About us
My name is Stephen Ernest Benkö, I am a producer of a micro winery from Tokaj and I would like to introduce my wines to you.
I was born and raised in the US, and grew up in California very near Napa Valley, and spent a lot of time in the Napa wineries. After graduated school in NY and Boston, and then worked in DC, I moved to Hungary more than 30 years ago. My father was Hungarian and my mother Swiss, so living here feels a bit like having come home.
My Czech wife Radka is an art consultant, and she works with a number of Central European artists. She features a different one on each label. Thus in this way we try to marry our two passions, wine and modern art.
There are currently four vintages available, 2018 – 2021, with 2022 coming in the Spring of 2023.
Our particular “dülő,” or slope is one of the most highly regarded vineyard-tracts in the region. It’s called “Felső-Bea,” which means simply „upper Bea,” and there is some historical evidence which shows that grapes have been cultivated here since the late 15th century. Our plot sits on a hill above the little village of Abaújszántó with a good sunny exposure with steady breezes as well which keeps the rows dry.
I use only a reductive fermentation process, which is to say simply we use only temperature-controlled steel barrels throughout the entire process.
I only make the one wine because for now I like to try to see how good a wine I can make from the one vineyard in Tokaj.
We do not advertise our wines as I like to know our wines are going to a good home, as it were. Our production is very limited, and my goal is to offer it only to the best restaurants and winelovers in search of top quality rare wines.