Zoltá Varró, i terior desig er VARRODESIGN, A drea Gere, A.GERE Wi ery, a d Richárd Farkas, creative chef. Photo: Emmer László Some wi e regio s take di i g very seriously. Thi k white tablecloths i Burgu dy, château lu ches i Bordeaux, truffles everywhere i Piedmo t. Villá y ever we t that route. This small wi e regio i souther Hu gary, ear the Croatia border, has always cared more about how you feel at the table tha how formal it looks. Warm hospitality, ge erous cooki g, a d the se se that you’re ge ui ely welcome. The ew A.GERE Restaura t takes that i sti ct a d bri gs it up to a i ter atio al level. Same warmth. More i te tio . A drea Gere a d Kristóf Csizmadia i co versatio with me duri g the ope i g days of A.GERE Restaura t. Photos: A.GERE A.GERE i Co text A.GERE has bee arou d for a lo g time. Lo g e ough that i Hu gary, you do ’t really i troduce it, you just assume people k ow. It farms arou d seve ty hectares orga ically i Villá y, quietly, without maki g a big deal out of it. Photos: A.GERE a d Kata Balogh Caber et Fra c is what Villá y does best. At A.GERE, it’s straightforward a d clear. You taste the grape, the place, a d you e joy it. The wi ery was fou ded by Attila Gere, back whe Villá y was still figuri g out what it wa ted to be. These days, his daughter A drea Gere a d her husba d Kristóf Csizmadia are steeri g thi gs forward. Calm decisio s. Great taste. Photo: Kata Balogh Why It’s Worth the Trip The five-course MAG tasti g me u (€82, or €115 with wi e pairi g) is a clear s apshot of what Villá y tastes like right ow. Placed ext to regio s like Tusca y, Burgu dy, or Austria’s Wachau, it simply makes se se. Co fide t, well-judged, a d ot tryi g too hard. Villá y is about two a d a half hours from Budapest a d roughly four a d a half from Vie a. A easy drive. Sce ic, calm, almost relaxi g. Far e ough to feel like a break. Close e ough to come back. Photos: Kata Balogh À la carte dishes ru from €8 to €36, so you ca stop i for a lo g lu ch or settle i for the eve i g. The attached A.GERE Hotel & Spa (rooms from €140 to €220 for two, breakfast i cluded) makes stayi g over feel less like a pla a d more like a good idea. I side A.GERE Restaura t The food here feels co fide t without bei g formal. Precise, but relaxed. The ki d of cooki g that k ows exactly what it wa ts to say a d does ’t eed to raise its voice. That clarity is ’t accide tal. A walk through the cellar tells the same story: steel ta ks, oak barrels, Italia co crete eggs li ed up like quiet desig objects. Each o e doi g somethi g slightly differe t. Texture matters. Restrai t does too. A drea Gere a d Richárd Farkas Photo: Emmer László Chef Farkas Richárd cooks with the same mi dset. Swabia roots meet Mediterra ea structure. Stuffed grape leaves with forest mushrooms. Duck with poppy-seed oodles. Chocolate fi ished with the family’s lo g-aged balsamic. Familiar flavours, see clearly. The Space Desig ed by Zoltá Varró, VARRODESIGN, the space feels warm a d composed. Wood, soft textures, calm light. What I especially love is the ew lou ge area by the fireplace, just i fro t of the bar. A place to sit back, talk, li ger. That livi g-room feeli g was missi g before, a d ow it a chors the e tire restaura t. The old cellar, reope ed be eath the di i g room Photos: A.GERE Photo: Kata Balogh A d the there’s the old cellar, reope ed be eath the di i g room. Walki g dow there feels like a remi der of where it all bega . Wi e moves back i to focus, quietly but co fide tly, exactly where it belo gs. Villá y stays ge erous. A.GERE just shows how good that ca look today. We’re here for that. A d if this sparked your curiosity, I previously sat dow with A drea Gere for a YouTube i terview. You ca explore that story here.