We’ve been friends for almost 2 decades and arguably our bond formed thanks to Hungarian wine. Kristóf’s father was an influential wine writer whose writings reached me (Mark) and drew me into the Hungarian wine industry. A friendship developed with the father and son. We’ve both gone our separate ways in the industry but a proposal for a E.U. project funding startups brought us back together. The idea for a wine bar formed on the back of the proposal and ironically Covid 19’s destruction of the commercial real-estate industry opened up a nicely renovated space for a bar. It’s small but it’s been a great training ground and a strong foundation for us to keep growing in the world of wine and spirits.
started with a long cherished idea to farm grapes in Hungary ― “The early experiences were humbling lessons as a vineyard laborer and cellar hand. After vinifying my own riesling in 2007, I swapped sides to work wine commerce in the U.S.— running a supermarket alcohol dept., pouring drinks at wine bars, selling alcohol for a national distributor. I was the fortunate student of tasting and selling some of the finest wines in the world. Having run through a wide encompassing wine journey, I’ve realized I most enjoy tending my vineyards and introducing guests to the beauties of Hungarian wine.”
“Wine has invaded so many parts of my life. I originally loved the swirling done by sommeliers—sticking their nose in the glass, deciphering its origins. It was unreal. That was the seed. It grew. Now I have a small vineyard, a garage winery, and a wine bar.”
— Mark
started with growing up under a wine writer father ― “I imagined many futures for myself, none of them related to wine. Especially after being loaned out by the family to help winemaker friends work their vineyards, I knew wine, grapes, and winemakers were not on my happy list. Life has a funny sense of humor though. When I left Hungary for England, the international hospitality industry threw me back into wine service. With a revitalized perspective, I returned to Hungary and began selling wine for the country’s most important distributor. From managing a wine shop to leading the international portfolio division, wine is all over my landscape. After completing the WSET diploma in Wine & Spirits, I’m thrilled to be running a start-up wine bar and guiding guests through this magnificent world.”
I have vineyards in the town of Nadap and a garage winery in the suburbs of Budapest. Farming my own grapes started in 2007 almost by accident. While I was pruning with a friend, another vineyard owner came by and asked if we wanted to buy his land. My friend shook his head, “no”, then turned to me and said, “Why don’t you buy it”.
“I am interested in history, political power struggles, philosophy. I don’t consider myself an extrovert but I do like to discuss issues and understand people. Mingling with interesting folk draws me in. It’s like this big sea in a single drop right in front of me: wine, its culture, the alcohol industry, the pleasurable buzz accompanying drinking with friends. These are all gratifying things. And now I have a wine bar to bring it all together.”
— Kristóf
We decided to write this blog to further our own professional growth in the industry and to expand our reach. We’re both deep in the wine world from different sides and writing about our experiences will help us focus on topics. We’ll pursue them in detail and share what we discover. It’s good for us, it’s good for the readers. It’s our hope that we can contribute to world of wine and help make it more accessible to everyone. Cheers.
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