The Hungarian Wine Academy gives the title and prize called ‘The Winemaker of the Year’ every year since 1991, that the prize deserves for many years of outstanding professional performance, the permanent excellent quality and domestic and foreign success of his /her wines. This title may be used by the winner wine grower without time limitation, however, one year past the election it can be used only with displaying the year of election. Our winners in chronological order:

Winners of the prize: ‘The Winemaker of the Year’:

Ede Tiffán

Year: 1991 Region: Villány-Siklós

His grapes fields are located in the Villány wine region where he grows kékoportó, kékfrankos, cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon vines. Until 1991 he acted as a small-scale farmer, then, started his own business. Success story: in 1991 Sunday Times Wine Club: gold medal, in 1993 Amsterdam: gold medal, in 1995 in Bruxelles Mondial: silver medal. Distributed wines: Kékfrankos Rosé, Cabernet Franc Rosé, Kékoportó, Kékfrankos Cuvée, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon.

Tibor Báthori †

Year: 1992 Region: Etyek-Buda

His grapes fields are located in the Etyek wine region, where he grows chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, szürkebarát and juhfark. In 1996 in Monaco, Planet Chardonnay had been prized with bronze medal. Distributed wines: Öreghegyi Chardonnay, Etyeki Cuvée, Sauvignon Blanc. He played a crucial role in the act that Etyek region was recognized in 1989, and taken on the list of wine regions of the country.

Ferenc Vesztergombi

Year: 1993 Region: Szekszárd

He is producing wine in a family enterprise in the outskirts of Szekszárd, where he is dealing with chardonnay, kékfrankos, merlot, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon. In 1995 in Brussels received a certificate of recognition. Distributed wines: Chardonnay, Kadarka, Bikavér, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Kékfrankos, Kékfrankos Rosé.

Attila Gere

Year: 1994 Region: Villány-Siklós

His grapes fields are located in the surroundings of Villány where he grows olaszrizling, kékoportó, kékfrankos, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and merlot. In 1996 on the Foodapest trade fair he was given a Champion Prize, on Vinitaly in 1993 he won a grand golden, in 1994 and 1995 bronze medals. In Brussels in 1995 he was prized with silver, in ’96 with golden and silver medal. Distributed wines: Olaszrizling, Kékfrankos Rosé, Kékoportó, Cuvée, Cabernet Sauvignon Barrique.

Vilmos Thummerer

Year: 1995 Region: Eger

His vine-stocks are located in the Eger wine region. He is dealing with Chardonnay, leányka, királyleányka, pinot blanc, pinot gris, olaszrizling, kékfrankos, cabernet sauvignon, kékoportó and merlot breeds. The yield of these vines is ripened in a 100-year-old tuff cellar in Noszvaj, under perfect climatic conditions. Distributed wines: Chardonnay, Leányka, Királyleányka, Olaszrizling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Cabernet Sauvignon, Bikavér.

Zoltán Polgár

Year: 1996 Region: Villány-Siklós

In 1990 he established his own business under the name Polgár Pince Kft. (Polgár Cellar Ltd.), the grape fields of which can be found in the villány-siklós wine region, but he also has plantations in Szekszárd and Tokaj. He is dealing with hárslevelű, olaszrizling, furmint, chardonnay, ottonel, muskotály, kadarka, kékfrankos, kékoportó, merlot and cabernet sauvignon breeds. In 1992, ’94 sand ’96 on the Foodapest trade fair he won a gold medal. In 1994 Zoltán came home from Bordeaux with a silver one. Distributed wines: Máriagyüdi Chardonnay, Kisharsányi Olaszrizling, Villánysiklósi Cuvée, Villányi Cuvée Elixír, Szekszárdi Kadarka, and the Villány Collection: Aranyhárs, Hárslevelű, Olaszrizling, Rosé, Kékoportó, Kékfrankos, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon.

József Bock

Year: 1997 Region: Villány-Siklós

His 15 hectares of grapes field can be found in Villány. Since 1992 several of his wines received national or international prizes at different wine contests. Besides his Bock Cuvée, Royal Cuvée, Kékoportó, Cabernet Sauvignon, his kékoportó new wine having the name of Saint Martin and his oportó-based Remete Cuvée are the favorites of wine lovers.

Tibor Gál †

Year: 1998 Region: Eger

Since 1989 he is a winery manager at the company Ornellaia in one of the best and most famous wine regions of Italy, Toscana. G.I.A. Co. Ltd. established in the Eger Wine Region deals with production and sale of quality wines. His wine cellar in Eger produces Chardonnay, Leányka, Kékfrankos, Cabernet, Bikavér wines.

Ákos Kamocsay

Year: 1999 Region: Ászár-Neszmély

The work of Ákos Kamocsay had been prized with a ‘Wine Grower of the Year’ award in 1997, in England. Then, a year later, the 1997 vintage of Cserszegi Fűszeres of Hilltop Neszmély had proven to be the best at the very same place among 7500 wines. The favorite drink of the Wine Grower of the Year (1999) is sauvignon blanc, which is a spiny, fresh wine with the scent of elderflower.

