Welcome to our site! If you're looking for unforgettable experiences, fantastic wines, and delicious food, you've come to the right place!
What do we offer you?
Our wines are made by Zsolt Szente, with professional support from Uncle Zoli.
As Uncle Zoli likes to say, ‘You can only gain 50 years of experience in 50 years,’ and it’s hard for me to argue with that.
Polgár Zoltán
Zoltán László Polgár is one of the founders and professional mentors of our enterprise — everyone’s ‘Uncle Zoli,’ an iconic figure of the wine region, a living winemaking legend. He was named Winemaker of the Year in 1996 and holds numerous national and international awards. Following in the footsteps of his great-grandfather, he graduated from the former University of Horticulture in 1976. He began his professional training in the Villány wine region, where he has been active ever since.
Szente Zsolt
Zsolt Szente is a winemaker, banker, financial expert, and entrepreneur who has taken a long journey to return to his family roots in winemaking. As a soldier, he traveled throughout the Middle East and the Balkans, worked in London’s financial world, then returned home so he could learn the profession from Uncle Zoli and devote himself to what he loves most. He consciously immersed himself in the intricacies of the wine world, completed the WSET, became co-owner of Gourmet és Borakadémia, and launched his own WSET school under the name Academy of Wine and Spirit. After teaching, he founded Vinopolis Hungary, a wine event center, and was a key figure in Hungary’s first gastro-reality series, Etterem Harcosai (‘Restaurant Warriors’). After several years in international wine trading, he moved to Villány to work with Uncle Zoli, learn the craft of winemaking, and build his own enterprise.
Balogh Attila, üzletvezető
Attila 2 éve dolgozik nálunk Villányban, és irányítja a vállalkozás vendéglátással kapcsolatos tevékenységét, de igazából ennél sokkal több feladatot varrunk a nyakába. A borkészítés folyamatában is részt szokott venni, legyen szó a szüret szervezéséről, hegyközségi ügyintézésről, de a bisztrónk működtetésén túl a rendezvények, kóstolók és kitelepülések megszervezésében is kardinális szerepet vállal.
Korábban a pécsi Littke Pezsgőházban dolgozott az étteremben, majd a pezsgőgyárban a tulajdonos mellett. (Itt ismerkedtünk meg.) Ezt követően Palkonyán, a Borverandában dolgozott, és ezen kívül több mint 150 esküvő lebonyolításában vett részt az elmúlt években. Innen csábítottam át Villányba.
- Szente Zsolt
In my philosophy, a good wine is one whose birth is influenced by as little external, artificial intervention as possible. In this spirit, I craft the Cardinal wines with a focus on sustainability and in harmony with natural processes. I use only those treatments that place the smallest burden on the vines; there is no chemical weed control, and green work is carried out gently. I leave a larger canopy to shade the clusters, I don’t push yield restriction to the extreme, and we only spray the vineyard when absolutely necessary. While conventional viticulture involves spraying every two to three weeks, we do so only when conditions genuinely justify the risk of disease. For example, in 2025 we sprayed only once in the early growth stage of the vines to prevent infections from developing; beyond that, we used only natural conditioning materials.
The 2025 vintage brought a wonderful harvest. It’s true that most of the grapes ripened earlier than usual and almost all at the same time, posing an enormous challenge. Normally, the varieties ripen sequentially, but in years like this—without even mentioning 2024, which was exceptionally extreme—the varieties tend to ‘converge.’ This makes careful planning of the harvest period especially important. Since we harvest by hand, the process is slow, and the weather greatly affects it.
The harvested grapes are sorted, the berries are gently crushed, and depending on the goal, the must is either delicately pressed or macerated, after which it is further processed. We use cooled, controlled fermentation, among other reasons to block the unwanted effects of wild yeasts.
Contrary to the trends of past decades—when large-format, robust red wines aged for long periods in barrique barrels were the norm—I am an advocate of sparkling wines, reductive whites, and lighter, fruit-forward reds. Naturally, I do not turn my back on Villány’s traditions, as ‘great wines’ remain important for representing the potential of both the region and the winery.
My strong affection for Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc is undeniable, but I believe every winemaker has their own passion, and I proudly stand by mine. One such passion is the use of carbonic maceration specifically with Cabernet Franc.
In making my wines, I strive to ensure that—beyond professionalism and my own stylistic preferences—they are created with your needs in mind as well, resulting in wines that bring joy to everyone.
Szente Zsolt
Our products
Gyakori kérdések
Hol készültek a Cardinal borok?
Villányban a Polgár Pincészetben.
Ki készíti a Cardinal borokat?
Szente Zsolt a Cardinál bor borásza.
Mi a szerepe id. Polgár Zoltánnak a Cardinal Borok készítésében?
Zoli bácsi alapítója a borok készítésért felelős vállalkozásnak ezen kívül Zsolt és Zoli bácsi között évtizedes barátság és kölcsönös együttműködés van. Zoli bácsi tudásával támogatást nyújt Zsoltnak a borok készítésében.
Mióta dolgozik Zsolt a borok világában?
Zsolt közel 20 éve dolgozik a borszakmában, de Zoli bácsi 5 évtizedes gyakorlatát 5 évtized alatt lehet csak behozni. :)
Honnan származik a Cardinál borok készítésénél felhasznált szőlő?
90%-ban a villányi borvidékről, de nem minden fajta szőlő található meg a borvidéken, amivel Zsolt dolgozni szeretne, ezért bizonyos fajtákat más borvidéken termeltetünk. Dolgozunk a pécsi, szekszárdi, balatoni és mátrai borvidék termelőivel is.
Discover our winery's selection of wines and participate in our wine tastings! Every tasting is a true experience – whether you come alone or with company.
7773 Villány, Baross Gábor Street 89.
+36 70 384 7083