Are Hungarians really everywhere?!

Well, yes, but there are not too many of them here. Or maybe they’re just hiding very, very well. In the six months we’ve been living here, in the middle of Sonoma wine county, we’ve only found a few Hungarians who work in the wine industry. As of now, I couldn’t even list a soccer team’s worth, as they say. But I won't give up! I’m keeping my eye out for them because they must be out there somewhere. After all, us Hungarians are everywhere, are we not? Here is who I've found so far…

I met my first Hungarian contact in January last year at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium in Sacramento. His name is Peter Molnar, from the Molnar Family Winery, and he is also owner of the cooperage Kádár Kft. He has vineyards in Napa, more specifically in Carneros, where he grows Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah. We visited him in February at Domain Carneros, where he makes his wines. It’s not hard to figure out what barrels Peter uses for his wines—solely Kadar barrels of course—but what was interesting to find out was that almost all their barrels are heavy toasted.

Peter told me about another Hungarian, the wife of the winemaker at the neighboring winery, Cuvaison. She and her husband had lived in Hungary for a few years. This little bit of information made it increasingly apparent why Cuvaison’s rosés were so different, so opposite of the California-style. It was obvious Hungary had a positive impact on the winemaker; he definitely knows how to make a good rosé. The only problem with wine was its price: $17—a bit expensive for a wine I like best in a spritzer.

We found our next Hungarian in Healdsburg. His name is Béla and he owns the Hungarian store there, Paprika. You can find everything there from hot ground paprika, paprika paste, slabs of smoked bacon, jams, palinka (Hungarian schnaps), Hungarian wine, embroideries, and other items. And as it turns out, Béla himself was a winemaker for over twenty years.

And then, of course, there are the Haraszthys. In 1857, Agoston Haraszthy established California’s first premium winery, Buena Vista Winery, in Sonoma. He planted 550 acres of vines, experimenting with over 300 varieties including Zinfandel, which he introduced to California. The winery still operates and accepts visitors. The property and buildings of the winery have been nicely maintained, still preserving some of its original old world ambiance. The old processing room of the winery is now its tasting room. You can see some of the original old barrels from 1889 on the grounds and upstairs there is a mini exhibition on Haraszthy’s life. The winery has not been in the family for quite some time now, but descendents of the family do exist, like Vallejo Haraszthy. The Haraszthy family also make wine, but unfortunately, I wasn’t invited for a visit. They also just started a new winery in Hungary, in Etyek, a few years ago.

Lastly, just today I found a new Hungarian winery in Napa. I was looking for a job when I found a very Hungarian sounding name listed among the postings: Kapcsándy Family Winery. It is a small family winery making quality wine in the heart of Napa Valley. Kapcsándy bought the famous State Lane Vineyard back in 2000, where Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc were planted. I wasn’t able to find out that much more about the winery, but I promise I’ll look into it. Especially, because I’m curious to know more about their wines, which are being sold over $100 a bottle.

Both my search and this article are to be continued! And if you know of any Hungarians in the wine industry here, please let me know!