Best of Budapest & Hungary

Back in 2011 the Hungarian wine community was focused on Péter Vida who had received the prestigious ‘Winemaker of the Year’ award. The following years were relatively quiet in terms of publicity but behind the scenes the Vida family was rather busy. Important long-term decisions were made and the vineyards were replanted in accordance with their new strategy: to make wines which express the true Szekszárd terroir. The final piece of the jigsaw will be put in place this year with the completion of the technology overhaul. The stage is finally set to produce exquisite wines for Hungarian wine stores, fine dining restaurants and the expanding international markets.

New labels

“Our goal is to promote the idea that the genuine Szekszárd wines are the ones which are elegant and welcoming. We found that Spanish graphic designer Xavier Bas, who has assisted in the development of several iconic brands over the years, has the same commitment to his job as we have to ours. We have worked together for almost exactly a whole year starting last January. He visited us in Szekszárd to get to know our family, vineyards and wines and to find out what the ‘Szekszárdian spirit’ is about,” says Péter Vida Jr.

It’s not just the bottles that have new labels but the complete Vida image has changed; there is a new logo and the product line has been revised. The basic supermarket line, the so-called ‘Fairy-wines’ are light and refreshing, made in a popular style with an instant appeal. The terroir line is made up of kadarka, kékfrankos and bikavér, as these are the types which best express the elegance and the unique character of the Szekszárd terroir. These wines come in the special Szekszárd bottle. There is no change at the top of the range: the flagship wine of the winery remains the La Vida blend made only in exceptional vintages.

Bonsai in Szekszárd

Some years ago the Japanese distributor of Vida wines came to visit the estate and wanted to see the vineyards. He noted that the gnarly centenarian kadarka vines reminded him of bonsais. “A kadarka plantation from 1920 is extremely rare and is of special value in itself. Quite often we literally have to kneel in front of the rootstocks to prune them as these are ancient bush-trained vines. The image on the label – a mix of a bonsai tree and an old vine – aims to convey the sense that the wisdom of the plant is bigger than that of humans even if it is diminutive in size,” says the founder of the winery Péter Vida Sr, adding that this story inspired Xavier Bas to choose the label of Kadarka to be the most striking label of the portfolio. The new labels were introduced in mid-January both in Hungary and abroad.

About the designer

Xavier Bas Disseny is a Barcelona-based branding and packaging design agency founded in 1998. The agency specializes in projects in the F&B sector and counts wineries and distributors in the world of wine and beer among its clients. “As well as to identify a wine, a label needs to stir our imagination and our emotions,” the designer believes. “The label must appeal to us, speak to us on behalf of the wine, showcase it, make us keen to try it and ultimately seduce us. A label or range of labels is a powerful communications medium for launching and introducing brands into their market, enabling them to compete effectively.”