Mihály Figula †

Year: 2000 Region: Balatonfüred-Csopak

The vast majority of his grape fields can be found in Balatonszőlős, the minor part is located in Balatonfüred. The cellar was built in a traditional way, from the architectural point of view, but meeting the modern technological and infrastructural requirements. In the breed selection Olaszrizling, the most widespread breed of this wine region is dominant. Szürkebarát is included as a traditional kind, and the Muscat Ottonel has become known as a curiosity from Balatonszőlős, it is a dry white wine. Among the range of breeds trendy today they have in their selection the following: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, each of these are to be found on areas with outstanding soil characteristics, and good landscape. Every year they show up with a new, seemingly interesting Cuvée wine (Olaszrizling, Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Semillon), or the barrique ripened variant of some breeds.

István Szepsy

Year: 2001 Region: Tokaj-Hegyalja

István Szepsy is farming on his own plantation in Hegyalja since 1993, where he makes his unique wines which are a curiosity for even the gourmets. He is focusing exclusively on the wine typical to this region: Aszú. He is a wine grower who concentrates on quality at each technological stage of wine making, once confessed about the secret of his delicious drinks: ‘The best quality grapes must be used grown in the best fields. Even the grapes providing the base-wine should be hand-picked, not only the aszú grapes. It is terribly work-consuming and results in a very little amount of wine. But, this is actually my goal, to attract the World’s attention to the quality of this little, consider it a rare top wine, which, of course, will be reflected in its price.’

Ernő Malya

Year: 2002 Region: Etyek-Buda

Ernő Malya discovered the property located in Tök parish in the western part of the wine region, and the wine cellar belonging to it on the turn of 1997-98. In accordance with the traditions of the region he started to grow white grape breeds on the field of 110 ha, 25 km from the capital. The soil with high calcium content and rich in other minerals, the area with not too steep slopes and a pretty good exposure, the unique microclimate of the surrounding area, and the proper amount of heat, furthermore the skilled hands together resulted in white wines with good scent and fresh flavor – Irsai Olivér, Chardonnay, Pinot gris (Szürkebarát), Sauvignon Blanc – coming out of the cellar. The early domestic professional success was followed by recognition in London, in 2002 – in one of the biggest wine markets of Europe, England, at the International Wine Challenge contest of the Wine Magazine, a Nyakas Pince 2001 vintage of the Budai Sauvignon blanc of Nyakas Cellar was prized with gold medal.

János Árvay

Year: 2003 Region: Tokaj-hegyalja

He was born in Tokaj-Hegyalja, Rátka, in 1956. His family, like most of the families living in the neighborhood, owned a little grapes field and a cellar. The wines distributed under his name from the middle of the 90s bring more and more success, gradually get into the well-known and famous wine shops, restaurants and hotels of Hungary, and also become more and more known abroad (Russia, United States, Sweden, Italy). His work is hallmarked by such successes like the 6-star Aszú wine of 1993, which goes through a victory parade in the world: after the gold medal of the Bordeaux Vinexpo, it also wins the Critics Choice Award of New York Wine Experience in 1999. From the Spring of 2000 he only manages his own enterprise, the Árvay Wine Cellar. His objective – to which he has already found a partner, who is also committed to the case of Tokay wine – is still getting to know and letting others know the outstanding features of Hegyalja, improving the level of vine growing and wine quality, and the promotion of Tokay wine. János Árvay is a member of the Hungarian Wine Academy and the Pannon Wine Crafting Guild, who was elected to be the Tokaj-hegyalja Region’s Wine Grower of the Year by his fellow-winegrowers and the members of the Mountain Parish in 2000, and then he was granted the Knight’s Cross of the Republic Honor. In 2003 he was prized with the Hungarians for Europe Prize, furthermore he won the ‘The Wine Grower of the Year’ title for 2003.

Ferenc Takler

Year: 2004 Region: Szekszárd

Ferenc Takler and his sons are working hard for a long time, and produce good wines steadily. Their property is of medium size, and it is operated by Ferenc Takler and his two sons, András and Ferenc, in one word: the ‘Takler Trio’. They are manufacturing red wines exclusively, in which the use of modern technology and the big 500l gantry barrels is mixing nicely. The application of barrique is slightly pushed back into the background. They have a quite wide range of products: the most important breeds are: Kékfrankos, Kadarka, Cabernet franc and Merlot. In addition to these there are the cuvee wines, among them the kékfrankos-based Trio and the beautiful and elegant Bikavér (Bull’s Blood). About Primarius, this extremely full and rich Merlot wine, expert writers have been singing odes. The success of the Takler Cellar is proven no better than by the fact that their wines are present on more reputable New York restaurants’ wine card for a long time.

