Hungarian Wine Brotherhoods
The principle objective of Chivalric Orders of Wine means the protection of certain viticultural regions, respectively the fame and quality of local wines further to a widespread fostering of wine-consuming as a culture. In a way, the knights of such orders are a liaison between the viticulture and wine production and the culture plus traditions of the in territory in question. They are considered as ensign and devoted ambassadors of same.
In earlier years the chivalric orders of wine incorporated predominantly producers and farmers, nowadays they emerge from various social groups representing many different professions like doctors, lecturers, artists etc. speaking clearly for a high quality based wine consume. The establishment of such orders showed economic motivations like quality protection, technical development by utilizing marketing potentials offered by these bodies aimed at sales and higher quantities in distribution.
For the realisation of their voluntary goals, the chivalric orders of wine grasp each and any occasion, mainly within their own areas. The deliver lectures and presentations on wine. They also participate in trade fairs and exhibitions, wine contests and festivals announcing the scientifically proven usefulness of modestly drunk wines for human bodies.
The individual chivalric orders wear very special fancy gowns with chains and medals, they also have their own coats of arms and flags. Their constitution and rules of operation, their festivities, the ritual of their ceremonies and top wines to their colours are decided by themselves. A top wine to one’s colours means the most characteristic, highly acknowledged and best tasting wines of their region.
The chivalric orders gain new members according to their own statues through accolades in the framework of festive ceremonial events following a successfully performed period on trial. Hereby, practical tasks connected to wine or their wine region have to be fulfilled by the candidate. Then, as a sign of their fidelity, the new candidates’ swearing follows as to the wine order and its top wines to the colours. In termination of the ceremony, the Grand Master inaugurates them into the court of ordinary knights with a symbolic object of the order.
Alisca Order of Wine Szekszárd
The ALISCA Order of Wine – named after the Latin name of the town – was formed on 24 February 1988 in the Szekszárd Wine Region which has had an important role in the Hungarian history of viniculture for several centuries.
The microclimate of the wine region and the soil of the hills facing the River Danube are favourable for growing blue grapes and making red wine. The reputation is due to the traditional "Kadarka" type of wine.
The goal of the order of wine is to protect and cherish the reputation of the wine region and its types of wine, make them widely-known, and pay proper tribute to such representatives of our culture like Ferenc Liszt composer and the poets János Garay and Mihály Babits.
The flagship of the products of our order, the "Szekszárdi Óvörös" cuvée, is made by mixing the best types of red wine of our members.
Szekszárd wine has been inspiring for artists for many a century. Among the famous ones for example Ferenc Liszt in 1865 even presented a bottle of Szekszárd wine to Pope Pius IX who had a very high opinion of it.
The present Szekszárd knights of wine have decided to continue cherishing this noble historic tradition for a wide group of people in Hungary and abroad, alike.
Bonus Bonorum
The mission of our Wine Order:
Bonus Bonorum Wine Order is committed to preserve and study the traditions of Balatonboglár Wine Region, find and develop the ways to advertise and propagate wines of the region, draw attention to the wide choice of wines and sparkling wines produced there which praise the work of experts, vine-growers and oenologists and made from grape supplied abundantly by nature.
To quote Horatius’ words: a full glass not only makes you speak eloquently but also generates beautiful thoughts. Wine is not merely a magnificent drink; it symbolizes love, friendship and the economy of a country. We wish to popularize wine so that it could become an everyday drink of Hungarian people as a healthy meal can only be crowned by a wine matching perfectly to the dishes served.
Bonus Bonorum Wine Order was founded to achieve these aims.
It is important to make the products of the wine region known. Wine knight orders are not claimed to be successful business ventures in any part of the world, instead they contribute to the promotion of the wine regions’ produces.
BB Muskotály is Hungary’s first wine brand, which became widespread, popular and available to anybody in the 1970’s. Obviously, it was chosen to be the emblematic wine of our wine order.
Balatonvin Order of Wine
The BALATONVIN ORDER OF WINE was formed on 4 March 1984 in Csopak, in the Suly manor house, by wine-growers and friends of wine who feel obliged to support the wine growing, viticulture and traditions of the Balatonfüred-Csopak wine region.
Our Order of Wine has chosen the print of the stamp of the 'Free Csopak Grapery' community of wine growers, founded in 1754. Our flags and standards bear these patterns, paying tribute to the heritage of our ancestors of viticulture.
