Bolyki winery is one of the most unique destinations around Egar, Hungary. Surrounded by the 30 metres high stone walls of an old stone quarry, the nine wine cellars and tunnels that connect them can take you to a different wine tasting experience.
János Bolyki
The winemaker, János Bolyki, started working with grapes in 1998. He is a first generation winemaker in Eger, although his parents cultivated grapes in their backyard as a supplementary income.
János founded the estate by planting 11 hectares of grapes in 1998 on land he had received from compensation. When the area became productive in 2002, new plantings and winemaking took place. Today the Bolyki estate encompasses 27 hectares.
Cellars
When Jani started making wine, he looked for a cellar and ended up founding the cellar in the old quarry. The wines of the 2003 vintage were made there and were a success. As the grapes grew, Jani bought new cellars from 50 previous owners. The area has now grown to 4.2 hectares, which includes 4 mine yards and the surrounding areas.
Tufa cellars are popular because they are cheap to build and have good heat management, but Jani always wanted to provide a sterile environment for winemaking that meets the needs of today in all respects, so he started construction in 2019. The style of the new building, completed in 2020, matches the environment. Within the building, the team works with the most modern equipment and energy produced by solar panels (environmentally friendly). They also bottle locally.
The territories
In a south-western, well-situated area, the air is constantly moving so fungal diseases are rare. The soil has a good water balance and is a piled, crumbly, tuff forest soil. Five varieties have been planted in the 12-hectare area: kékfrankos, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, blauburger and oporto.
Their second territory is one of the prominent vineyards in the Egri wine region. It has a south and south-east orientation and clayey, loamy brown forest soil. There are currently 1.2 ha of pinot noir plantations here, with another 1.2 ha waiting to be planted. The wines here stand out with their beautiful acidity and elegant style.
