Working with grapes is nothing new in the Bolyki family—János’s parents were also grape growers. And as it often goes in a dedicated family, little Janika was already helping out with vineyard work as a child. Of course, back then he wasn’t too taken with it—he would have much preferred to play with kids his age by the nearby stream or in the surrounding meadows.
But as he grew older, almost without noticing, he gradually became obsessed with wine. In 1998, he began studying viticulture and oenology in Gyöngyös, and—true to the saying “if you're going to do something, do it properly”—he also started planting his own vineyard. At first, he sold the grapes, but soon gave that up and began making his own wine.
His winemaking journey officially began in 2003, after graduating. Then, out of the blue, came a “pleasant lightning strike”: his first Bikavér won a silver medal at the 2006 “Challenge International du Vin” wine competition! This was a key turning point in both his work and his life—a form of confirmation that he was indeed on the right path, the one meant for him.
With a good wine under his belt, he raised the bar: from that point on, the pursuit of outstanding quality became his main goal. He makes his wines based on the principles of naturalness and strives to minimize his environmental impact.