The varied composition of soil on the area of our Order of Wine and the effect of the surface of Lake Balaton together contribute to the unique and excellent quality of the types of wine made of the grapes grown on our slopes.
Already several poets, writers and artists have extolled the wine produced from the ancient "Olaszrizling" type of grape – it has laid the foundations for the reputation of the wine region, so our Order of Wine has chosen it as our standard-bearer.
Our festive uniforms are made with Veszprém County patterns of embroidered felt cloaks worn by members of the nobility.
It was Árpád Balázs composer who composed our anthem and music signal.
Our members include the owners and experts of all the noteworthy farms of wine growing and viticulture in the wine region, together with some outstanding and celebrated Hungarian and foreign persons.
Unghvary Laszló Winebrotherhood of Cegléd
Together with the knights of our order we are pleased to greet you here.
We were established in 1997 by 33 founding members being supported by the Self-governments of Cegléd, ceglédbercel, Csemő and Nyársapát as well as the Aranyhegy Wine Cellar Cooperation of Ceglédbercel. In the meantime the Kiss Cellar of Tápiószentmárton has also joined us.
Since the establishment we have admitted 200 honorary members and 7 of them were admitted as regular members.
Among our objectives the most important one consists of preserving the vineyard and wine traditions. We are representing the vineyards and wineries of Cegléd and surroundings having already been recognised from historic perspective.
We strive to popularise the newly established wineries, to promote the civilised wine consumption. At the Hungarian and international events we try to present the places of interest, culture and the diligent people of Cegléd and its surroundings.
Considering the motto of “Wine is the drink of kings – it is the king of drinks” we – the wine-knights of His Majesty – are ready to serve him loyally.
The Chevaliers Törley Sparkling Wine Order
The Chevaliers Törley Sparkling Wine Order was founded in 1987, commemorating József Törley, the greatest figure of sparkling wine production in Hungary, who utilized his knowledge attained in Reims, France when moving back to his homeland. In 1882, he established his company in Hungary and began producing sparking wine from excellent quality base wine made from grapes grown in the vicinity of Promontor (now called Budafok). His cellars were carved out of Budafok’s limestone hills to ensure the uniform temperature required for maintaining the quality of the wine throughout production.
The ritual drink of the Chevaliers Order is Törley Extra Cuvée, which is produced using traditional methods from Chardonnay and other wines with high acid content made from characteristic varieties. The unique bouquet, flavour and aroma of Extra Cuvée develop during several years of maturing. Sediment is removed by freezing disgorging after manual shaking, then some drops of expedition liqueur is added to make this sparkling wine perfect.
The Sparkling Wine Order has now over 300 members, whose duty is to promote and strengthen the tradition and fame of the order's sparkling wines and through them, the Törley Sparkling Cellar and its products.
Custodes Vinorum de Villány Order of Wines
Grape-production in Villány, the southernmost wine region of Hungary, where high-quality wines with special aroma have made the area famous, goes back close to 2,000 years. It was through the appreciation of this work that Villány was awarded the title “International City of Grapes and Wine” in 1987.
Custodes Vinorum de Villány Order of Wines – which can be rendered as the Wine Order of the Villány Wine Guardians - was established in 1988, to enhance the reputation of Villány wines, to protect their quality and to promote their success in the marketplace.
The flagship wine of the wine order, a type outstanding from the current selection of the wine region, is Cabernet Franc. During the course of the initiation ceremony, in harmony with the aims of the wine order, the new members, who undertake an active role in the life of the wine order, and the ambassadors of the wine order, take the oath to this wine.
Villány, a special station in the Hungarian wine route programme, the row of cellars, and the high level of catering provides delightful experiences for every visitor. Villány and its quality restaurants, romantic cellars and hospitable hosts welcome those endeavouring to taste wine and have a rest all year round.
Da Bibere Zala County Order of Wine Knighthood
The active members of the society of viticulturists and wine makers in Zala County formed our order of wine knighthood at the turn of the millennium (2000) with 50 participants.
During the past 10 years this number has grown to 109 persons, also including several noted experts in the neighbouring Burgenland, Croatia and Slovenia.
The seat of our order is in Keszthely and we hold our festive meetings in the historic Festetics Manor House.
Our order of wine knighthood aims to respect and follow the traditions in connection with Zala County and the events of history here. Accordingly, our pieces of garment and implements have been designed and made according to a pattern of local findings of folk art and archaeology.
