Red Wines Forever

HIGHLIGHTS                                                                          

• Visit one of the largest cellars villages of the world
• Exploring the Villány and Szekszárd wine regions
• Visit a cooper manufacture
• Tasting local wines, enjoying local food
• Vineyard walk, hiking among the vineyards
• Small groups, personalized service
• Wine a More’s tour guide

THE EXPERIENCE INCLUDES

• 4 nights’ accommodation 4* hotel
• 3 lunches (2 warm, 1 cold), 4 dinners with wines;
• Visit of Etyek, Hajós-Baja, Villány, Szekszárd wine regions
• Visiting a Cooper manufacture
• Visiting a paprika manufacture
• 9 wine tastings and cellar visits
• Vineyard walk
• Transfer during the stay
• Wine a'More's tour guide

NOT INCLUDED  personal expenses | drinks and food other than detailed in the program | DEPATURE POINT meeting and end by Budapest hotel | TOUR STARTS   on request | PLEASE NOTE The prices are valid until further notice and are subject to change due to seasonability and availability.

PROGRAMME

DAY 1. | Arrival in Budapest, individual transfer to Zenit Hotel. Check in at the hotel (after 14.00 pm). Free time.

Wine paired dinner in a restaurant or winebar.

OR:

16:15 pm: meet your guide in the Lobby of the Hotel.

Let’s escape from the town for few hours, visit the “vineyard of Budapest”. Mostly white wines of high acidity are made here applying champagne method, sparkling wines and light, fresh wines in stainless steel barrels. The soil is limestone based, reach in minerals, covered by brown forest soils, suitable to grow white grape varietals like Olaszrizling, Chardonnay, Rhine Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, and Sauvignon Blanc. In our journey we visit a significant village of the region, Etyek, and a winery. Our dinner will be in a ham ageing cellar, where we will taste different hams and cheese for dinner and learn how important is for Hungarians the meat, especially the pork, OR in a Michelin recommended Winery owned restaurant.

Arrival back to Budapest around 21:30-22:00 pm.

DAY 2. | We leave Budapest in the morning and head south to a unique cellar-row village, the largest in Europe, located near Hajos, where the loess surface differentiates it from the areas along the Danube. It is like a stand-alone town, with over a thousand cellars and press houses, demonstrating the former wealth of its wine culture. We are strolling among the cellars, tasting some wines, and enjoying our traditional homemade lunch, we are travelling further to Szekszárd. If it’s possible, before we head to Szekszárd we pay a short visit to a Paprika manufacture and learn about the most typical Hungarian spice. Later in the afternoon we check-in to our hotel, have a little time for relaxation before our winery visit, wine tasting and dinner in Szekszárd.

DAY 3. |

After check-out we visit the iconic winemaker of Szekszárd Wine Region, Mr. Zoltán Heimann, who has been awarded “Winemaker of the winemakers” in 2023.  We learn about Kadarka, Kékfrankos varieties.  We drive to “Tuscany” to visit an exceptional wine estate near Szekszárd owned by Marqesi Antinori Visit. The enchanting landscape, the cellar and the wines show a different picture of Hungary. In spite the fact, that region is more famous for their red wines, white ones doing very well here. We have a local 2 course lunch in a local restaurant. After lunch we leave to Palotabozsok and visit one of the most famous barrel manufactures of the country, and learn about the barrel making. We travel further to Villány, and check-in at a winery owned hotel. Villány is a wine region located in the southern part of Hungary, and is well-known for its long-established wine traditions, high quality, massively tannic red wines, easily accessible cellars and the hospitality of the winegrowers.

We meet in the evening at a Wine Chapel, in one of the most impressive cellars of the region. The visit of the circular cellar is an exceptional adventure. Dinner with a selection of wines is served at the winery’s restaurant afterwards. Overnight in Villány.

DAY 4. | We will spend our whole day in the Villány wine region. Not only strong commitment to quality, but utmost respect of traditions features the winemakers of the region. The produces predominantly red wines, like Cabernet Franc, under the Villányi Franc brandname, but some nice whites have also appeared in the market recently.