Béla Vincze

Year: 2005 Region: Eger

Béla Vincze, following several years of large-scale wine growing and experience gaining, in 1994 established his own family wine cellar. This winery possesses all equipment necessary for up-to-date grape processing and modern wine making. Besides all this, the winery puts strong emphasis on the following of the Eger-traditions, meaning long and patient ripening in oak barrels.
High level wine growing is proven yet by the wines of the first Vintage of 1994. Béla Vincze’s Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon wines were prized on the ‘Challenge International du Vin’ contest in 1997 in Bordeaux by the international jury with gold and bronze medals. Some years later the 2000-vintage Cabernet Franc of the property repeated the nice success (Challenge International du Vin, 2002, gold medal), and on the National Wine Contest it won the Champion prize. Besides the above-mentioned recognitions, several national and international prize proves the wine grower’s efforts.

Vencel Garamvári

Year: 2006 Region: Balatonboglár

The Garamvári Vineyard is a family enterprise which is based upon the engineer (Master) of viniculture degree and several decades of experience in wine growing of the head of the family, Vencel Garamvári. Their nice, fragrant white wines and fruity, mild, spicy red wines gathering the warmth of summer sunshine, preserving the soft caress of Balaton, are born on the southern coast. Their champagnes made with the traditional methods, ripened in bottles, are featured with fine acid content, savory bitter bouquet and high carbonic acid content. Their novelty for the Mozart-anniversary is the Don Giovanni.

János Frittmann

Year: 2007 Region: Kunság

The grower comes from the Kunság wine region. So far he got in five times among those, who received the most votes from the profession, but won the honoring title for the first time this year. In the previous period, thanks to the work of many talented young ones, that more and more prize-winner wines are given by their region as well. According to János Frittmann because of the extreme weather of this year, one had to be a good wine grower much more than before. If somebody did not screw anything last year, then there could not be ig trouble, wines become fine almost by themselves! This year, however, the picking of grape harvest times, the vintage and the must treatment demanded serious care and attention. According to the Wine grower of the Year, on the white and rosé wines of the Kunság wine region it can already be seen that they are very nice.

János Konyári

Year: 2008 Region: Balatonboglár

János Konyári graduated at the Horticultural University in 1974, then, worked at the Balatonboglár State Farm until 1990, in different positions. He gained international professional experience in Germany, Australia and South Africa, and after that as the Chief Wine Grower of the State Farm left the firm, and began a private business. In Hungary, among the first ones he applied the barrique barrel ripening, and appeared on the market for the first time at the early 1990s with his own bottled wines. His son, Dániel, is also a wine grower, and together with him they are farming on 30hectares in their wine cellar in Balatonlelle. They achieve success one after the other with their wines at the wine contests. Besides the expensive top wines, their wines made for the average weekdays also represent a reliable, high level.

György Lőrincz

Year: 2009 Region: Eger

György Lőrincz graduated in 1991 as a canning industry engineer, at the University of Horticulture and Food Industry. In the framework of his Ph.D. studies he graduated as a wine grower at the Viniculture Department of the university, and then he gained the Ph.D. degree in chemical sciences as well. He began his professional career at Egervin, then moved to Ital Co. Ltd. and became a shift-leader. Later at Egervin Winery Incorporated Company he worked as a technological and product development manager. Since 2002 he is the general manager of the family-based St. Andrea Co. Ltd. Among others, he was chosen to be the Man of the Year in Poland, in 2007 he was granted the Knight’s Cross of the Hungarian Republic Honor. Then he was elected to be the Wine Grower of Wine growers, and the Wine Grower of the Year in Eger.

Ottó Légli

Year: 2010 Region: Balatonboglár

Otto at present harvests the vintage from 31 hectares. 90% of his 1200 hectoliter wine made yearly is consumed by Hungarian wine lovers, the rest goes to England, to the United States and Slovenia.
His favourite wine is the Banyászó (Witch-hunting) Olasz rizling, what else, but the Gesztenyés Rajnai rizling is also in the corner of his heart, just like the János-hegyi Sauvignon blanc. His one and only daughter will most probably follow the tradition and be the heir to the winery, since she has begun her studies at the Corvinus University.
This wine grower from the Balaton area recommends to everyone the breeds ripened in the beautiful landscape of the Hungarian Sea: his best childhood friend, the Olasz rizling, his caressed, precious family heritage, the Sauvignon blanc, and the littlest prodigy, who has a great future to come, the Rajnai rizling. For the wine lovers he sends word: ‘Taste a lot and carefully, and most of all: trust your own opinion.’

Péter Vida

Year: 2011 Region: Szekszárd

In 1995 he decided to establish his own enterprise, the Vida Family Ranch, where his three children are also taking part of the daily work. He deems it important above everything to have the chance to be present at the harvest of many nice and special vintages. He would like to make this wine region and its wines known to as many people as possible, and his continuous effort is to live in the best harmony with Nature.
For the next ten years he plans the continuous development and re-plantation of the existing areas, and launching of new fields. Besides the permanent technological improvement of the wine ranch he would like to provide excellent hospitality service.