Hungarian Wine Challenge – Buzál-Mórocza Pincészet Etyek (City & Wine tour)
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 Buzál-Mórocza Pincészet winery in Etyek.
About the winery
For about as long as I have been travelling to Hungary, I have been going on a wine tour which travels from Budapest to Etyek, run by City & Wine. You can use my affiliate link to book the wine tour here. The tour runs in the morning and afternoon with the option for either 2 or 3 winery visits and either lunch or dinner depending on the time of day. The morning is 2 wineries plus lunch and the afternoon is 3 wineries plus dinner.
The Buzál-Mórocza Pincészet winery is one of the wineries which they visit regularly. This winery is one of a few wineries which is visited at the end of the tour, because it also serves food. The winery is a cross between a vineyard and a hunting lodge, with a large tasting room, as well as some other indoor tasting spaces for more intimate groups. The courtyard is covered with vines which give it a nice atmosphere. They also have accommodation, so if you want to book a stay that is possible as well. Just Click here
The experience here varies depending on whether you are in the larger tasting room or the smaller one, but it is always good. The larger tasting room is great for group bookings with say 10 or more people where you want to socialise within a group. The smaller room also works for this size of group, but also works for smaller groups around single tables.
The wines here are very much typical of the Etyek style. Whites are fruity and floral with stainless steel technology, so no oaky characteristics. Some are made in a dry style, but they also have a sweeter style wine which goes well with their dessert. These are easy drinking, quaffable wines, which are good for social occasions and nice to have at on a warm summer evening. The wines cannot be bought other than at the winery as far as I know, so be sure to purchase a bottle or two during your visit!
The food here is what I would call good hearty home cooking in the Hungarian style. Often the starter course will be a mix of cheese and charcuterie. The meat is always particularly good, with plenty of paprika mixed in which gives it a very nice flavour. Often the salami sausages are made from different meats including wild boar which is caught on site by the family in the surrounding countryside.
| Main courses are often stews or cooked meat with Nokedli noodles (a kind of pasta like dumpling) or potatoes, with vegetables. The food is simple, well cooked, and extremely tasty. The meat is pretty much as fresh as you can get, given its usually caught on site. The style of food is simple in style, but often makes me thing that the recipes have been handed down through generations of families. If you get anything made with the wild boar, I always find it especially good – tender and satisfying. |
The wines are arranged to complement the food. The challenge of course here is that Etyek is predominently a white wine area, and some of the richer food would probably benefit from some rich reds from Szekszárd or Villány. However, I find that the pairs work well and stand up to the food.
The main owner Beáta speaks German and Hungarian, but not much English. Her daughter and her partner both speak English and increasingly he is delivering tours to English speaking guests. Over the years Beáta and I have developed a friendship without a common language and we now greet eachother affectionately whenever I visit. Her hospitality is fantastic and it is always such a joy to return. The last time she gave me a little gift which was very touching.
The great thing about this winery is the quality of the food. You genuinely will not find fresher food anywhere and I would imagine almost all of the ingredients are home grown as well. If I was organising a big party with 200 guests, its Beáta I’d want preparing the meals! The wines here reflect the local style and do not disappoint.
Overall, this is one of my favourite wineries in Etyek. When I hear we are going there my heart dances. Its been on the list for the City & Wine tour for probably at least 10 years that I can remember and was part of the first tour I went on. And I think its well worth keeping on that list for a long time to come.
I have never quite found the time or courage to try to arrange my own visit, but it is possible to get the bus from Budapest out to Etyek and walk between wineries. The great thing about the City & Wine tour, though is that besides the obvious door to door transport, you get to meet different people on each tour from all over the world, drink great wine together and share the experience. That’s probably why I keep rebooking!
So if you want to visit the Buzál-Mórocza Pincészet winery, its definitely worth a trip to Etyek. And with the possibility of staying their accommodation, its very tempting to check in for the weekend, knowing you’ll be well fed and wined. The way the City & Wine tour works is there are multiple wineries, so its not guaranteed you will visit on every tour. So to be absolutely sure, you’d need to arrange you own visit. But you can do so using Hellowine.com – Just click here (not an affiliate link). If you do plan a visit, let them know I recommended them. And in the meantime, keep enjoying this beautiful planet we live on, one glass at a time.