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Our winery

The Cezar Winery Ltd. was established as the successor of the Pannónia Cézár Ltd on 1 September 2004. The company was founded by three Swedish businessmen in 1996 when they bought the former Littke Champagne factory from Pannonvin Ltd.

In 2000 the company started buying grape plantations in Nagyrada, the settlement belonging to the Zala Wine Region. From 2001 they started planting red grapes and finished it in 2006 on territories bought from both local farming coopeatives and indiviuals. The following types can be found: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Malbec and Cabernet Franc.

The winery which was built in the middle of a unique production region surrounded by beautiful, declivous hills and valleys was officially augurated on 26 May 2006.
The building features an approximately 2500 m2 useful area in which there is fermentation space, a barrique store room, a grape processing room, a cold-room, social rooms, offices and a most imposing wine exhibition hall and store.

The interior of the winery with its minimalist style, including its architectural designs, applied wall- and floor covering technology, wine producing technology and the sight of the new barrique barrels, all make the visitors stop for a while.

The winery belonging to the Zala Wine Region is the biggest factory in Zala County concerning both its storage capacity and the quantity of the produced wine. The appearance of the company in Nagyrada had numerous positive effects on local people’s lives, such as the creation of new job facilities both locally and in the neighbouring villages, the provision of piped water in the vineyards, the establishment of new plantations in the old vineyards, thus, contributing to preserving and developing the culture of wine cellars.

The philosophy of our winery is to make as many people get to know the high quality wines of the region as possible. It is our intention to prove that the combination of high standard technology and theoretical knowledge can produce wines with outstanding results.

Our modern packaging is worth mentioning that is called ‘bag in box’, in which our products belonging to the ‘bulk’ category are distributed to satisfy our clients working in catering.

The processing and wine producing phases take place locally in a modern, aesthetic environment. We do not only produce quality drinks but also various products like – balsamic vinegar, grape-marc brandy, grape-seed oil and grist. Everything that can possibly be made from grapes.
We offer a full programme for groups by showing them around the plantations, offering wine and champagne tasting programmes and/ or meals indoors or outdoors.

100% CEZAR

Quality - Commitment - Future - Experience

Wine producing technology

Prior to the grape-harvest, we do test harvest, which means we take samples several times from the grapes to be able to determine the ideal date of the harvest. The picked samples are analysed from the aspect of sugar content, potential alcohol content, pH value, acid content and ripening of tannins, they are tasted for savour and bouquet, and a plant-health condition test is carried out.
The majority (80% or so) of the harvest is done with combines, while manual harvest is preferred for the higher quality bottled wines.

White and rosé wine technology

First, the harvested grapes are measured, then it is followed by destemming and crushing (in the case of combine harvest only crushing because the machine does the destemming), next, pressing comes in pneumatic press by adding inert gas. Briefly: fast, closed grape processing.

Champagne basis: whole cluster pressing is applied.

At pressing grape-must fractions are treated separately (colour juice, pressed juice).
On certain occasions pressing is not carried out at once in the pneumatic presser, but soaking is done in skins (appr. 3-6 hours), for example, when producing muscatel or rosé.
Must treatment: Must is cleaned with enzyme treatment as well as flotating, thus, we will get clean must.
Alcoholic fermentation: Inoculation with specific yeast species, cold controlled fermentation (10-18°C, about 2-3 weeks).
After alcoholic fermentation, strong sulfuration follows in order to clean and stabilize the wine.
Malic acid splitting is not done in the case of white or rosé wine. This is followed by fining also for cleaning and stabilizing purposes..
Afterwards the wine undergoes clarification processes (tangential, membrane etc.).
Before bottling, various laboratory tests are done to make sure of the wine stability, quality secureness, such as protein stability, microbiological test etc. Finally, if meeting all criteria, the product can be bottled and served.

Red wine technology

First, the harvested grapes are measured, and then it is followed by destemming and crushing (in the case of combine harvest only crushing because the machine does the destemming).
The wine-mash is tapped into acid resistant fermentation tanks. Occasionally before starting the fermentation process, cold soaking is carried out (appr. 10 °C, 3-4 days).
Next, the fermentation is done by thick grape-marc soaking (2-3 times/day) for the purpose of extracting as many pigments and polyphenols as possible.
In most cases alcoholic fermentation is done with the inoculation of yeast species with the help of special enzymes. The fermentation finishes within 10 days or so at 24-28 °C, after which it is left in its skin for 1 or 2 weeks (contact time) for the purpose of extracting as many polyphenols and tannins as possible.
Then comes the pressing where the colour juice and pressed juice are separated and treated separately.
Malic acid splitting is applied in the case of all our red wines, which mostly takes place naturally, inoculation must be applied only in a few cases.
After this, strong sulfurization is carried out on the wines.
It is followed by maturation depending on the quality categories: in acid-resistant tanks, small-sized (225L) barrique barrels or amphoras imported from Toscana. From time to time the wines are tasted, analysed, and when they are properly matured, they are tapped, and then cleaning and stabilizing processes are carried out (fining and clarification).
Occasionally we make cuvée by blending different types of wines, which is previously discussed with colleagues at a wine tasting gathering. Finally, they are bottled.