Andrási László’s story and his creation of Somló Kincse Kézműves Kispince began 20 years ago on Somló. Before that (and to some extent still today), he researched the history and ethnography of Hungarian viticulture and winemaking. After a while, however, he began to feel that the knowledge he had gathered was somewhat rootless, and he felt compelled to connect with the land himself and make wine. What started as a simple hobby eventually developed into a business.
History and ethnography directly determined the focus of his winemaking: old Hungarian grape varieties. These make up the vines he cultivates, and he also maintains a significant collection of about thirty of Somló’s most important, but now lost, pre-phylloxera grape varieties. The ones still available commercially include Juhfark, Furmint, Hárslevelű, Kéknyelű, Budai Zöld, Királyleányka, Gohér, Sárfehér, Piros Bakator, Kadarka, Olaszrizling, Zöld Szilváni, Tramini, and Sárgamuskotály.
In the next five years, all of his previous plantings will come into full production, and he will need to build proper aging and storage capacity to handle the increased volume. Planning for this has already begun. He also needs to complete the collection of the mentioned pre-phylloxera varieties and create the necessary infrastructure to present small experimental batches made from them to interested visitors.
His wines are primarily available in higher-end gastronomy, including three Michelin-starred restaurants, and he regularly sells smaller quantities abroad. He experiences no difficulties with sales; if anything, his wines may reach consumers a bit too early. If this can be called success, he clearly sees its source in the virtues of the old Carpathian Basin grape varieties.
Choosing Somló was a conscious, personal decision. He has no family ties here, and only very distant ancestors were vineyard owners. Before buying his first plot, he studied the wine regions of the Carpathian Basin thoroughly, and among them, Somló’s terroir was the one that produced wines most aligned with his own taste. The firm mineral character of the tuff-based basalt, the smoky stone notes, the slightly bitter finish, all framed by full, elegant acidity, can together yield the finest white wines.
