Heimann Family Estate | Hungary Wineries | Wine Folly
Heimann Family Estate
A brief history
The Heimann family has been among Hungary’s leading red wine producers for many years. Zoltán Heimann Sr. and Ágnes have returned to the family’s roots in Szekszárd, embracing their agricultural heritage. Their son, Zoltán Jr., joined them after completing his studies abroad. He is dedicated to further building upon his parents’ legacy, redefining indigenous grape varieties, and creating a quality-driven, committed team of winemakers. They are passionate advocates and driving forces behind regional cooperation in the wine industry.
Zoltán Heimann Sr.
My earliest memories flash back to the traditional peasant world. The courtyard with chickens and pigs, the communal grape harvest, and the pig slaughter were all sources of excitement and carefree experiences. My father worked in the cooperative, while I, basking in my grandfather’s love at home, helped clean the pigsties, tapped the barrels, and practiced using the hoe. To this day, I can still smell the unforgettable aroma of freshly racked Kadarka that filled the entire press house.
My destiny has been to breathe new life into the Swabian winemaker past I experienced back then and to preserve as much of it as possible for the present. I aspired to create an exemplary and successful family business dedicated to quality, within the limits of our possibilities.
In this, I relied on the help of my parents, who brought the past with them and ran the estate in its first decade, and on my brother Ferenc, who built the cellar and the press house. It was essential to have my life partner, Ágnes, by my side. It is a great achievement and a joy that our son Zoli now works with us, continuing our work.
Ágnes Heimann
By education, I am an economist. If someone had told me at the end of university that in 25 years I would be a winemaker on our own estate, I would have probably laughed. Yet, around 2000, life presented me with this opportunity, and I seized it. I joined my husband in building our own business. I quickly realized that the skills I inherited from my ancestors—who were artisans, lawyers, restaurateurs, and engineers—could all be put to good use here.
The work that comes with winemaking brings different tasks with each season, making it impossible to tire of: we farm, we envision the wines, and we nurture them until they become finished products. Winemaking is a truly creative process, which also carries a great deal of responsibility because everything bears our name. I have the privilege of working with my family, with those I love the most, unconditionally.
The primary focus of my winemaking has been to create the Heimann wines that continue to form the backbone of our sales. These wines reflect our taste: enjoyable, drinkable, clean, and distinctly modern Szekszárd wines, based on both Hungarian and international grape varieties.
My greatest success is the creation of Barbár: my husband and I spent several years planning what the Heimann flagship wine should be like. Our goal was to create a wine that could be aged for a long time, showing more beauty and complexity with each passing year; a wine that would not follow trends but would captivate the knowledgeable wine audience with its individuality. If we do our job well, it could eventually embody a brand. Since then, we have been building this more consciously each year.
I have always believed that my time would be just a phase and that our son would eventually take over the reins. This time has perhaps come a bit faster than I expected. But he is educated, has gained momentum in the world, and has a vision—building on the foundations we have laid, he too wants to reach somewhere. Now, it is time to support him. I am not worried; there will still be plenty of tasks for us too. This is how the world comes full circle.
Zoltán Heimann Jr.
“I am grateful for my parents’ constant support, and I feel lucky that they sent me abroad to study,” says Zoltán Heimann Jr.
The son of Ágnes and Zoltán Heimann, Zoltán Jr. completed his winemaking studies in Geisenheim, Montpellier, and Udine, following experiences in Alto Adige and several Hungarian wineries. Further summer and harvest internships followed at Caiarossa in Tuscany, Clemens Busch in the Mosel, and Mac Forbes in Australia’s Yarra Valley. His interest was firmly piqued by the unmistakable taste of grape varieties’ origins.
After returning to his family home and Szekszárd, it quickly became clear that recreating the classic cuvée range of the Heimann Family Winery wouldn’t be enough for Zoltán. He immediately turned to the region’s indigenous varieties. To this day, delicate Kadarka and spicy Kékfrankos provide him with the best raw materials.
“Make the world’s best Kadarka!” was my father’s response to my question after my Geisenheim graduation about what he saw as my mission. During my student years and internships in France, Italy, and Australia, it became clear to me that only native varieties could put us on the world map. Whether it’s Kadarka’s fragility or Kékfrankos’ overwhelming fruity aroma, I fell in love with this task. Broadly speaking, my goal is to define what Szekszárd means to me. This is the essence of our new wine collection, named Heimann & Fiai.