Our name has been selected after a small beaker found next to Keszthely in a 2000-year-old grave, with the words "DA BIBERE" (give me something to drink) on its side.
Grapes are usually grown on narrow plots of smallholders on the mildly rolling hills of Zala County. Our types of grape include Hungarica and international species, as well. In conformity with the standards of wine tasting tours our viticulturists welcome guests in several towns and villages of the county. Every summer there are series of wine festivals.
Our members are active participants of pubic life, and take part in disseminating information and organising events.
Saint Orban Wine Brotherhood of Adony
Due to its favourable geographical condition Adony had already been populated in the period of Bronze Age. Different nations and cultures met in the course of history through battles and in peacful circumstances.
The still existing grape and wine culture along with several other traditions such as farming were brought by the German immigrants whom were migrated after repelling the Turkish intruders.
The St Orban cult, which is the feast of the Saint patrone of wine and grape, among with several other existing traditions originates from this time of history.
Order of Wine members were combined by those of producing grapes on the hills that is situated next to Adony and making wine in order to nurishing cultures of Adony, which was commenced to town in 2004.
In honour of St Orban a feast is arranged annually in a chapel built on the grape hill with the participation of other invited wine orders as well as resident and neighborhood population.
Emphasizing and propagating the importance of environment preservation we have arranged a meeting of Wineman - Hunter-Fisherman which event is cometted to protect the natural environment.
Members of our Wine of Order meet on a regular basis by tasting each other fine home-made wine in one of their vaults at the nearby wine hills.
'Gondűző' (Consoling) Order Of Wine Knighthood Kiskőrös
16 members formed our order of wine on 25 January 1994 with the following goals:
disseminating detailed information on wine growing and viticulture around Kiskőrös;
cherishing the quality, standards and reputation of the Kiskőrös wine, protecting species and origin;
propagating the favourable physiological effects of consuming wine according to cultural traditions.
The name of our order of wine "Gondűző" has been taken from the first line of a poem of the greatest Hungarian poet, Sándor Petőfi, who was born in the town. The poem has the title "Borozó" (Wine Drinker) and the first line reads: "Gondűző borocska mellett…" (While having consoling wine…).
Growing grapes and producing wine here have written documents dating back even to the 13th century.
"During the Turkish occupation the remnant of the population found shelter in the marshes and reeds, and grapes entirely perished…"
The new inhabitants introduced in the 18th century – people from Túróc, Nyitra and Hont Counties – only had a possibility to plant grapes in 1791.
The vineyards having been formed with hard work and the types of wine produced here have become a reliable source of income. They keep the workers in the neighbourhood and have turned the deserted region into a prosperous area.
Wine Order of Knighthood „Gróf Vécsey Károly”
Our order of knighthood was established on March 15,2003 with 28 founding members. All our members are people producing grapes and wine.
During the past 6 years several members left us, (+) 2 persons have died. We also have new members, so our current membership amounts to 27 persons.
Our name-giver is Count Károly Vécsey, general, a martyr of the glorious freedom fight of Hungary in 1848-49 who was executed in Arad!
The objective of our Order of Knighthood is to spread knowledge about the good wines of Solt within the country and beyond our boundaries. Expansion of friendly relations, getting to know other regions and exchange of experience.
In the area of Solt there are about 850 cellars dug into the earth, several hundred years old. These were built on a common barrenness which could be identified as unique in Hungary.
Our flag-wine is „ Solti Ezerjó”.
On the last Saturday of September, every year, we hold our member-dedicatory celebration – as part of the Vintage Day of the city – on the Vineyard Hill of Solt, together with fellow-orders of knighthood.
“István Nádor” Order of the Knights of Wine
“István Nádor” Order of the Knights of Wine was established on 30th November 1999. We have been registered members of the National Association of Hungarian Wine Knight Orders since May 2002.
We are holding our events in the cellar of Hotel Palota, built in the 1930s. For each occasion we invite wine-makers representing different wine-growing regions and they present their respective areas through quality presentations and, obviously, their excellent wines.
