History

 

Centuries in the making, Hertelendy wines are the living continuation of an Old World lineage shaped by land, patience, and devotion to craft. Our story begins in the vineyards of Central Europe, where the Hertelendy family cultivated Veltlínske zelené (Grüner Veltliner) and Rizling vlašský (Welschriesling) as early as the 18th century near Budatin Castle. Today this region lies in Žilina (Slovakia), though for centuries it was known as Zsolna, Hungary — its identity reshaped by the redrawing of borders following WWI and The Treaty of Trianon. Through political upheaval and shifting sovereignties, the family’s commitment to wine endured.

 

That devotion reached one of its most remarkable expressions in the hands of our ancestral great-uncle, Gábor Hertelendy, whose winemaking took root in the storied Badacsony region on the northern shore of Lake Balaton.

There, halfway up an extinct volcano, Gábor established his manor among basalt slopes overlooking the water — where vines drew their strength from soils born of ancient fire.

In these volcanic vineyards, Gábor cultivated two singular varietals: Szürkebarát (known more widely as Pinot Gris) and Kéknyelű, one of Hungary’s rarest indigenous white grapes. Kéknyelű is remarkable not only for its elegance and minerality, but for its defiance of convention — it cannot self-pollinate. Requiring both male and female vines, it occupies twice the land to yield half the fruit, a truth that has rendered it nearly extinct in modern viticulture. Yet for Gábor, rarity was not a deterrent — it was a calling.

His production was intentionally modest. Only two acres were devoted to wine, and each harvest became a family endeavor, with relatives traveling from Budapest to lend their hands. The work was done not for recognition, but for tradition. Even when his land was confiscated under Communist rule, Gábor remained. Allowed to stay only as a hired hand on what had once been his own estate, he continued tending vines with the same quiet dignity, preserving knowledge that might otherwise have been lost to history. All white wine was produced for the Communist cooperative (meaning no bottles ever bore the Hertelendy name) and blended with other winery’s wines of the same varietals to make one singular wine with no individuality.

Today, that winemaking lineage has been reborn in the New World.

Hertelendy family traditions now find expression in the vineyards of Napa Valley, bridging continents and centuries through a shared philosophy of terroir-driven excellence. Remarkably, across generations and geographies, one constant remains: volcanic soil. Whether in the basalt mountains of Badacsony or the complex volcanic formations of Napa, this elemental foundation has always defined Hertelendy winemaking. It is not coincidence — it is inheritance deeply rooted in our DNA.

Hertelendy wines are not simply produced — they are carried forward.
Egészségedre!