We start the day by visiting one of the most prominent wine estates in Hungary and taste wines (Vylyan Winery). Besides making high prestige wines, the winery also organising local festivals and sponsors different art-related events. Visit the cellar, enjoy the amazing landscape, stroll in the vineyards and taste some great reds.  

Sevond winery visit will wait for us. We will visit a winery in Kisjakabfalva, located in a monumental Swabian house. We will visit the cellar, taste their great wines and have a cold lunch in the winery.

Heading back to Villány, we take a jeep or traktor ride to one of the famous vineyards, the Ördögárok.

Back to the hotel for some relaxation.

In the evening wine paired dinner in one of the top wineries of Villány.

Overnight in Villány.

DAY 5. | Check-out from your hotel and head to Budapest. We are offering some optional programs for the day, depending on your departure time and preferences of the group.

Informative prices:  

1. Day 1: dinner in Budapest

1.170 Euro / pers. in DBL room, by min. 14 persons

1.350 Euro / person in Dbl by min. 10 persons

SGL suppliment: 170 Euro / person

2. Day 1.: with Etyek-Buda wine region visit.

1.250 Euro / pers. in DBL room, by min. 14 persons

1.430 Euro / person in Dbl by min. 10 persons

SGL suppliment: 170 Euro / person

Prices amy vary upon the choosen hotel and the period of the travel.

Program also possible for larger groups. 

PLEASE NOTE | The prices are valid until further notice and are subject to change due to seasons and availability. We reserve the right to change winery and cellar visits.

The prices are valid by Euro-Forint course no less than 1 Euro =370 Ft, and by fuel costs no more than 2 Euro / l.

The price includes:

• 1 night accommodation in Budapest, 4* hotel, 1 night accommodation in Szekszárd, 2 nights accommodation in Villány with breakfast and all taxes
• 5 Meals, as indicated above (welcome dinner, 3 lunches in Szekszárd and Villány wine region, home made lunches, exclusive wine dinner in Villány)
• 7 or 8 wine tastings (depending on program choosed on Day 1)
• visit of the cellar village of Hajós
• visit of a Paprika manufacturer
• transfer by airconditioned minivan during the whole program
• Wine a”More tour guide
• one gratuity in DBL room.

PAYMENT: by bank transfer or card, 30% deposit upon reservation (but latest until 30th of January), 70% balance: 30 days prior to departure.

THE PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE | Personal expenses | Drinks and food other than detailed in the program

Cancellation fees:

• zero if the contract is abandoned more than 45 days prior to departure but a reservation fee of 50 EURO per person shall be paid;
• 10% of the price if the contract is abandoned on a date following the 45th day but preceding the 31th day prior to departure;
• 30% of the price if the contract is abandoned on a date following the 30th day but preceding the 21th day prior to departure;
• 50% of the price if the contract is abandoned on a date following the 20th day but preceding the 15th day prior to departure;
• 75% of the price if the contract is abandoned on a date following the 14th day but preceding the 7th day prior to departure;
• 100% of the price if the contract is abandoned on a date less than 7 days prior to departure.

ABOUT THE WINE REGIONS |

Etyek-Buda - There are few capitals in the world where grapes and wine have played an important role for centuries, and indeed continue to do so, as today’s Budapest. Places like Gellért Hill and the Tabán that are today integral parts of the city were vineyards not so long ago. The oft sung about “Sashegyi Veres”, a red wine made from the Kadarka and Vadfekete varieties, is now just a literary memory; however, the remarkable features of the wine region, which has now moved a little further away, have remained. The area around Etyek, Pázmánd and Velence yields a wide range of wines, which give both an individual and nuanced picture of the terroir around the capital.

The Etyek-Buda wine district is primarily a white wine producing region. The largest area is planted to Chardonnay and Irsai Olivér, but Pinot Gris (Szürkebarát), Sauvignon Blanc, Olaszrizling, Zöldveltelini, Müller-Thurgau (Rizlingszilváni in Hungarian) and Riesling (Rajnai Rizling) are also produced in significant quantities. Although large quantities of black grapes have never been typical to the region, Pinot Noir is no longer produced only for sparkling base wine, and there is 117 hectares of it in total.

