At a real wine cellar. || Paty, HUNGARY

After a day of harvesting grapes, we deserved to taste the kind of wine they will be in years' time. 

Laci's family has a wine cellar up the hill, around an hour's hike away from their vineyard. It was quite cold that day, but we got our bodies warmed up by the short excursion. I haven't been to a real wine cellar so I didn't know what to expect. When we stopped at nightfall, I thought we were just taking a short break from the hike. Apparently, we had reached the place. In the darkness, I didn't notice the old wooden door beneath the vines on the hill. When he opened the big, vintage locks, I was amazed at what I saw:

The cellar was a small burrow on the hill. It was probably 3 meteres wide and stretched to three different sections deep into the hill. It was lined with old bricks and cement. There were stacks of antique barrels, tools, buckets, jars, and pipes at every corner. There were also 2 steel tanks brimming with wine. Everything was just fascinating!  



Below is their personal collection of their oldest wine. I didn't even dare touch them.


Laci was kind enough to explain to us the tedious process that happens inside this cellar, especially during the time before they started using machines, and he even gave us a sip of the freshly made ones! :)

One thing that I found so interesting in this cellar was how the walls were randomly decorated with coins of different shapes and sizes. I got curious as to why there were stuck there, whether it was a personal collection, too, or placed their for aesthetic purposes. 

Apparently, these coins were used to measure the amount of mould in the cellar - if they stick, then it's good a sign. What a unique way of measuring things, I thought! I would have never known about this had I not been here! Really fascinating.
Anyway, the short tour ended, and we were ready to have our dinner. The evening was getting colder, and what better way to warm ourselves other than a bonfire, spicy chicken wings, and more wine?

We shared stories, sang, and drank the night away. :)

It was one of the bonfires ever.

***

October 8, 2011
Paty, HUNGARY