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In 1991, I married Cindy Fodor and
shortly thereafter, we began our frequent journeys to
Europe, especially Hungary. My father-in-law, John Paul
Fodor, immigrated to the United States for political reasons
following the Hungarian Revolution in 1956. He was a
participant in the brave uprising against the Soviet Union.
I quickly became enamored with the Hungarian culture and its
people. In particular, I fell in love with the wine culture.
I had never seen a more fertile soil coupled with a people
so dedicated to it. It was amazing to see and taste the
fruits and vegetables produced here. Almost every household
has a vegetable garden, fruit trees, and of course, grape
vines. Many families make their own wine. Hungary is blessed
with abundant sunshine, rich soil, a long growing season,
and a hardworking people with a longstanding agricultural
history.
My wife and I dreamed of being involved
in the romance of winemaking. With each visit, we toured
different wine regions and enjoyed the fruits of the
winemakers. Eventually, we became more serious about
realizing our dream and began inquiring about property.
After much research we happened upon a jewel.
In the foothills of the Matra mountain
range there was an elderly couple whose son went to work in
France. When it was decided that he was not to return, the
family removed their old vines and placed the property for
sale. The nine acres slope southward from the mountain
covered with rich black volcanic soil. It receives abundant
sunshine and northerly winds are blocked by the hills. We
purchased the property in 2003 and our first grapes were
harvested in 2012.
Nyilas Janos, our vintner, has been
growing grapes and producing wine in this region for more
than thirty years. He, too, has seen the evolution of wine
production here and now combines his old world experience
with modern machinery and equipment from Italy. The result
is a beautiful sophisticated wine. We are producing
international varieties such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir,
Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Blanc, and
Pinot Gris. We are producing local varieties such as
Kekfrankos, Kekoporto, Harslevelu, Furmint, Olaszrizling,
Muscat Lunel, and Zweigelt. We are blending the traditional
international varieties with the Hungarian varieties to add
unique nuances to old standards.
As for the name, Black Castle, my family
heritage descends from nearby Vienna, Austria. At that time
Hungary and Austria were under one empire ruled by the
Hapsburg family. The name Schwartzenburg translates into
Black Castle.
The Black Castle image is an artist's
rendition of the Swartzenberg Palace in Vienna. After much
hard work, time, and effort, our dream has become a reality.
We would like to share this dream with family, friends, and
all wine lovers. We would like to introduce you to Hungarian
wines. Try them. Taste them. Share them. Enjoy!
Edward Schwartzenburg
BCV
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