We visited Balatonfüred to meet up with Dani Gyana, the current manager of the local shop of Bortársaság. Despite his young age, he already knows a lot about wine, but he also has reputation for being a party animal, who is open to anything. We couldn’t help striking up a conversation with him while we were contemplating what to drink later in the evening.
WLB: Northern or southern shore?
Dani: I spent my entire childhood near the Balaton, on the southern shore in Balatonfenyves, to be exact, and all of my best memories are connected to the lake. For the longest time I couldn’t imagine what people were digging about the northern side. Then I started exploring the area a bit more and took up a job in Füred, and I’ve been a northern shore convert every since - it is the most beautiful place.
WLB: How are you exactly connected to wines?
Dani: I work for Bortársaság, I manage the wine shop in Balatonfüred from spring until fall. You could say my job is selling wine, but my aim is to provide customers with a unique experience. The splendid surroundings make this very easy.
WLB: Which wine do you enjoy the most?
Dani: It’s hard to pick just one. I was asked the same question when a recent publication of Bortársaság came out, and I chose the Nagyon Pezseg sparkling rosé. Nothing kicks off an evening like this wine. But I am also a big fan of sauvignon blanc, I think it is absolutely one-of-a-kind. It is easy to recognize, but it shows a different side depending on which region’s vintage you try. So I think I’ll go with a Balaton sauvignon this time: Káli Kövek Sauvignon Blanc 2013.
WLB: We’ve heard that you enjoy women and partying. Is wine helpful in picking up girls around Balaton?
Dani: Picking up girls around here is not difficult at all because people are much more open than in Budapest. Kids and puppies are full-proof chick magnets of course, but breaking out the wine is also a good strategy. Two glasses on the top of Tihany sounds good.
WLB: Can you tell us a story about a Balaton party gone wild?
Dani: I’ve been to a lot of parties like that, you can’t really escape them. There was this one time when a pretty famous and acclaimed actress had nowhere to sleep because her friend who was going to put her up for the night picked someone up. I came to her rescue and offered her half of my bed.
WLB: What are you favourite places to hang out?
Dani: The Gilvesy Winery in Hegymagas, the Szent Donát Winery in Csopak, the Koloska Valley, Tihany PIAC placc and I like to pop down to Kisfaludy Beach in the evening, when almost everybody has gone home.
WLB: What do you do when you are not chilling out at these places?
Dani: You don’t have a lot of time to kill around the Balaton. There is always something going on. But when I’m not at work, I check out new wineries, go on a hike or hone my wakeboarding skills. Sometimes I visit my grandparents on the southern shore.
WLB: Here is a more serious question: what does Lake Balaton mean to you?
Dani: The Balaton has become a symbol of freedom for me, mainly because of the childhood memories I mentioned earlier. The feeling is the same, but my friends and I have moved on from badminton and soccer. I still play a lot of sports, once in a while it is good to do something active to recharge.
