gyula family winery is a traditional establishment that was founded in the 1990s when Hungary started to transition into a market economy.
The wine-tasting took place in a (literally) cool cellar located in a “circle of cellars” at the winery. Guests gathered at a big table while the winery owner’s son poured generous offerings of each of the whites and roses set for tasting.
The first was a rose with some injected fizziness (the son confided in Bunny that he was not in total agreement with his dad about this choice). Next came a crisp Savignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio and some delicious strawberry-tasting sparkling wine which was a big hit among the visitors. Bunny also felt compelled to buy a couple of bottles to enjoy back home.
Bunny bought a number of bottles of strawberry-tasting sparkling wine at Orosz Gyula Family Winery
While at the Orosz Gyula winery, Bunny learned that the first wine-maker in the Napa Valley in California had, in fact, been a Hungarian entrepreneur. He eventually went broke but took credit for starting the wine-making craze in the famous wine-region of the United States.
She also learned that Hungary used to be the 5th biggest wine producer in the world before the Second World War. Quite impressive and something that the modern-day Hungary, which currently sits at number 13 of the biggest wine producers in the world, can aspire to.
While the Orosz Gyula winery wasn’t as visually stunning as the first, Bunny was very pleased with her visit and her wine purchases, and noted down some contact details for a possible repeat visit:
Email: info@oroszgyula.hu
Tel: +36 30 528 8168
Buzz-Morocza Winery
By the time Bunny and others made their way to the third winery, her observational skills had somewhat diminished. She does remember tasting four white wines there, all of them delicious. She may have even asked for a second glass of one or two of them.
Bunnies memories from the Buzz-Morocza Wine Cellar are a bit hazy...
She remembers having a nice vegetarian dinner, with an apple strudel dessert. Bunny also recollects a lovely dog roaming around in the courtyard. The owners at the Buzz-Morocza winery didn’t speak much English, so their conversation was limited but they made up for it with universal hospitality and friendliness. Nevertheless, it was a nice traditional house with a lovely courtyard and delicious snacks and dinner. A perfect ending to the nice day!
Contact details:
Email: buzal71@gmail.com
Tel. 06 70 617 6427
Back to Budapest
The return journey was much noisier than the ride to Etyek. People seemed positively bubbly and some bottles were (accidentally) opened and (necessarily) consumed in a sophisticated manner straight from the bottle, during the 35-minute return drive. Some other guests were so strained by the day’s activities that they opted for a little snooze instead… Bunny observed all this basking in her superiority as usual.
"Egészségére!"
Details of the Tour
You can reserve the wine tasting tour by email (info@cityandwine.hu). The company is usually very responsive. A positive surprise was that no credit card details were required to guarantee your place. You can pay directly to the guide at the last winery stop of the tour. Credit cards are accepted as is local currency and euros (although don’t expect a great exchange rate). The price for an afternoon wine-tasting tour with dinner is 22.000 HUF per person.
The afternoon tour starts with a 3pm pickup and lasts about 5,5 hours and you get to taste 12 different wines. Wine and City will pick you up from your location in central Budapest, and take you back to your location of choice. The groups are small, only 4-10 people, not including the guide. Vegetarians are well catered for if you alert them in advance.
Please notice that you don’t visit the actual vineyards on this tour, although it is possible to get some nice pictures of the vineyards at the Anonym winery. None of the wineries are big enough to export their wines but you can, of course, buy some bottles and support the local industry while visiting the wineries.
On Bunny’s tour, everything ran like clockwork, the guide (Joe) was knowledgeable and funny, the group of people was friendly and diverse, and everyone had a great time. So Bunny can wholeheartedly recommend the experience.
Cheers! Or as they say in Hungarian: Egészségére! Try saying that after 12+ glasses of wine…
