Gere Attila: The Family that Put Hungary back on the Wine Map

A deep dive into Gere Attila, Villány. 

The Family that Rebuilt not only the Region, but its Country.

Visiting Gere Attila Winery in Villány isn’t just about tasting wine, it’s stepping into the story of how one family helped put modern Hungarian wines back on the map. The story of Gere Attila Winery spans seven generations, rooted in the Villány wine region of southern Hungary. Attila Gere was a forester by trade, but in 1978 a taste of wine from his father-in-law’s cellar revealed Villány’s dormant potential for great red wines.

That same year, Attila and his wife Katalin received a few acres of Csillagvölgy ('Valley of Stars') vineyard as a wedding gift and began tending vines. They produced their first commercial wines in 1986, and by 1991 Attila had left forestry to found the family winery in Villány. Despite a break in winemaking tradition during the Communist era (Attila’s father and grandfather could not make wine due to collectivisation), Attila resurrected his ancestors’ craft with new ambition. His passion and hard work quickly gained recognition and was crowned Hungary’s Winemaker of the Year in 1994.

What began as a humble family effort now sits among Hungary’s most respected names. And while Attila still oversees the estate, the next generation - particularly his daughter Andrea - has brought new energy and precision to both vineyard and cellar.

Today, Gere Attila Winery farms over 70 hectares, all organically certified, using sustainable viticulture, minimal intervention and a strict zero-waste policy. Their vineyards are dotted across Villány’s most coveted sites: Kopár, Konkoly, Csillagvölgy. These aren’t just parcels of land, they’re the backbone of Hungary's finest wines.

(Image credit: BÉT / bet.hu)

Terroir-Driven Winemaking Philosophy

Gere Attila's 75-hectare vineyards are planted at high density (around 7,000+ vines per hectare) on Villány’s limestone-rich loess soils and since 2010 all vineyards have been cultivated organically. Cover crops and natural compost are used to nurture healthy soils, and only fully ripe, hand-picked grapes are accepted. Grapes with unripe tannins or flaws are repurposed, ensuring that only the best fruit goes into each bottle.

In the cellar, fermentation is done with the winery’s own yeast strains. For reds, Attila Gere pioneered the use of new Hungarian oak barriques to achieve the structure and polish he admired in top Bordeaux wines. Today, Hungarian oak remains a signature: the flagship reds mature 14-20 months in small Hungarian oak barrels, largely new, to impart spicy-sweet notes without overpowering the fruits.

Notably, Gere was among the first in the region to embrace Cabernet Franc as a leading grape - wine legend Michael Broadbent MW declared in Decanter that Villány was Cabernet Franc’s true home. 

Beyond organic farming, the family finds creative uses for winery byproducts. Grape seeds are dried after pressing and processed into cold-pressed oils, artisanal chocolate, and even a high-end skincare line spearheaded by Andrea. This holistic approach eliminates waste and adds a unique dimension to the winery’s offerings, demonstrating respect for nature at every turn.

Wines that Define the Region

Kopar - Villány’s Flagship Blend

Kopar is more than a wine, it’s a landmark. First released in 1997, it was the wine that proved Villány could play on the world stage. Made from Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon, Kopar channels the structure of Bordeaux with the warmth and depth of Tuscany. Each vintage is barrel-aged in Hungarian oak, with care taken to retain freshness and lift. Demand for it is so high it often sells en primeur (before release) in Hungary.

In the glass, Kopar offers black cherry, cedar, fine cocoa powder, and dried Mediterranean herbs. There’s always a taut mineral thread from the limestone soils. This is not a showy, fruit-bomb red. It’s serious, polished, and incredibly age-worthy. Think Saint-Émilion meets Bolgheri, with a Central European soul.

Solus - The Family Heirloom

If Kopar is the flagship, Solus is the heirloom of the house - a 100% Merlot that has achieved near-legendary status. Solus (Latin for “alone” or a play on sol meaning sun) is made only in exceptional years from a single site: the Kopár.

Attila Gere debuted Solus with the 2000 vintage, and it caused a sensation the same year. The 2000 Solus Merlot famously beat Château Pétrus (perhaps the world’s most famous Merlot) in a blind tasting in Austria in 2004 (decanter.com) - a result that stunned the Old World wine establishment and announced Hungary’s extravagant arrival in fine wine circles.

Solus is crafted in tiny quantities (often around 500 cases per vintage) and given luxury treatment: extended hang time for full ripeness, careful berry selection, and 16+ months in new oak barrels for depth and structure. The wine is opulent yet nuanced. A tasting of the 2007 Solus described a dark, inky colour with some brick hues from bottle age, a “lush bouquet” of ripe fruit, and a heavy, velvety body with a long, sweet finish thanks to its supple mature tannins. Solus showcases Merlot’s plummy richness and silky texture dialled up to eleven, but balanced by Villány’s mineral-limestone backbone. 

International critics have taken notice: in 2025, Falstaff Magazine rated the 2021 Solus at 97 points, placing it among the top tier of Merlots in Europe. Tasting notes from Falstaff praise its “black heart cherry, blackberry preserve, liquorice and mocha” aromas, layered with vanilla and truffle, and “very powerful, juicy” palate packed with dark fruit, velvety tannins, great length and a touch of nougat sweetness on the finish. Such accolades put Solus in elite company - Falstaff’s blind panel ranked it alongside legends like Masseto and Le Pin, cementing its status as a world-class Merlot. Though production is limited and bottles expensive, Solus has become an icon of Hungarian wine excellence.

The Kopar and Solus remain the soul of Gere Attila Winery, one a blend expressing the harmony of varieties and sites, the other a singular tribute to Merlot and the Villány Sol. Together, they’ve not only won over critics, but also established a stylistic benchmark that many Hungarian winemakers aspire to.

Read Part 2: A First-Hand Experience Behind Cellar Doors