« Vinum regum rex vinorum »
The king of wines, the wine of kings”: that’s Tokaj, of course! To talk about this renowned Hungarian wine, we had the chance to meet Natalia Demkó. Along with her brother Pascal, they are the founders and owners of Holdvölgy Winery. Located in the Mád region, two hours from Budapest, this wine-growing region has been producing exceptional wines for 500 years! And if Holdvölgy Winery is quite new in the game, it is a very fine player who creates marvelous wines.
VertdeVin: How did you come to own this estate ?
Natalia Demkó: I can’t say we fell into wine when we were little because our parents aren’t from business… but it’s a lovely story. My mother gave my father a great birthday present! In 1998, she bought a plot of vines to our father, who is from the Tokay region, as a souvenir of where he had lived as a child. That’s how it all started !
Little by little, my brother Pascal had the idea to go a little further because the place is incredible and the terroir is unique, just like the wines that are produced here. Therefore, from 1998 to 2004, we bought plots and expanded the vineyard. It was also in 2004 that we began vinifying, but it was not until 2011 that the first wines were put on the market! In 2014, we welcomed our first visitors to show them how we produce the wines here and, above all, to immerse themselves in our incredible underground cellar, which includes 1.8 hectares of volcanic stone labyrinth.
VdV: Where exactly is the vineyard located ?
N.D: We currently have 28 hectares divided into 30 plots spread across 7 crus in the Mád Basin. The vineyard is located on different terroirs with unique macro- and microclimates. We work with vines that are between 30 and 70 years old. The Mád hillsides are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as is the entire vineyard, which has been producing Tokaj since 2006.
VdV: Where does the name of your estate come from ?
N.D: Holdvölgy is beautiful; it means “moon valley.” It’s the name of one of our crus, and we own 8 hectares of it—our largest vineyard. Therefore, we decided to make it our emblem.
VdV: How many wines do you produce, and who drinks them ?
N.D: We have three different ranges in total: dry blended wines, sweet wines, and sparkling wines. We produce an average of 80,000 bottles on our 28 hectares. Our main market is Hungary: the locals love to drink their own wines! We also have the United Kingdom, France, China, Denmark, and the Netherlands.
VdV: What makes your wines different from others ?
N.D: The strength of our wines lies in the terroir! Our goal is to have a clear, pure style. We don’t use much oak, and we are very careful to avoid any botrytis during the harvest of the grapes producing dry white wines. Some producers like to have a little noble rot because it makes the wines more charming in their youth. But we aim to make wines for aging. In addition, we also produce sweet wines: our ambition remains the same. We want to offer multifaceted, complex, and delicious wines.
VdV: Tell us a funny story !
N.D: Being French on my mother’s side, and therefore chauvinistic, I always told myself that the first international market to conquer would be France! And to top it all off, I absolutely wanted my wines to be at Guy Savoy, a multi-starred French chef. So, I contacted the Head Sommelier and arranged an appointment with him. The day before the meeting, I called to confirm the appointment and learned that he was no longer working at the restaurant… Stunned, I thanked the person and hung up. But then I came to my senses, called back, and explained the situation. The woman who answered was very kind and understanding. She told me that the new Chef Sommelier was present and would be there to see me. Since then, I’ve been delivering wine to Guy Savoy’s restaurant !
