A long-standing dream came true when we had the honor of taking the wines of the Bussay Winery under our care. We shared a long friendship and many memorable tastings with the late Dr. László Bussay—known to all simply as “the Doc”—who tragically passed away last year, and whose wines were nothing short of extraordinary.
It all began when the local physician, who had settled on Kövecs Hill in Csörnyeföld in the late 1980s, grew tired of sipping mediocre local wines and suddenly declared to his family: “Either we move, or we plant vines!” They chose the latter, and soon found plots with such exceptional potential that even fig trees bear fruit multiple times a year—land that once belonged to the vineyards of the Zichy estate.
Following Doc’s vision, they planted Olaszrizling, Rhine Riesling, Tramini, Pinot Gris, and Muscat Blanc, with the intriguing addition of Szerémi Zöld. Later on, red grape varieties appeared on the Zala hills as well, including Pinot Noir and the old Hungarian variety Csókaszőlő. In the early days, these fairy-tale wines from Csörnyeföld were made just for the cellar and close friends. But encouraged by his old friend Zoltán Heimann, the Doc eventually shared his creations with the public.
Wine lovers warmly embraced these full-bodied, characterful, and serious wines from the Mura region, which once again put Csörnyeföld and the Zala wine region on the country’s wine map. After their father’s passing last year, his two daughters, Dorottya and Bianka, took over the reins. Dorottya, the elder, moved back home to continue both the medical practice and her father’s work in the vineyard—living and breathing wine and vines. Bianka, while pursuing a career in law, is becoming more and more involved in the family winery.
In both vineyard and cellar, they work as naturally as possible. As the Doc used to say: “We just assist at the birth of the wines, like midwives.” We deeply believe in the terroir of Csörnyeföld. For us, there is no question: the wines of Bussay Winery belong in the same league as those of Somló and Tokaj. Nothing proves this more than Dr. László Bussay being awarded the prestigious “Winemaker’s Winemaker” prize in 2015.
Go Csörnyeföld, go Bussay sisters!
