SZIEGL CSALÁDI PINCE
Hajós-Baja, Hungary
The Hajós-Baja wine region is located in southern Hungary, across the Danube from the much better-known Szekszárd and Villány regions. Hajós-Baja does not enjoy the same fame as its neighbors across the river! But the region does have one of Hungary’s most beautiful and unknown wine villages—the Hajósi Pincefalu. The rows of hundreds of small, well-kept wine cellars offer an incredible view and represent the strong wine culture of the region. There are annual wine festivals and events held here for visitors.
Producers like Sziegl have brought back a reputation for quality wines to the area. The Sziegl Winery is also considered among the pioneers of Hungary’s natural wine movement, producing wines with very low (if any) sulphites and chemicals. From Hajós-Baja you can expect fruit-forwards wines with ripe fruit profiles, moderated acidity, and slightly elevated alcohol. For the Sziegl's all began with a wine parcel received as a gift back in 2012. The area served as a vineyard for more than 80 years then and they managed to borrow the first barrel too. These were the lucky circumstances that lead to establishing the Sziegl Wine Cellar.
The entire village Sziegl Pince resides in is a couple dozen streets held together by 1,200+ old, hand-dug cellars. Many of the cellars are carved directly below their sandy vineyards, and you can see the roots snaking their way down from the ceilings, as they cling to the subterranean walls like a house’s wood framing.