August 24, 2023 - 0 comments
Pap Winery, nestled in the heart of Hungary, is the brainchild of winemakers Aron Molnár and Karina Vissonova. With a passion for natural winemaking and a deep love for their volcanic terroir, they have created a unique and vibrant selection of wines that capture the essence of the Szent György-hegy, also known as Mount Saint George.
Their winemaking journey began in 2014 when they stumbled upon an old wine press-house on the slopes of the volcano. It was here that they discovered the untapped potential of this wine-growing area. While Karina pursued her PhD in design in Copenhagen, Aron seized the opportunity to experiment with winemaking. With his background as an avid cook and a natural inclination for creativity, winemaking soon became his new passion.
Their first attempts may have been humble, but their Pinot Noir 2015, crafted with low sulphites, proved to be a delightful surprise. Encouraged by the positive reception, they acquired nearby vineyards on the volcano, and their journey as winemakers truly began.
From the very start, Aron and Karina have been committed to organic and soon after biodynamic farming practices. Their goal is not only to produce exceptional wines but also to leave the land better, cleaner, and healthier than they found it. In 2017, they transitioned to low intervention winemaking, using little to no added sulphites in their wines. Currently awaiting biodynamic farm certification, Pap Winery's wines are authentic, low intervention, and completely natural.
One of their specialities is making macerated white wines, or amber/ orange wines. They mostly use the Hungarian local varieties for this, such as Hárslevelü, and Furmint and Kéknyelü, the latter two of which they blend into a cuvée. Kéknyelü is a grape variety that grows exclusively in our region, hence it is rather rare and no other winemaker blends it, or makes an amber wine from it. To tease the older generation of the local winemakers, they named this amber cuvée ‘Don’t Tell Mama.’
Photos by: Körösi Tamas, Peter Orban
