Bence from Barnag
Bence Szilàgyi studied viticulture in Hungary and Germany, based on an interest he inherited from his father, who moved from Hamburg to Balaton and picked up winemaking as a hobby. It seems obvious that Bence himself started making wine a few years ago, but he initially did this purely as a hobby experiment. According to Bence, it was not his intention for winemaking to become a full-time occupation. And yet, there in Barnag, a small village on the shores of Lake Balaton, he created Grand Vin de Barnag, a nod to the prestigious Grand Vin de Bordeaux.
The first vintage was in 2017. Franz Weninger from Weingut Weninger in Burgenland is a great source of inspiration for Bence and his vision of natural wine, which among other things led to Bence working full-time on his little 'experiment'.
Expensive land
After the First World War, Hungary lost large parts of its territory, which meant that direct access to the Mediterranean Sea disappeared. As a result, Lake Balaton became the new holiday destination for Hungarians to escape the scorching summers in Budapest. The surrounding land was built up with (luxury) hotels, land became scarcer and more expensive, and so buying vineyards became almost unaffordable.
Grand Vin de Barnag therefore does not have its own vineyards. Bence grows 50% of the grapes on rented vineyards and buys the remaining 50% from another winegrower. He is very lucky with that, as not many farmers in the area sell grapes from their expensive land. All grapes are grown organically and are generally grown on a chalk-rich soil. The entire vinification took place in a self-built cellar, under Bence's parental home. In the meantime, he has converted a 200-year-old stone barn into an up-to-date winery. Despite the hot summers, it is very cool inside here and the wines ferment slowly, sometimes even until the following spring, which makes the wines soft and light, full of refreshing aromas.
Since 2020, Bence has also stopped adding sulphites and has a total production of around 10,000 bottles per year. Bence is in business!
