Villa Tolnay

Villa Tolnay stands on the slope of Csobánc near Gyulakeszi, behind Badacsony, overlooking the Tapolca Basin. It is a wine house, guesthouse and tasting venue in a villa named by locals after a famous resident. Not a classic restaurant: you come here for the wines, the quiet and the hill.

Klári Tolnay’s villa

During the war the actress Klári Tolnay lived in this house on her husband’s vineyard estate and spent her days off here. Locals named it the Tolnay villa, and the current owner kept the name. Above the cellar door is a glazed veranda, in front of the house the vines.

A Swiss owner and a Badacsony winemaker

The villa was bought by Philipp Oser, a Swiss economist and IT entrepreneur who first came to Hungary in 1998 and fell for the house at first sight: he waited more than a year to buy it from its German owner. He believes this is Hungary’s best white wine region. „Single-variety wines are honest,” he says. Since 2008 the estate has been run by winemaker László Nagy, who is proud that Csobánc has stayed a vineyard hill and brought abandoned vineyards back into cultivation.

The wines

The wine house farms 17 hectares on the slopes of Csobánc and processes grapes from six more hectares in the Badacsony region. The main grape is Olaszrizling, with Rhine Riesling, Furmint and Grüner Veltliner, planted almost by accident around the house. In 2013 three and a half hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot went in front of the villa. The wines are full, dry and mineral, and according to the winemaker show their best after two or three years. The house exports to about thirty countries.

Terroir above all

Philipp Oser has collected and tasted wine all his life; today about two-thirds of what he drinks is white, and he considers Pinot Noir the most honest red grape. At Villa Tolnay terroir comes first, as Északi Part magazine put it. László Nagy sees Olaszrizling as the strongest variety on Csobánc and would plant more. His picks from the range: Olaszrizling, Rhine Riesling and the Névtelen Cuvée, a Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend.

Tastings and wine dinners

During opening hours you can taste on the villa terrace, and smaller groups can order a cold platter. Cellar and vineyard tours are offered, and wine dinners can be arranged in advance. The guesthouse takes up to ten people, so you can stay after a tasting.

Csobánc and the basin

The villa is reached by heading from the Liliomkert market in Káptalantóti towards Tapolca, among the volcanic hills behind Badacsony. Csobánc is one of the defining hills of the Tapolca Basin, and the terrace looks out over the neighbouring buttes and the basin. A short detour from Badacsony brings a very different wine-country afternoon.

Who it is for

Wine lovers looking for an internationally minded yet local wine house, couples for a quiet weekend, and anyone drawn by the Klári Tolnay legend and Csobánc. Not for a hearty lunch; arrange a wine dinner in advance.

What does it cost?

Mid-range: according to international wine tourism sites a short guided tasting starts from 15 euros; wine dinners and accommodation are priced individually.