During the past few years, we have participated in several national events. With the intention to create a tradition, each year we organise the ”Hungarian Festival of Blossoming Vine”, where eminent representatives of the town and our foreign partners also appear, in addition to the Hungarian wine knight orders. We are organising a series of conferences titled ”Wine-Health-Joy of Life” with the participation of world-famed and nationally respected lecturers. We have revived the already forgotten event of wine consecration on Saint John’s day, held in the Minorite church in Miskolc on 27th December each year. For the members of our Wine Order and interested lovers of wine, we are offering ”cup-bearer” courses about the craft of tasting and matching wine, which is naturally supplemented with the mysteries of the gastronomic world of tastes.
We have selected the Yellow Muscatel of Tokaj as our flagship wine.
The Mathiász János Order of Wine of Kecskemét
The Mathiász János Order of Wine of Kecskemét came into being on 21 March 1986. It is named after János Mathiász viniculturist who has purified more than 3,000 new kinds of grape, mainly dessert grapes - several of them are grown even now. The emblem of our Wine Order also has the portrait of the great scientist in it.
In our region growing grapes and viniculture have a tradition of several hundred years, as documents from the 13th century also attest it. Since the arrival of the first Hungarian tribes in the Carpathian Basin in 895 A.D. the neighbourhood of Kecskemét has had the name "Aranyhomok" (Golden Sand) on account of the culture of growing grapes and other fruits here. Our types of wine are just perfect for the products of the modern gastronomy. Due to their light nature, fresh fragrance, flavour and slightly acid character they are justified to be called "wine for every day".
Our Wine Order has 53 regular members, and we have also chosen almost 300 honorary members from the outstanding representatives of sciences, culture, media, and experts of grapes and wine. Our goal is to spread the cultural consumption of wine, as having it in decent quantities and with due respect to the drink is a part of the healthy way of life. For us wine is sunshine in bottles, because the warm rays of the Sun make grapes grow ripe, so that they can yield the noble drink from the Biblical times, known to mankind for more than 6,000 years, meaning that making this type of drink is one of the first human cultures.
Cultores Moris Redemptionis Wine Brotherhood of Kiskunhalas
In the land of our town the first settlement was founded by the kuns, who had a big empire at the grasslands north of the Caucasus. King IV Bela invited them to Hungary in 1239. Supposedly they used drinking horn during their peregrination, that’s why our Wine Equestrian Order chose as their symbol the drinking horn found at a horse grave nearby Halas.
During the Turkish occupancy the Habsburgs made the independent and free kun and jasz territories their own properties based on the right of weapons and then they pawned them to the German Equestrian Order.
The language of this nation was assimilated, but their pride and love of freedom were never given up. Freedom came for them in 1745 with the ‘redemptio’, self-redemption which with they succeeded to restore their previous autonomy.
The first reliable data about the viniculture of our town is originated from 1699, when there were 177 kapas, approximately 22 acres of grape field at the border-lands. In 1720 there were already 510 kapas of grape fields in the so called Agevineyard (Öregszőlő) countryside which still exists today. In 1912, 4876 acres of grape fields were reported, out of it the Gruner Veltliner gave excellent quality.
For that reason our Wine Equestrian Order set “Cultores Moris Redemptionis” to our flag - the name of the followers of the redemptio tradition - and chose the Halas Veltliner as our flag wine.
Fülöp Krämer Order of Wine Knights
Soltvadkert, located in the middle of the Hungarian Great Plane, is a settlement established 600 years ago. Being part of the 25 thousand hectare vineyards of Kunság Wine Region, grape is produced in Soltvadkert in 2920 hectares.
The grape variety Ezerjó, a Hungarian speciality, was produced in a significant part of the area even in the last century. This is why we decided to choose Ezerjó as the emblematic wine of the order. At present, the largest production area of this variety in the world can be found here in Soltvadkert with 600 hectares.
Fülöp Krämer played an important role in the reviving of grape growing after the phylloxera epidemic starting from the 1890s by introducing modern viticulture, and the application of advanced technology in wine-growing. Our order was named after Fülöp Krämer to express our respect for him.
The Fülöp Krämer Order of Wine Knights was founded in 2001 by viticulturists, winemakers, and people aiming to preserve the traditional reputation of wine-growing and wine-trade. The order is dedicated to promote - both in Hungary and abroad - moderate and refined wine consumption, as well as the wines produced in Soltvadkert and its vicinity.
This objective is supported by our events, the initiation ceremony, and the blessing of the emblematic wine on Fülöp’s day.
