Zsolt Palkó

The Climb

Riesling sits at the center of Zsolt Palkó’s work, and the style attached to his name is clear: laser-precise, mineral-driven wine from Villa Sandahl in Badacsony, Hungary.

Today

Villa Sandahl’s Riesling program now runs through Zsolt Palkó as winemaker, with the same focus that defines the wines tied to his recognition. The signature bottling is Rabbit Periscope Rhine Riesling, the Villa Sandahl wine that won the Hungarian Wine Grand Prix for the white wine category in 2021. It is the clearest shorthand for his craft: Riesling made with a laser-precise, mineral-driven character, from the Badacsony setting where he works. Another named wine in his arc is Villa Sandahl Not Yet 2018, selected by VinCE Magazine as Wine of the Month in 2021.

Signature

Zsolt's signature wines include Rabbit Periscope Rhine Riesling and Villa Sandahl Not Yet 2018.

In Their Words “I often get questions, if the climate warming doesn't cause drought and problems in our vineyards, but my simple answer is that we always have perfect amount of rain during the whole summer.” “It was still quite closed just after bottling, but has now opened up and is showing its gracious, suave side.”

Recognition

The central award is the 2021 Hungarian Wine Grand Prix for the white wine category, earned by Rabbit Periscope Rhine Riesling. For a winemaker working in Riesling, that recognition gives the work a sharply defined public marker. The same year also brought magazine recognition for Villa Sandahl Not Yet 2018, selected by VinCE Magazine as Wine of the Month. Taken together, those two 2021 references show the range of attention around the winery’s bottles: one through a national wine prize, the other through editorial selection.