Life at Veszprém Archdiocese Winery has stepped up a notch in parallel with the reopening of Veszprém Castle district. The 2022 vintage wines are ready: Vesprim Infula Blanc, Rosé and Rouge, as well as the Mandorla Rajnai Rizling (Rhine Riesling) and Sauvignon Blanc. Wine connoisseurs could already sample these at an event held in the Archbishop’s Palace, Veszprém between 12-14 May. From this May, the Winery has entered into a collaboration with Bortársaság (Wine Society) that boasts 25 outlets in Hungary; from 15 May, the cellar’s beverages are also available in their shops and online platform. Nature is in full flow, too: this month is the moment for essential shoot thinning on the Mindszentkálla and Felsőörs vineyards.
New wines bottled
The 2022 vintage wines of Archdiocese Winery are ready. We have already written about how consumers will come across new wine ranges and new designs this year. Inspiration for the labels came from frescoes in the grand chamber of Veszprém Archbishop’s Palace. The names of the categories are also closely associated with Veszprém Archdiocese. Cuvées have been named Vesprim Infula, ‘infula’ meaning mitre. Medium-category wines feature under the collective name Mandorla, the oval aureole or mandala encompassing the saints. Just such a mandala surrounds the eponymous saint seen in a stained-glass window of St. Michael’s Cathedral, Veszprém. Premium wines bear the name 1277, this being a historic date since the Archdiocese, and its predecessor Veszprém Bishopric, has been engaged in grape cultivation and winemaking since this time.
The first of the new wines to be bottled were the base wines, i.e. Vesprim Infula Blanc, Rosé and Rouge, as well as the two drinks from the Mandorla family, Sauvignon Blanc and Rajnai Rizling. A total of 30,000 bottles of these were produced this year. The new wines were available for tasting between May 12-14 at the Gizella Days event in the castle district of Veszprém. The first feedback from the three-day event was positive. “It was a good feeling to present the new wines there, where we took the inspiration for the new label. The satisfaction and good feeling caused by the tasting were visible on the faces of the guests, and in many cases I saw nods of appreciation. For me, this is real success: to bring the consumer a happy moment. There was also feedback that it was good that Veszprém finally has a wine that is also delicious,” said head winemaker Antal Benesch, summarizing the experiences of the Gizella Days. Those who missed out on the Gizella Days will have the opportunity to taste the new wines at domestic gastro and wine festivals – such as the Rozé, Rizling and Jazz Days or the Veszprém Gourmet Festival.
Cooperation with one of the largest domestic wine merchants
Following professional negotiations and preliminary tastings, the Veszprém Érseki Winery and Bortársaság, which has about 25 stores in Hungary, have entered into a cooperation agreement. The winery's wines will be available in the entire store network and webshop of one of the most traditional wine merchants from May 15. In parallel, the wines will continue to be available at the Gizella Gift and Book Shop in Körmendy House, and from the summer they will also be available in the winery's own webshop, details on the official FB page and website.
Works on the estate
May is the period of shoot selection in both Mindszentkálla and Felsőörs, the two wine-growing regions. The number of developing shoots on the vine can be regulated by pruning. However, not always as many shoots develop on the stem as the number of clear buds we leave when pruning, and some of the buds may also remain dormant. In order to accurately set the number of shoots on the stem, it is important to remove unnecessary shoots, i.e. shoot selection, also known as green pruning, explained Antal Benesch, chief winemaker. The expert said: the purpose of shoot selection is to allow the remaining shoots to grow faster, improve leaf photosynthesis, thus improving pruning performance, reducing the overload of the stems, and making the foliage airier also reduces the risk of fungal diseases.
