Winery

Making wine in a church-owned winery is more than just a craft. It is continuity. A story spanning generations, centered on preserving and passing on values. We work to bring tradition to life and to create wines that embody both the dignity of our past and the promise of the future.

Antal Benesch

WINE MAKER

Armed with a family tradition of hospitality, Antal Benesch chose winemaking as his profession and studied at the Budapest University of Horticulture, studying viticulture and oenology. He spent his professional practice at the winery of the Pannonhalma Archabbey, and after his university studies he gained experience in Marlborough, New Zealand, and Burgenland, Austria. He has worked in several restaurants in Hungary and abroad, including his parents' restaurant. He wants to enchant his consumers with clean, mineral, elegant, rich wines, and at the same time, his goal is to introduce people to the two wine regions of Lake Balaton, where the two wine-growing areas of the Veszprém Archdiocese are located.

Winemaker's credo

"The joy of good food can only be enhanced by a glass of good wine. I learned from my mother: if you can put a plate of delicious food in front of someone, time stops for the guest. They break away from their everyday lives and are filled with happiness - and this is the greatest success for the host."

When a dish doesn’t turn out as well as you planned one day, you have the opportunity to try again the next day. Winemaking is a bigger challenge, as we only get to do it once a year. We put our heart and soul into it, and we can only trust that we will be able to make a wine from the annual harvest that will delight the consumer and satisfy the winemaker himself.”

I want people who sip my wines to feel like time stops for a moment and to be able to put their worries aside for a few moments. And if someone thinks a little while over a glass of wine and can give thanks for the good things – including the fact that they can sip a delicious drink at the end of the day – that is the greatest joy for me.

Our Estates

The character of our winery is shaped by two distinct worlds: Felsőörs and Mindszentkálla. Two wine regions, two different terroirs, whose convergence has given rise to a unique style.  Cultivating grapes in two different wine regions presents both an exceptional opportunity and a serious challenge: we must adapt to differing conditions, climates, and harvest rhythms. At the same time, it is precisely this duality that allows our wines to embody both elegance and depth.

The Felsőörs Terroir
In Felsőörs, the proximity to Lake Balaton, the limestone-dolomite soil, and the balanced climate lend the wines elegance, freshness, and a well-balanced structure. We cultivate a total of 18 hectares across three distinct areas, whose subtle differences lend the wines exciting layers of complexity in every vintage.

Due to the proximity of Lake Balaton, warm days on the Felsőörs vineyards are followed by cool evenings, which help preserve the grapes’ aromatics and crisp acidity. The soil’s unique characteristics, meanwhile, impart a salty note and a clean structure to the wines, ensuring they remain balanced and airy.

The backbone of the vineyards consists of three varieties: Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Noir—each expresses the character of the terroir in its own way, yet all share the same Lake Balaton elegance.

The Mindszentkálla Terroir
The 7-hectare estate in Mindszentkálla has been owned by the Diocese of Veszprém since 1277. This continuity is unique in Hungary: there is no other ecclesiastical or family estate that has never changed hands in seven hundred years. Mindszentkálla is thus not merely a terroir, but a bearer of our history—centuries of experience and the landscape’s unparalleled qualities are reflected in every single bottle.

The character of the vineyards is defined by the Káli Basin’s unique microclimate and the stony, volcanic soil. The windy, sunny location yields concentrated yet taut wines, in which minerality and depth are prominently expressed year after year.

The most spectacular part of the estate is Püspökdomb, which offers a beautiful view of the landmark hills of the Balaton Uplands.

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Felsőörs

Our 18-hectare estate in Felsőörs, part of the Balatonfüred-Csopak wine region, is centered around three varieties: Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Noir.

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Mindszentkálla

The character of our 7-hectare estate in Mindszentkálla is defined by the unique microclimate of the Káli Basin and the stony, volcanic soil.

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Péter Blazsovszkysommelier, Vince Magazine

The Veszprém Archdiocesan Winery burst onto the Hungarian wine scene like a comet with its very first vintages, bottling the incredible potential of its two vineyards—Mindeszentkálla and Felsőörs—and delighting wine lovers with authentic North Balaton wines.

Edit SzabóEditor-in-Chief, Borsmenta

The Sauvignon Blanc from the Veszprém Archdiocesan Winery’s wine family, bearing the year of the winery’s founding, is not a typical “light” white wine. It is a fuller-bodied, richer wine that can hold its own with heartier dishes. Try it with risotto, fish in butter sauce, mushroom curry, or even a four-cheese pizza!