János Konyári: bringing the best out of Balatonlelle
János Konyári was among the first winemakers to enter the market with bottled wine, in the early 1990s, and was apparently the first to carry out barrique ageing in Hungary. Besides mastering the craft of oak ageing, he was also the first to prove that South Balaton could also produce top red wines. His barrique aged Cabernet Sauvignon 1990 won not only the top prize at Foodapest-VinAgora, but also the trust of customers.
The Konyári Winery currently cultivates 25 hectares, producing between 110,000 and 140,000 bottles annually. The vineyards are located among the area's better situated parts. One of the winery's jewels is a clay-brick wine cellar that was built in 1757, which is on Balatonlelle's Kishegy where grape growing and winemaking has a history dating back 800 years.
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János Konyári has planned continuation well ahead of time. His son, Dániel, graduated in winemaking in 2000, and hardly by chance, he wrote his thesis on barrique ageing. After University, Dániel travelled around the wine world to South Africa, Portugal, California and New Zealand to study winemaking technology. Furthermore, the Konyári Winery's produce is now the joint work of father and son. Sigillum Loliense is the name of both a white and red blend, which reach outstanding quality every year at a very attractive price. The name came from Lelle's one time seal of approval (Sigillum Loliense=Lelle stamp), the stamp that even centuries earlier depicted a staved grapevine.
The Bordeaux varieties make up the red Loliense, while 100% Merlot is used for the varietally pure Sessio which exudes Merlot's fullness and velvety character. In December 2008, a new top wine comprising the two Cabernets (Sauvignon and Franc) called Páva (Peacock) was born, which tasters unanimously agree is one of modern Hungarian wine's most beautiful and elegant creations.
In 2008, János Konyári was named Winemaker of the Year by the Hungarian Wine Academy.
| Vineyard holdings | Total: 25 hectares (ha), out of which 7 ha are on Öreg-hegy, 4 ha in the Országút vineyard, 1.5 ha in Pupos, 2.5 ha on Sínai-hegy, 2.5 ha on János-hegy |
| Grape varieties | Merlot 25%, Kékfrankos 25%, Cabernet Franc 12%, Cabernet Sauvignon 12%, with Olaszrizling, Hárslevelű, Sauvignon blanc and Chardonnay making up the remainder. |
| Yearly production | 110 000 - 140 000 bottles |
The winery's own website: http://www.konyari.hu/
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