Attila Gere

Proprietor: Attila Gere
Website: Attila Gere Winery
Country Location: Hungary
 
“People have been enjoying grape and the wine made from it for thousands of years, it has a decisive effect on our everyday life. We are winemakers, firmly committed to make more and more lovely and delectable wines, invoking the aid of nature. To succeed, we need to use but not abuse grapes. The base of all excellent wines has always been the wholesome grape coupled with hard, consistent work and deep commitment to our vocation.”
  Attila GERE, owner - winemaker
  
  Villány is a town in Southern Hungary not far from the Croatian border that is famous for its wine. The name derives from the Hungarian word for lightning, villám. It dates back at least as far back as the Bronze Age and has supported a highly-organized grape-culture since before the Romans.
  
  Under the Turkish occupation Villány was completely destroyed, but grape growing did not stop as people from nearby villages maintained what vineyards they could. Later, many Germans came, bringing with them innovations in grape growing and wine making. They brought the Kékoportó (Portugieser) grape which produced the first light reds Known outside the region. Villány first flourished in the 1850-60's, and then again after phylloxera. The communist era was a period of quantity not quality and the fine wine of Villány basically disappeared.
  
  After the regime change of the early 90s, the long-gone family businesses re-emerged. These small producers have resurrected old traditions and are working to make Villány, famous again. Attila Gere's great-grandmother lived in Villány, and her husband was the local cooper. Along this line, the Gere family had quite a few members who were affiliated with wine production, starting from as many as seven generations back.
  
  The first time Attila Gere took interest in the winery was in 1978, through his father-in-law. Tasting his authentic home-made wines, Gere started to realize the great potential of the red wines in the “DHC” - Villány (Hungarian equivalent to the French AOC system). Today, the younger generation is also an integral part of the everyday life of the winery. The Gere family believes in the importance of vine-culture and wine-making being passed on to sons and daughters, thereby re-creating the noble Hungarian tradition of the lasting family business.
  
  Climate:
  The climate is continental with sub Mediterranean micro-climate. Winters are mild; spring comes early, followed by a fairly dry and mostly hot summer. This area receives the most heat and light in the country. The warmth of the slopes is enhanced by the hot air streaming in from the Mediterranean Sea.
  
  Soil:
  The soils are predominantly loess and red clay; at places Triassic dolomite, limestone and Jurassic limestone too.
  
  Grapes:
  They utilize both, traditional local varietal (Olaszrizling, Kékoportó-Portugieser, Kékfrankos etc.) and international varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot etc.). Their Bordeaux varietal wines are bottled as blends that often include local red grapes and or as mono varietal wines.
 

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