What makes a sound engineer leave his livelihood and the buzz of the capital behind to create his own vinery in a small village of 500 inhabitants at Lake Balaton?
Although Ábrahámhegy's micro-climate is excellent for growing grapes, the holiday homes have almost completely ousted the grape producers. A few years ago, János Dunai was lucky enough to get hold of a vineyard of proper dimensions there. He had to replant the entire vineyard, and what he got was a new stage of life characterized by continuous commuting between Budapest and Ábrahámhegy, along with endless experimenting. Luckily.
His love for wine is not without precedents. He had worked as a sound engineer and learnt the ropes in a gastronomical programme; then came his studies in viticulture and oenology. At the moment, he hosts wine tastings in a winery in Monor. All-in-all, it is hardly surprising that his goal has been to found his own vinery and vineyard. The small family wine cellar had to be expanded and new lots had to be added for a production of larger output. They started as a small family enterprise but they have been expanding every year since. The ultimate goal is to move to Ábrahámhegy completely and make a living by selling wine.
Their name says it all about their credo. A’Capella means without instruments - which - translated to wine - means that the family practices artisanal winemaking. They make white wines mostly, but their rosé has been winning gold and silver medals at the St. Nicholas Day National Rosé Competition since 2010. At the moment, they produce seven different types of wine of the grape varieties Pinot Blanc, Blaufränkisch, Welschriesling, and Riesling.
