A First-Hand Experience Behind Cellar Doors
Gere Winery: A First-Hand Experience
The estate sits at the edge of Villány town, with the gentle rise of Szársomlyó Hill and its sun-soaked vineyards as a backdrop. A quaint building with clay-tiled roofs and weathered apricot-hued brick warmed by the sun exude an old-world charm that settles over the estate like a favourite wool blanket. It’s the kind of place that doesn’t shout but instead draws you in, slowly and deeply.
Inside, the scent of toasty oak and fermenting grapes greeted us like an old friend. Hungarian folk motifs whisper from the walls, and somewhere in the distance, the low hum of machinery sang the quiet hymn of a working cellar. We were welcomed by Andrea Gere, gracious and grounded, and Tamas, the winery’s export manager and passionate storyteller, who led us into the heart of the estate - the cool, still, and reverent cellar.
Here, among rows of barrique barrels and towering 50-hectolitre oak casks, slumber the wines that made Villány famous. This is where Kopar and Solus rest.
There’s something almost meditative about walking between barrels in a room like this - wines still in their becoming, silence hanging thick, hope fermenting quietly within wood and stone.
A few barrels were roused gently from their sleep so that we could experience the subtle magic of oak maturation - each sip was not just a taste of wine, but a glimpse into someone’s dream, caught mid-breath.
At the end of the cellar, a hidden stairwell spiralled us upward, emerging - almost magically - into a tasting room bathed in soft light. A curated flight of wines awaited: Kopar, Solus, Villányi Franc, and the Attila Cuvée, a rare bottling from the finest barrel of the vintage.
It’s an intimate experience to savour wines while standing on the grounds that nurtured them. The wines spoke clearly of place. Bold, layered, and laced with an alluring aged-leather note that seduced us into the next sip. Beneath that richness, an umami thread anchored the palate with savoury depth.
This signature persisted across vintages, as though both Attila and Andrea had painstakingly etched their story into every single bottle.
As the last drops swirled in the glass, we lingered for a moment before being ushered onward. Just a few doors away, hush gave way to motion as we stepped into the heartbeat of the winery, arriving just in time to witness the arrival of freshly harvested Portugieser. Grapes were tipped into the crusher-destemmer with calm urgency. The air was electric but not frantic, each step carried out with practiced precision.
This wasn’t mass production. It was craftsmanship, obsessive and intentional.
We followed the tempo of the workday and moved into another room where the winery’s pace shifted once more. The bottling line chugged along in steady cadence like the ticking of an old clock, but it was the mood that left the deeper impression.
Wooden crates were nailed by hand, bottles packed with laughter. The team moved not with industrial solemnity, but with cheer and the quiet ease of people who love what they do.
As day slipped into dusk, our visit came to a close. We’ve toured many wineries before, but few stayed with us like Gere. Not because of grandeur, but because of grace. A family story in every glass. A deep serenity beneath the polish. And the quiet conviction that greatness doesn’t need to shout.
Until next time,
Stay curious and explore beyond.