Hajós-Baja - in this area, it was fish that brought many people back to wine, mainly to spicy Kadarka, Kékfrankos, aromatic Irsai Olivér and spicy Cserszegi Fűszeres. Its vines, wine, landscape and architecture add to the wealth of the wine district. However, for those unfamiliar with them, surprisingly lush waterfront, green floodplain areas are also connected to the region. Its two independent, eponymous settlements, Baja and Hajós, have their own unique culture to offer, as well as very approachable wines.

The Hajós-Baja wine district is in the southern part of the area between the Danube and the Tisza, on the western slopes of the so-called Bácska loess ridge. It forms a transition to the north and east towards the sandy-soiled Kunság wine district. Administratively, it is part of Bács-Kiskun County. The wine district includes the 1st, 2nd and 3rd class vineyards, as per the vineyard cadastre, of the towns and villages of Baja, Bátmonostor, Császártöltés, Csátalja, Csávoly, Érsekcsanád, Érsekhalma, Hajós, Nemesnádudvar, Rém, Sükösd and Vaskút. The total production area of the Hajós-Baja wine district is 14,874 hectares, but the current area under vine is 1,636 hectares. The area planted with white varieties is about double that of black varieties. The most cultivated varieties are Cserszegi Fűszeres and Bianca, followed by Chardonnay, Királyleányka and Riesling (Rajnai Rizling). The most important black varieties are Kékfrankos, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zweigelt, although there are also some beautiful wines made from Kadarka.

Villány – producing excellent Mediterranean style red wines is located in the Southwest of Hungary, west of the river Duna. A couple of years ago Villány introduced its own appellation control sytem, DHC or Districtus Hungaricus Controllatus which symbolises the region’s strong commitment to high quality standards. Since then the “crocus” has become the symbol of top Villányi wines. Not only strong commitment to quality, but utmost respect of traditions features the winemakers of Villány. There are numerous old wine cellars, cellar villages in the wine region, like the ones in Palkonya, Villánykövesd or Nagyharsány. Our guests are warmly welcome in these cellars for wine tasting. Villány has a sub-mediterranen climate, with a lot of sunshine, early ripening season along with hot summers, long, warm autumns and mild winters. The sheltering effect of the Villány Mountain also contributes to the ideal conditions besides the diverse terroir. Sandy loess topsoils cover dolomite, marl and limestone. Terroir enhances the differences of the vineyards for their aroma and flavour characters, like in Burgundy. Villany produces predominantly red wines, but some nice whites of Olaszrizling, Hárslevelű and Királyleányka have also appeared in the market recently. The wines are among the highly rated ones throughout the country, appreciated both by wine professionals and “average”consumers. The Cabernets and Merlot are blended here with Syrah, Pinot Noir or the local Kadarka and Kékfrankos (Blaufrankisch) which is quite exceptional. Lately Cabernet Franc has become a favourite grape among most of the winemakers.

Szekszárd – Gentle hills, sunshine, rosé wine, Kadarka, Bikavér, Mediterranean atmosphere, neat vineyards characterise the Szekszárd wine region. The area is located at the western edge of the Alföld (Great Hungarian Plain) in southern Hungary and produces fragrant, well-structured red wines, mostly from Kekfrankos, Kadarka, and the Bordeaux varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. White wines are also produced here around Bátaszék, most often from Olaszrizling, Tramini and Chardonnay. The symbol of the city a sarcophagus confirms the fact, that Roman settlers cultivated vines around Alisca (Szekszárd) in the 3rd century. Emperor Probus was famous for his devotion for wine and established vineyards throughout Pannonia. (Western part of today’s Hungary). Later in the 18th century German farmers brought their discipline and sophisticated viticulture. Today’s winemakers are proud of their traditions and appreciate the winemaking heritage of the region. Vida, Takler, Dúzsi or Heimann are all emblematic individuals of Szekszárd and are devoted to make wines of excellent quality.