HOLDVÖLGY

Mád, Hungary

The winery of HOLDVÖLGY presents the industrial world of winemaking and its complex technological background from a completely new perspective, within a museum-like space. During the design process, a key priority was to ensure that no large-scale industrial structure would disrupt the small-scale architectural character typical of the village.

Mád, Hungary

Winery and Gastronomy

The location is Mád, the heart of the Tokaj-Hegyalja wine region, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This charming village is characterized by small houses with tiled roofs, narrow streets, and the distinct aroma of wine. Tiny cellar entrances are an organic part of the townscape, while beneath the streets lies an intricate network of ancient wine cellars. A defining element of the landscape is the series of terraced vineyard slopes, reinforced by distinctive stone retaining walls. The mass of the HOLDVÖLGY winery is embedded into the sloping hillside, allowing it to seamlessly integrate with the village scenery.

HOLDVÖLGY – Photo: György Palkó

Beneath its green roof, a museum-like space has been created, where the state-of-the-art tools of winemaking are displayed as if they were exhibits.

The winery is located at the intersection of Mád’s historic urban fabric and the surrounding vineyards. Beneath the plot, over a span of more than 500 years, a 2-kilometer-long, multi-level labyrinth of cellars has taken shape. The entrances to this underground world emerge as charming cellar doorways scattered among the trees. A large, paved surface in the centre of the site bears traces of mass production from the socialist era. Yet, the area was originally a lush, tree-lined public space. The new winery was positioned within the sloping terrain, housed in a simple rectangular building connected to the labyrinthine cellar network. On the site, only the entrance façade is visible, subtly connecting to the existing stone retaining walls present on the plot.

HOLDVÖLGY – Photo: Tamás Bujnovszky

The building, hidden behind the meandering stone walls, blends naturally into both the architectural and natural environment.

Emphasizing the contrast between past and present, the winery’s bright, and minimalist interiors stand in stark opposition to the dark, volcanic stone cellars carved deep into the hillside. Natural skylights and large illuminated ceiling panels enhance the museum-like ambiance.

The winemaking process employs state-of-the-art technology, utilizing a gravity-fed system to ensure the highest quality production. The mysterious cellar labyrinth, the gleaming modern interior spaces, and the picturesque, tree-lined hillside dotted with centuries-old cellar entrances make this winery a unique destination – one that appeals not only to wine enthusiasts but to all visitors seeking an extraordinary experience.