Etyeki Kúria: we strive to work in an innovative spirit while respecting traditions and learning from them.

The Etyeki Kúria Winery was founded on the Öreghegy (meaning Old Hill) of Etyek in 1996. From the very beginning the winery has become known for both respecting traditions and adopting an innovative mindset. As an important milestone in their history, they were the first in the wine region to plant Pinot noir vines to make red wine. The head winemaker, Sándor Mérész, joined Etyeki Kúria`s team ten years ago. Since then, he has been shaping the unique style of  the company`s wines, aligning local experiences with the latest research findings and his own international approach. In recognition of his professional work, Sándor has been one of the fifty nominees for the “Winemakers’ Winemaker” award in Hungary every year since 2013.

The winegrowing area now totals 54 hectares, spread out across two wine regions: Etyek-Buda, located just 30 minutes west of Budapest and known for its cooler than average climate, constant breeze and limestone base rock, which offer ideal conditions for making sparkling wines, crisp and lively white wines as well as cultivating the trio of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and Sopron, located in northwestern Hungary where the main grape variety is Kékfrankos.

In 2009, Etyeki Kúria began to work closely with the Esterházy Winery in Burgenland, located near the Hungarian-Austrian border. As part of this co-operation they mutually support each other in professional issues related to viticulture and oenology, in export activities, as well as in promoting the event venues and the programmes they organise.

In autumn 2011 a comprehensive modernisation and expansion project began. The aim is to create the necessary conditions for producing top international wines and to ensure economies of scale. Preserving the features of the landscape, the company built the new processing and bottling plant above the traditional cellar, whose functional design enables gravity-flow grape processing and winemaking.

Through the glass surfaces built into the structure of the building, visitors interested in winemaking can get an almost complete overview of the winemaking process, from harvesting to bottling, while work can continue undisturbed in the cellar. They can welcome the guests in several unique venues, where they host wine tastings, as well as private and corporate events. Furthermore, in their Wine Bar  and on its welcoming terrace, the visitors can learn more about the wines and the story.

This modern winery, which was inaugurated in 2013, was partly built underground. This design allows employees to take advantage of gravity in several steps of winemaking. It also provides natural insulation, which allows them to reduce the energy consumption.

In 2019 they installed solar panels on several winery buildings to cover one-third of their annual energy needs.

They also have planted a special seed mixture developed by the Ecological Agricultural Research Institute (ÖMKi) among the vineyards, which not only supports the continuous fight against soil erosion, but also contributes to the achievement of a greater degree of biodiversity and a healthy soil structure.

In the case of clarification, only vegetable protein (peas) and bentonite are used, no preparations of animal origin are used.

They choose the lightest possible bottles in order to reduce the environmental impact of shipping.