Laszlo Szilagyi

Laszlo Szilagyi's Story

"In the 80's, my grandparents purchased an empty plot of land along the countryside near the city of Tokaj, where they dreamt of spending their later years. But, things worked out differently. The place became the headquarters of Gizella Winery, named for my grandmother.

I've been managing the winery since 2005, alongside my wife Mariann, after we completed our education. As a young wine grower-enologist and agricultural-economic engineer, I have quickly set in motion the family-owned company. Now I am cultivating six hectares in five separate vineyards. The production sites have categorical differences in soil systems; as a result, I am focusing on making vineyard-selected wines. Next to dry selections, I am looking for a chance to make natural sweets as well, which are late-harvest and traditional Aszu wines. Year by year, I experience the miracle Tokaj can give me as an independent winemaker, and I thoroughly enjoy the freedom of the work.

I believe that Gizella wines meet the highest requirements of this fast-changing world, yet I always strive to preserve carefully the old traditions.

In 2011, two of my wines have been selected to Hungary's top100. One of them, the 2007 6 puttonyos Aszú, landed at Naked Wines.

One memorable moment is when we bought a new parcel in Szilvölgy vineyard located in Tarcal. I knew the area to be ranked first-class, but it looked quite lonely. After retraining the vines and a lot of landscaping, I first made dry wine from here, which pushed me to a higher level of understanding extraordinary values.

I love this period of life in Tokaj. It's all about innovation, building communities, and developing quality. Ultimately, quality is the key. Tokaj has been reborn, and I plan on playing a significant role in its future success."