Monor Region Strazsa Wine Order
Our Wine Order was established in February 2000. – as the 25th wine order of Hungary – with 39 founding members with the purpose to cherish and develop grape growing and wine producing traditions coming from the 18th century . Our goal is to preserve our wine cellar village, consisting of about 1000 wine cellars -built in loss wall - for the posterity. We want to encourage cultured wine drinking, to organize programs and meetings of friends, to make Strázsa hill being a popular place for public life, to become worthy member of Kunsagi Wine Region with our wines, programs.
Our programs, Knight Feast and Wine makers Ball, Wine competition of our Town (upon invitation), Strazsa hill Amateur Bicycle Race and Cooking Feast, Orban-day Feast, Marton-day New Wine Festivity are all successful and popular, welcome by the public. Beside our local programs our Wine order usually participate on the programs of other Wine Orders, we cooperate with foreign wine orders as well, and other civil organizations, connecting to gastronomy.
St. Stephen’s Wine Brotherhood of Noé Hill – Székesfehérvár, Hungary
The history of our royal coronation town, the respect of our past and ancestors, the grape-wine agriculture on Noé hill, which –according to our legend- dates back to the Roman ages, provided stable bases to the foundation of our wine brotherhood in 2002.
Our membership, embracing 29 professional and amateur wine-growers, with respect to the noblest drink, the wine, keeps strongly together. The skillness of our brothers and sisters serve the high standard fulfilling of our duties related to professional activity. Our organization considers the popularization of moderate consumption of our wine yard’s products one of its top priorities, with special magnitude to our flag-wine, the ’Zengő’, which is often referred to as a Hungarian specialty, and is enjoyed as a health-protecting and natural beverage.
The professional and public programs of our regular events spread remarkable values, and are a significant part of the Royal Town’s festivals and other cultural offers. We are proud of the results we achieved, which henceforward obligate us to quality. It was a great honor for us to gain admission to the MBOSZ, the National Association of Hungarian Wine Brotherhoods in 2003 as a member. This chance widened our opportunities, opened new ways to us, and it increases the feeling of public spirit and the togetherness of wine experts.
In the mentality of chivalry, we seek to deepen and strengthen our friendship with other wine brotherhoods, to achieve our common purpose: the preservation and improvement of the traditions and values of wine culture.
Orbán Wine Order, Hajós
Hajós is the village with the largest system of cellars in Hungary. It was constructed throughout several centuries by German settlers who in the 18th century moved to the area which had lost its population during the Turkish occupation.
The wine order formed by the experts and with the financial support of the local State Farm in 1983 has been active ever since, promulgating the excellent qualities of the Hajós types of wine – mainly red ones – and their favourable effects on body and soul.
The grapes are flourishing on the soil of clay and aeolian sediment, and the types of wine produced from them are matured in wooden casks in the cellars. Due to the skills and hard work of the today’s descendants of the one-time German settlers they are the foundation for the prosperity of the village and its people.
The present members of the order of wine, not leaving the path chosen by the founding fathers, keep cherishing the excellent quality of the Hajós wine, and propagate the benefits and advantage of having this type of wine in moderate quantities. By collecting the written and non-written traditions presently they are making efforts to put the Hajós system of cellars on the UNESCO List of World Heritage.
Pannon Imperial and Royal Wine Order of Knighthood Sümeg
The wine order of knighthood was established in 1999. Choosing our name we would
like to pay our honour to the glorious sovereigns of Pannonia’s land. Majority of our members live in the territory of historical Pannonia including Burgenland and Slovenia spanning over more wine-districts. We have our center in Sümeg.
Our past of wine-growing and wine-making had been determined by centuries old wine-growing and wine-making tradition of Veszprem Catholic Bishopric (from Füred to Lenti) and later in the 18th century cellaries and anecdotic stories of nobiliary circle connecting to Ramaselter and Kisfaludy gentilitial families activating in the reform era.
Our primary goal is to restore the reputation of the hungarian wine. Concerning the professional field we think it is very important and essential to produce excellent wine as well as to improve the marketing activity.
In frequented tourist regions we support the socio-economic introduction of wine-cellars producing excellent wines in a wide range beside the big wineries.
We organize spectacular wintage-viticulture entertainments and processions and take part in programmes of associated wine order of knighthoods activating in Balaton Wine Region.
We participate regularly in wine making programmes of hungarian community in Slovenia, region Csente-Lendva.
