The first plot

The foundations of Szörényi Winery were laid by our beloved grandmother, Emília Zóbel, in October 1973. She had long dreamed of a plot near Lake Balaton and of growing grapes and making wine. On a cold, foggy autumn day, fate led her to the Öreghegy hillside between Felsőörs and Balatonalmádi, where she bought the first part of the estate: the basis of the upper guest house and vineyard. The fog was so thick that none of the magnificent panorama could be seen. That is why the family and our wine-loving guests remain grateful that she trusted her instincts and the sellers’ words, even when the view and the exceptional position of the land were hidden.

1973

House, vines and first wines

The guest house in the northern corner of the plot was built by family members with their own hands, helped by our neighbour Mihály. The first vines were planted in 1974 on about 700 square metres, with both white and red varieties. The first result was tasted in 1979. Our first wine, made mainly from Olaszrizling and Szürkebarát, was bottled in 1980 and sealed with wax, decorated by the family crest from my father’s signet ring. At that time the processing and storage of wines took place in my maternal grandmother’s cellar in Törökbálint.

1973–1987

Expansion and the press house

In 1987 the estate grew to roughly five times its former size, when my father bought the neighbouring, overgrown plot of about 6,000 square metres with a ruined press house and cellar. After the land was cleared, more than 1,100 grafted vines were planted on a cordon system, together with apple, apricot, peach, cherry, sour cherry, quince, pear and fig trees. The old press house was renovated using the red stone so typical of the Balaton region, and today it remains the heart of the winery.

1987–1997

Cellar development and wine knowledge

My father fell deeper in love with wine and winemaking year after year, continuously improving the cellar and the technology. The upper guest house was renovated and enlarged in the early 2000s, and the cellar capacity was doubled. Old wooden barrels were gradually replaced by stainless steel tanks, while the small 10-litre family-crest barrels remained jewels of the first cellar level. Between 1997 and 2001, the elder Csaba Szörényi also trained professionally, completing wine-lover and advanced sommelier courses and finally a wine judging exam at the House of Hungarian Wines.

1997–2009

A new generation steps closer

I, the younger Csaba Szörényi, was born in 1976. I spent much of my youth at Lake Balaton and grew up among the vines, learning the basics from my father. The real turning point in my relationship with wine came around the age of thirty, when I began to devote more time and energy to viticulture and winemaking. From 2009 onward I attended several wine courses at the former Dionysos Wine House, gaining lasting experiences and friendships. In 2015 I earned a winemaking qualification at the Soós István School of Viticulture and Enology.

2009–2017

Own vintage, family estate

From the beginning of my winemaking career, the sports and passions that had shaped my youth, such as skydiving and BASE jumping, slowly moved into the background, although they remain hobbies. Taking over from my father, from 2017 — my first own vintage — the vineyard and winery have continued to develop under my direction, with the help of family and friends. Since 2020 I have also been perfecting fruit spirits from the fruit grown on the Felsőörs estate as a private distiller, strictly for family and friends. The estate hosts large family and friendly gatherings every year.

2017–