Dubicz

Om jaloers op te worden: in de Hongaarse plaats Gyöngyös heeft vrijwel elk pand een eigen wijnkelder. It is a remnant of the long history of wine and wine trade in this town, which is located about 50 kilometers east of Eger, and the surrounding area. The Romans already made wine there, and production continued in the centuries that followed. Against this background, mother and daughter Agnes and Bernadette Dunai run their Dubicz Winery – founded in 1906 – in Gyöngyös. An old but lively family business, specialized in white wine and not afraid of innovation.

The company’s more than 100 hectares of vineyards, with names such as Sárhegy, Csepje, Magdalak, Városé and Ilonatelep, are located in the Mátra region, on the slopes of the Mátra Mountains. The area is protected from too harsh weather by the Carpathian Mountains. It is beautiful there; very green, with vineyards alternating with patches of forest. The soil consists of a mixture of volcanic soil and rich brown earth, which gives the grapes a special mix of flavours and richness.

Agnes and Bernadette Dunai consider it their duty not to do violence to the tradition of the company and the region, but see new knowledge and techniques as an indispensable tool. They are therefore not only focused on thoroughly healthy grapes and vineyards, but have also equipped the cellar with the best equipment and the latest technology. The fuller, more structured wines ferment and mature in wood, while the light, fresh wines are made in stainless steel, where no oxygen can get to them.

Dubicz Winery continuously invests in high-quality grape plantings. The grape varieties that feel most at home here are often the original Hungarian varieties. The white Israi Olivér, for example. Originally a table grape, which however turned out to be much better as a wine grape. Winemaker Tamás Barta makes a very exciting, aromatic wine that crackles with energy, with lively fresh fruit, a delicious bitterness and an invigorating hint of saltiness.