Ghent – Alain and Valérie Bostoen-Bourdeau (Christeyns NV, GOVI NV) already received their first gold medal for their Hungarian wine and are now expanding their range further. Their story started in 2018 when they established their winery ARTOR in Villány, in southern Hungary. The first vintage, ARTOR 2019, was launched last year and immediately became a hit. Additionally, a second wine, Alter by Artor, is released in March 2023.
“Our wine has character and personality and it is distinct, thanks to our passion for our product. You can taste and experience that. Our red wine guarantees warm conversations and engaging evenings.” Speaking are owners Alain and Valérie Bostoen-Bourdeau. Ghent entrepreneurs (Christeyns NV, GOVI NV) who gave shape to their passion for wine and immediately their dream in Hungary. What remains a dream for many, Alain and Valérie have now realized, incorporating all their experience and interests, with the support of the best experts. And with lots of personal elements that the connoisseur will quickly discover and appreciate.
The name of the wine was chosen for Artor, a contraction of the first names of Alain and Valérie’s sons: Arthur and Hector. The original drawings on the label are by Alain. Wife Valérie had noticed that Alain always made droodles during meetings and she kept them and now there is a whole collection to give each vintage a unique drawing. So lots of personal touches and that translates into the unique wine this family puts on the market.
Why Hungary? A frequently asked question. Since Belgium is not (yet) really suitable for red wines and the obvious countries like France and Italy are already richly served, these purebred entrepreneurs found the challenge in a lesser-known wine country like Hungary. Unknown is unloved, at least to Belgians perhaps, but there has been viticulture in Hungary since the Romans. After the mass production during communism, Hungary switched to quality wines and is very conscious of terroir and climate, with the known positive consequences for the quality of the wines there, according to the experts. This is where Alain and Valérie saw their chance to teach Belgian wine lovers to discover new gems from a lesser-known region. And admit it, who doesn’t want to taste something different, innovative? And this approach is also characteristic of purebred entrepreneurs.
The Vineyard
By the way, Hungary has seven wine regions, of which Tokaj and Villány are the best known. Alain and Valérie chose a wine estate in Villány, Hungary’s widely acclaimed and southernmost wine region, also called the Bordeaux of Hungary. The winery boasts 4.5 Ha, divided into three vineyards. The wine is aged in oak barrels for 16 months and the first vintage sold under their label is vintage 2019 and first marketed in 2022. Winemaker is István Ipacs Szabó, a reference in his profession with more than 20 years of experience.
In the first wine, Artor 2019, we find four grapes: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. This wine immediately won a Gold Medal when it was first released on the market in 2022. Coming to market this year (March 2023) is Artor 2020, which is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.
New this year is a second red wine, Alter, a different blend and in a slightly lower price range. Ideal as an introduction because it is “Alter by Artor”. For those who like to know the origin of the name: Alter is Latin for ‘other’ and in English it also stands for ‘change’. So, a different blend, but completely following the same values and standards of Artor. An entry-level wine to give everyone the chance to enjoy this exceptional Hungarian wine.
You can order from two wineries in Belgium:
Wijnen De Clerck of Kortrijk (info@wijnendeclerck.be or https://www.wijnendeclerck.be/ ) and
Group Caves Saint-Amand uit Gent (info@cavesstamand.be or https://www.cavesstamand.be/ ).