We have renewed our connections with Bayerland existing in the past, several famous bayer personalities are members in our order. Our connections with Burgenland are expanding, too.
On admittance to our order we take into consideration the successful career and favour admittance of prominents activating in science and arts because we can imagine the rising of hungarian wine-growing and wine-making with a cultural background of high level.
Pannónia Women Wine Order
Our Wine Order was established on 12th July, 2004 in order to get and increase reputation of Hungarian wine growers and wines both home and abroad. Our other important role is to make traditions of Hungarian wine culture familiarized with large numbers of people and to create a trend line for wine consumers to turn to quality wines.
We do not have close connection to any of the wine regions so our activity is developed for the whole country. Our members in private life are: financial experts, jurists, teachers, entrepreneurs, employees of certain companies, journalists but there are also members specialised in winery, gastronomy and wine marketing.
During the last years, we organised lots of wine dinners, wines galas, wine conferences, we held foreign wine tasting programs and had many new fans of Hungarian quality wines. Above our usual events under fixed in our events calendar this year, we were requested by an important tourist city to organise a competition of ’Wine of the town’ and by a neighbouring country to held a Wine Ball.
We consider big honour that the Master of our Wine order has been delegated by the National Wine Association to organise the series of FICB 2010 Congress events in Hungary.
The Winebrotherhood Saint Donatus
The Winebrotherhood Saint Donatus in Csókakő was established in 2001.In the last 300 years the terrain of Csókakő has been strongly involved in winemaking and trading as well as today. The winebrotherhood is an association of people - wine lovers, experts and wineproducers - of Csókakő, having a special interest for wine. The regular occasions for wine tasting and the social events promote domestically and internationally the communication among wine lovers, wine producers, wine experts, artists, as well as the contacts among all the friends of wine.
Yearly Agenda: Csókakő Saint Donatus Wine Day in June
Csókakő Castle Festival in September
Szent Vince Order of Wine Szeged
Szent Vince Order of Wine in Csongrád and Békés Counties has been promoting the sights of the area, together with the treasures and traditions of wine growing and viticulture since 1991.
The three centres of the order in the towns of Szeged, Csongrád and Gyula perform this activity on their own.
The Csongrád region is mainly known for producing red wine, which fact is also demonstrated by the characteristic formal dress worn by the members.
The members of the order of wine is mainly composed of the noted viticulturists and wine growers of the region, together with caterers and others who are interested in viticulture and are committed to this noble activity.
The members of the order of wine pay much attention to making the characteristic types of grape and wine (kövidinka, kadarka, Csongrád red Cuvée) typical of the wine region better known. These types of wine are produced with both the traditional and modern technologies.
Among the traditional anniversaries of viticulture and wine growing we always celebrate the "Vincent Day Pruning" which is in January. According to folk traditions it gives a forecast of the expected quantity and quality of the harvest. This festivity is in the Ópusztaszer National Memorial Park and at this time the members of the wine order also present their types of wine.
Promontorium Wine Knights Order
The Promontorium Wine Knights Order has been founded in Budafok in 1992. Professional and historical specialities played a role in it’s establishment. On the territory Budafok the wine culture is dating back to the Romans. Substantial vineyard cultivation began after the expulsion of the Turks in the 18th century. The owner of the territory prince Eugene de Savoie brought new planters from the Rhine area to start vineyard cultivation on the shallow hillsides. That’s where Budafok earlier name Promontorium is coming from. The meaning of this Latin word is a hillside planted with grapes. Promontorium became an independent village in 1739 and became the major part of the wine grape area called Buda-Sasad.
The flourishing wine culture was destroyed by the filoxera epidemic at the end of the 19th century. Due to it’s extended cellar system Budafok - which bears it’s presents name since 1886- gradually became the wine trade centre of the country. Thanks to this fact, at the proposal of Darányi Ignác the first cellarer course was founded in Budafok and this is the predecessor of the present István Soos wine technology school. During the 1880-s sparkling wine production started in Budafok which is still well known (Törley Francois).
The fame of Budafok has been held up and conserved even after World War II. As a reward Budafok received the title as the „city of grape and wine” in 1997. The basic aim of our Order is - in collaboration with other wine orders- to promote the importance of grape and wine in every day life. The major presentation of our wine Order is the annual Budafok champagne and wine festival held at the first weekend of each September.
