THE ESTATE
TŰZKŐ BIRTOK
The Tűzkő Estate is located in the small municipality of Bátaapáti, nestled in the gently rolling hills of Tolna’s wine region, 150 kilometers south of Budapest and 30 kilometers west of the Danube River. Tűzkő Birtok, one of the oldest wineries in Hungary, was owned by the noble Counts of Apponyi family, originally of French descent, whose lineage dates back to the early Eighteenth century.
Several of the estate’s buildings have existed since that time such as the grain storehouse that has become the estate’s headquarters. The Counts of Apponyi were skillful at recognizing and developing the full potential of this wine-growing region and introduced agricultural and enological innovations.
The estate extends over an area of 250 hectares, 170 of which are vineyards that grow at an altitude of about 200 meters above sea level in the Pannon wine region, an area well known and respected since Roman times.
Unlike the vast majority of wineries in this region who focus mainly on red wines, Tűzkő’s vineyards sit in an especially advantageous position at a higher-than-average altitude, surrounded by gently rolling hillsides and forests, with average temperatures that are 2 °C lower than the rest of the area.
This unique, exceptionally cool microclimate is perfect for growing white grape varieties that fully express their finest aromas and flavors resulting in vibrant wines with distinctive mineral characteristics while, at the same time, producing elegant reds.
The region’s history and potential attracted the attention of important wine makers including Jacopo Mazzei and Piero Antinori, both tied to the world of wine for generations. They recognized that the Tűzkő estate, set in the Tolna hills near the acclaimed area of Szekszárd, held great potential for producing the finest quality wines.
The Antinori family was deeply inspired by the quality of the wines produced, the presence of existing vineyards on the land, the historical, impressive cellars excavated in tuff rock and the beauty of the landscape so, in 2000, they decided to take over management of the winery together with the Mazzei family.
