József Bock: A life in the service of Villány wines

By: Trademagazin Date: 2024. 09. 06. 10:40

József Bock, the legendary winemaker of the Villány wine region, recently received a lifetime achievement award from the Hungarian Wine Academy in recognition of his decades of dedicated work. His passion for the heritage of the family estate located in the Jammertal vineyard put not only the Villány wine region, but the entire Hungarian wine industry on a new footing. He told Pénzcentrum about the beginnings of his career, his challenges and the future of winemaking.

The weather conditions of this year’s harvest require particular attention. Due to the weather, the harvest started two weeks earlier, so Bock’s team has to constantly monitor the grapes’ state of maturity. Sugar level and PH measurement play a key role in producing the best possible quality wines. In particular, they see outstanding results in the field of rosé wines, but they continue to pray for rain to improve the condition of the grapes.

Market trends also affect the operation of the Bock Winery. Although Villány is traditionally famous for its red wines, due to the increase in demand for light white wines, the winery considered planting more white grapes. The special wines are still available in limited edition at the winery, but Bock emphasizes that in order to survive, presence in larger store chains is essential.

József Bock’s career is full of memorable moments. He won his first gold medal in 1981, which started his passion for wine. And after the successes of the 1990s, there was no stopping: from the Seville World Exhibition to the full dedication of his winery, he achieved many milestones.