The Number One wine of our order is the Promontor „old red” which is composure of well known red grapes cultivated in the past in Budafok. The robe of our order is the so called „havelock”, a simple black coat with a round neck and a black cylinder.
The hunters’ order of wine
The hunters’ order of wine is unique in Hungary and Europe because it represents not a wine region or a part of our country, but a traditional profession. Its members are hunters and the order covers all the Hungarian wine regions.
A condition for becoming a member is that the applicant must be a Hungarian citizen, and an active hunter with a clean record who likes wine and offers to protect not only nature, the flora and fauna, but to enhance the reputation of the top quality and tasty Hungarian types of wine, as well.
The inauguration of new members is made with a ceremony paying homage to Nimrod with a Saint Hubertus mass, always on the 3rd of November, in the Nemeskéri Kiss Manor House in Göd.
On the Pest County Hunters’ Days in the Nemeskéri Kiss Manor House in Göd it has become a tradition to organise cooking contests of game dishes, taste wine, and to have a national wine contest for hunters and smallholders.
During these events the flagship wine of the order is also chosen. The selected type of wine can have this noble title for a year.
We organise professional courses and excursions to other sites of viticulture, so we have possibilities of increase our knowledge of making good wine. Our maxim is that that good hunters and viticulturists live and learn.
Vinum Ister-Granum Regions Order of Wine Esztergom
"An order of wine on the two banks of the river Danube"
Following the reconstruction of the beautiful Mária-Valéria bridge in 2001 between Esztergom (Hungary) and Šturovo (Slovakia) the established contacts have re-connected the experts of grapes and wine living on the two banks of the Danube.
The Ister-Granum European Region of 44 Hungarian and 43 Slovakian towns and villages came into being. Vinum Ister-Granum Regionis has become an order of wine crossing three borders in this region with traditions of a great past. We have 17 Hungarian and 8 Slovakian citizen members.
Our emblem and flag show the Esztergom Basilica, the logo of the Mária-Valéria bridge and the slopes with grapes around Šturovo.
Our slogan is: neither borders, nor a river can separate the friends of grapes and wine who have been living and working together for a thousand years.
We are looking forward to welcoming you in our royal town: Esztergom
The History of Tokaj’s “Vinum Regum Rex Vinorum” Confrérie des Chevaliers de Vin
The Confrérie of Tokaj Chevaliers de Vin (Knights of Wine) was formed in 1987, in the Rákóczi Cellar in Tokaj, the place where knights from Transylvania and beyond the River Tisza elected János Zápolya King of Hungary in 1526.
On 27th May 1987, delegates from the National Association of Bacchus Wine Confréries visited us and our first initiations took place. Since then members of the Tokaj Confrérie have been active in the National Association of Hungarian Wine Confréries.
In 1999 the Tokaj Confrérie reformed its Grand Assembly when it joined Tokaj Renaissance. The Assembly now consists of twenty members, and the following members were elected to special functions:
Grand Maitre: Tamás Dusóczky
Chancellor: Dr. Sándor Bodnár
Master of Ceremonies: Zsolt Kálmán
Chief Cup – Bearer: János Porkoláb
Ambassador: István Müller
The Tokaj Confrérie has an established code of ethics to which members are expected to abide. Ceremonies follow a strictly defined order, and evoke a sense of solemnity and pageantry which is reinforced by the Confrérie’s elaborate costumes, its flag, and the venue chosen for the meetings: the very cellar where Zapolya was elected king in the 16th century.
Vinum Vulcanum Badacsony Order of Wine
Vinum Vulcanum Badacsony Order of Wine was established in one of the most famous and traditional wine-districts of Hungary, more than twenty years ago, with the goal to increase the reputation of the mellow types of Badacsony wine in Hungary and beyond the borders, too.
On account of the soil and good location of the former volcanic cones around Badacsony – Csobánc, Gulács, Szigliget and Szent György Hills – the flavour of the types of wine grown here is really special and characteristic.
The slopes with the right inclination, the walls of basalt and the vicinity of Lake Balaton provide for the favourable sub-Mediterranean microclimate. The Badacsony types of wine – Olaszrizling, Szürkebarát, Kéknyelű – have tasty flavour and are full-bodied with high contents of extracts, alcohol and acid. The members of our Order of Wine – presently 76 regular and 207 honorary ones – are doing their best to make the types of wine and traditions of this wonderful region even more popular.