Wine, jazz, the Balaton Uplands: the Homola Winery promises unique gastronomic and musical treats with picnic baskets, homemade food and superstars. At the Paloznak Jazz and Wine Picnic, held at the beginning of August, you can listen to the music of DePhazz and Mezzoforte while sitting barefoot on a rooftop.
Paloznak has an exceptionally characteristic atmosphere: traffic is minimal, tourists are rare birds and the village has an unspoilt feel to it. It was awarded the Hild Prize for preserving its authentic northern Balaton landscape. The August Paloznak Jazz and Wine Picnic is a versatile event of the Balaton Uplands, offering visitors the opportunity to enjoy the picturesque surroundings with picnic basket in hand, and to drink some unique wines while listening to superstars and top performers of the Hungarian jazz scene.
The first Picnic was held in 2012, lasting for a single day with only one stage. Last year it expanded into a two-day event, and from now on it is going to have two stages, hosting fifteen bands this year: the Microsoft Main Stage on the hill above the football field and the stage of the Homola Winery in the yard of the Tájház (Rural Heritage Building). The 2014 Picnic is part of the Nagyon Balaton event series.
DePhazz and Mezzoforte will be there as well as Juli Fábián with her band, Djabe, Kátya Tompos, Bin Jip, Mrs. Columbo, Tárkány Művek, the Klára Hajdu Quartet, Manoya, Ágnes Herczku & Róbert Sinha, the Smárton trió and Peet Project. The students of the Snétberger Music Talent Centre are Wine Picnic regulars, and will not miss the event this year either. Visitors can support them by purchasing sponsor tickets. Visual arts performances, children’s programmes, a bustling crowd and light painting will add to the versatility of the picnic schedule, and visitors are also invited to try the gastronomic masterpieces of Paloznak.
Owner Szabolcs Homola said his aim was to start a tradition in the village, a wine festival that is out of the ordinary, with top-quality music, a relaxed vibe and genuine gastronomic experiences, for example tasting homemade cheese instead of sausages on 8-9 August.
The Enoteca of the Homola Winery on the Tájház yard is open all summer (from 12 pm to 9 pm) – good to note if you feel like you cannot wait until the festival to admire the scenic landscape or to sample the relatively new, but already superb wines. Szabolcs Homola and chief winemaker Attila Homonna are all for experimenting, but they also want to preserve traditions while showing as much of the character of the region in their wines as possible.
Two wine series will take centre stage: the barrel-fermented and barrel-matured wines of the Homola series (Sáfránykert Welschriesling, Parti Szél cuvée, Shiraz and Blaufränkisch) and the lighter and more refreshing 100% series (100% Balaton, 100% Riesling, 100% Sparkling Rosé), whose simple wine labels and content are a reflection of the Balaton feeling, the winemakers say.
