In the tiny village of Barnag in the Balaton Uplands, Bence Szilágyi works on a small scale with around five hectares of vines. His wines come mainly from the limestone-rich soils of the surrounding hills, alongside one vineyard rooted in volcanic soil. Riesling, Furmint, Kékfrankos, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon make up the core of his work, sourced partly from vineyards he rents and farms himself and partly through a long-term relationship with a local grower.

Bence studied winemaking in Budapest and later in Germany’s Pfalz region, but it was Berlin and its natural wine scene that ultimately shifted his perspective. He became increasingly drawn to wines where the character of the grapes, vintage and place could speak more freely, rather than being shaped by conventional cellar techniques. This curiosity led him to spend time with like-minded winemakers, learning through tasting, working and exchanging ideas before returning to Barnag to make his own wines.

His first vintage came in 2017, with just 400 bottles made in a cellar carved into the limestone beneath his family home. What began as a small experiment gradually developed into a winery with a clear identity of its own. Today, the wines are made in a nearly 200-year-old stone barn in Barnag, while production remains deliberately small.

In the vineyards, Bence works without tilling the soil and allows naturally occurring vegetation to grow between the rows. The same restrained approach continues in the cellar: the wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered, in many cases without added sulphur. They are defined by freshness, lively acidity and an effortless drinkability, while reflecting the different landscapes and soils of the Balaton Uplands.