Berlin to Villány and back again: New wines with old roots

Villány, Hungary’s southernmost wine region, has long been known for its bold reds and sun-drenched vineyards. What fewer people realize is that the area’s winemaking culture owes much to Swabian immigrants, who settled here in the 18th century. These German-speaking farmers brought their knowledge of vine cultivation and cellar work, shaping the character of the region’s wines and villages to this day.

Even now, traces of Swabian order and charm are easy to spot—neat rows of vines, whitewashed houses, and a quiet sense of diligence. But in recent years, something unexpected has taken root: a new wave of winemakers from Berlin, drawn to Villány not for tradition, but for the freedom to do things differently.

We recently visited two such wineries—Hummel and Piros Béka—and found ourselves in a curious mix of old and new: Villány’s Swabian legacy meeting Berlin’s natural wine spirit.

Piros Béka Winery

In the tiny village of Kisjakabfalva, just outside Villány, Mariana and Rudy—Berliners with a love for natural wine—run Piros Béka, a small winery with big personality. Their wines are natural, low-intervention, and deeply expressive of place.

Rudy, with ties to the Georgian wine scene, even imported traditional Qvevri amphorae to ferment their reds and whites underground, giving the wines a gentle depth and earthiness rarely seen in this region.

While Villány is known for powerful, high-alcohol reds, the wines at Piros Béka feel light on their feet—honest, drinkable, and quietly complex. It’s a world apart from the blockbuster style that has defined the region for decades.

Piros Béka wines in our shop

Hummel Winery

Horst Hummel is another Berliner who has found a home in Villány. A former lawyer turned full-time winemaker, he’s been farming organically since 2008 and is now producing some of the most stripped-back, natural wines in the region—often with no additives at all.

His wines, especially his takes on Portugieser, are lively, transparent, and full of personality. They challenge the notion that Villány must mean bold, polished reds—and offer something far more engaging.

Hummel wines in our shop

Villány’s Swabian roots gave it structure and strength. Now, with Berliners like Mariana, Rudy, and Horst in the mix, the region is quietly being reimagined—from the ground up. The vines are the same, the sun still shines, but the wines? They’re dancing to a very different rhythm.