Hungarian Wine Challenge – Bock, Villány
Like lots of people, I love a challenge! In September 2024, I set myself the challenge, while visiting Hungary, of travelling to multiple wine regions, tastings, festivals and other wine events in order to find some of the best wines in the country. The challenge started on 1 September and finished towards the end of the month.
Along the journey there were a number of places I visited. Among them was the Bock wine cellar and restaurant in Villány.
About the winery
Villány is, without question, a great wine region. There are good strong traditions here of winemaking which go back generations and the wines here often reflect the best of the terroir. Unquestionably one of the big family names in Villány is Bock. The family have been producing wine here for decades and have built a fabulous hotel, restaurant and bar alongside their cellar. If you are wondering where to stay in Villány, you could do a lot worse than considering Bock.
Given the size of the property here there are many options you could take for visiting. Obviously a visit to the cellar on a tour would be a great option. These are available daily and include a couple of samples. The cellar is very pretty. I haven’t actually seen it in person, as I mistimed my visit and ended up arriving after the tour, but the picture are truly amazing.
Another option might be to visit for a meal. There are dining options outside (which in September was lovely and warm), and of course inside. The spaces are all very well furnished and decorated. When I visited there happened to be what looked like a hen party taking a private tour, so the venue clearly gets used by locals, wanting something a bit special. The menu has a good range of food.
I, however, had already eaten and so settled in for a couple of glasses off the menu. Your options here are to order by the glass / 100ml or potentially to do a tasting of which there are several. It was the last winery of the day, so by that point I was moderating my alcohol, otherwise I would probably have explored more in the Bock wine range.
The two options I went for were both actually very good. A nice Chardonnay which was wonderfully buttery and subtley oaked, and a Villány Franc which was very full bodied and had lots of character. It was a perfect way to bring the day to an end. I have tasted other Bock wines elsewhere and they offer everything from easy drinking entry level wines, through to to some very high quality ones as well.
The service was ok, although as I was the only person sat outside there wasn’t a constant flow of people to flag down, so I made the most of the opportunities when they arose. The person serving didn’t really seem all that interested in chatting about the wines, but by that point I was happy just to sit and enjoy them. I’d put the wines on the slightly priceier side, but to be fair the venue kind of justified that to an extent.
I feel like a cellar tour would have been well worth it, and probably stopping here for dinner would have been a good option as well. The wines I tried though were pleasant and sitting outside was very relaxing. When I wandered inside it looked equally as pleasant and I can imagine would have been nice during the cooler months. Given it was just down the road from where I was staying it was also very convenient.
Overall, I think Bock is a good place to call into for a tasting or tour. Next time I’m in Villány I will be returning to do both. The wines are very much a case of – you get what you pay for. If you want entry level wines you pay entry level prices and you get a wine at that level. If you pay more, quality improves accordingly. If you’re just stopping in for a drink, you’ll have a pleasant experience, but I feel like there is more to Bock to experience.
I would suggest checking the website before your visit so you can call in for the tour and maybe stay afterwards for something to eat. To find out more about food, wine, tours, tastings and accommodation check their website – https://hotel.bock.hu/. If you do pop in, let me know if the cellar lives up to the photos. And in the meantime, keep exploring this beautiful planet we live on, one glass at a time!