Craftsmanship

On the Hungarian sparkling wine trail

Budapest, graciously divided by the Danube, boasts more thermal water springs than any other capital of the world.

Starting at the Gellért Hill and running partly alongside the riverbed, a massive limestone trail leads to the outskirts.

This part of the city, also known as Budafok, was an idyllic land of vineyards from the Roman times on and by the mid-19th century, it became the center of local wine production. Outstanding temperature conditions, steadily circulating fresh air and robust walls providing perfect light protection characterize the 150-year old cellar system where we housed our sparkling wines in 2015.

“The idea of splitting up the traditional stages of sparkling wine making between our terroir land and the capital seemed risky but felt right for us. Working here is certainly a privilege but such a joy as well! We aim to share the radiant energy of this place at tastings, which are the best and truly memorable way to experience Sauska sparkling wines."

Andrea Sauska

Ventillation of the cellar is provided by openings carved into the tops of the arches. At their highest point they are 8 m, while at their lowest they are 3,5 m high. The temperature is a constant 12-16 ⁰C throughout the year, with a relative humidity of 80%.

This is the environment in which our team led by legendary Champagne winemaker Régis Camus, carefully perfects the blends to reveal their extraordinary characters, letting time do its magic.

Visionaries

Méthode Traditionnelle

Assemblage

Our grapes (Furmint, Chardonnay, Hárslevelű and Pinot Noir) complete their first fermentation at the Tokaj winery and become a range of still wines with various caracteristics. They are then blended to create our range of styles. For our non-vintage, we add a certain amount of reserve wines (still wines from past years) to ensure consistency of Sauska style.

Effervescence

Blends are bottled, with yeast and sugar, to start off the second fermentation. Sealed with a bottle cap, the wines ferment slowly, producing alcohol and carbon dioxide. The bubbles are born.