For the love of the vine

Wine tasters from Southern California visited Palotai Vineyards and Winery last year and owner Gabor Palotai opened up to them about his life.

Palotai and his wife of 19 years divorced in October 2005. He was down and unsure of what might happen to his business.

He was considering moving back to Europe, either his native Hungary or Italy.

“It felt like it’s overwhelming to do this by myself,” Palotai recalled about his feelings at the time.

The people from California asked if Palotai might be interested in selling the vineyards he planted in 2000 and the winery he built in 2003.

They were prepared to make him an offer.

“I was toying with the idea, but I knew I would have made a mistake if I had done that,” he said. “I would have gotten a good price for it, but, to me, this is a way of life.”

It was his vineyards, Palotai said, that pulled him out of an “emotional pit hole.”

He said he felt that his land and grapes needed him to be there. They gave his life balance.

“My family for centuries were great landowners back in the old country,” he said. “I think it’s in my blood, my DNA, the love of the land and the responsibility in taking care of it.”

<b>GREATEST OF THE GRAPE</b>

Palotai was rewarded for the decision not to sell. His 2006 harvest was his best ever. His wines were selling out.

Then, at the 2007 Greatest of the Grape event in March at the Seven Feathers Hotel and Casino Resort in Canyonville, Palotai’s 2004 Syrah was named the favorite overall wine by attendees.

Every year Palotai has attended the Greatest of the Grape, he has earned an award or mention.

At this year’s event, the winners for the people’s choice red wine were read and Palotai wasn’t called.

He thought that was the last award of the evening and started to walk back to his booth.

“At that point, I felt, well, you can’t win every year,” he said.

That’s when he was announced as the “greatest of the grape” winner.

It capped off an emotionally draining 1 1/2 years, but it left Palotai rejuvenated and looking toward the future.

“My goal is to be one of the best winemakers in Oregon… or the U.S. if I may,” he said.

<b>‘OLD-WORLD STYLE’</b>

Palotai’s godfather had a vineyard on the Danube River. His grandfather and godfather both made small batches of various wines in Hungary.

They approached winemaking from feeling more than from formulas.

Palotai is following in that tradition. He planted his vineyards in 2000 on an 80-year-old abandoned pear orchard in front of his home near River Forks Park.

He grows at least 10 different grapes, even though he only has three acres of vineyards in production.

He admitted that most “sane winegrowers” might think his approach is crazy, but, he said, it’s just his personality.

Palotai’s wines are higher in acidity and tannin levels, which gives them “backbone,” he said. It’s a trademark of traditional Hungarian wines.

Hungarian wine is relatively unknown in the U.S. Before World War II, most Hungarian wine was consumed only in Hungary.

Following the war, it was sent to Russia in exchange for oil and other natural resources, Palotai said.

None of it came west. Even today, it’s rare.

What does get imported into America isn’t the highest quality, either, according to Palotai.

He works to show that quality Hungarian winemaking does exist.

So you know ... <b>WHAT:</b> Palotai Vineyard and Winery <b>WHERE:</b> 272 Capital Lane, off Old Garden Valley Road near River Forks Park <b>OPEN:</b> 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday <b>INFORMATION:</b> 464-0032 or www.palotaiwines.com

“My wines, I think, represent an old-world style,” he said.

<b>FRIENDS AND FANS</b>

His style has developed a following. His Bull’s Blood blend usually sells out and he is currently dry on Riesling and chardonnay.

Last year when he bottled a new batch of Bull’s Blood and brought it into the Mark V Grill & Bar in Roseburg, he received an ovation from diners.

David Glaser has known Palotai for four years, lives nearby and has become well acquainted with Palotai’s winery, as well as others in the Umpqua Valley.

Glaser said it’s easy to tell when a winemaker has that “it” quality.

“Gabor has it,” he said.

“We have really good wineries in this area, no question, and he’s one of the finest,” Glaser said. “If not the finest.”

Jon Gambill is another friend of Palotai, as well as a fan of his wine. Gambill said it’s Palotai’s old-style work ethic that helped get him through a difficult year.

Gambill, of Roseburg, said that a lot of Americans may have bailed out if they were in Palotai’s position.

“I’m sure it crossed his mind to leave and sell out, but I think it’s his passion. It’s his life,” Gambill said. “It’s what he does best and he knows the recipe for success.”

<b>‘ROMANCE OF THIS LIFESTYLE’</b>

Palotai currently produces 1,000 cases of wine a year. He said he could handle 1,500 cases and still “enjoy the romance of this lifestyle.”

That feeling is perpetuated each spring, with the “rebirth” of the vineyard, Palotai said.

“Everybody talks about winemaking as an art,” he said. “To me, I think that’s very, very true.”

It’s an art that Palotai is currently tackling alone. He is handling all the winery duties himself.

He said he and his wife grew apart over the years, leading to the divorce. Thus far, his four children haven’t expressed a great deal of interest in the wine business.

Palotai is hopeful that one day they will, “like traditionally should be.”

Palotai also dreams of starting a restaurant and wine bar in town, incorporating his heritage with international cuisine and wine. Palotai said Dino’s Ristorante Italiano in Roseburg is the model for that type of idea.

He has one other goal, as well.

“I would love to meet the right person,” he said.

For now, he said, his operation provides him balance and happiness in his life. Without it, Palotai said he believes his wine would suffer.

“If you are depressed or happy, if you have a bad day or a good day, you can always have a glass of wine or two and everything looks better,” he said, laughing.



• You can reach reporter Paul Craig at 957-4211 or by e-mail at pcraig@newsreview.info.

Origin of a name: Bull’s Blood

A question Gabor Palotai is asked in his tasting room as much as any other is the origin of the Bull’s Blood name on one of his most popular wines.

It is a blend of pinot noir, baco noir and marechal foch. It’s a traditional Hungarian wine that dates back to the 1500s.

The Turks of the Ottoman Empire had invaded Hungary, outnumbering them and forcing them to the brink of defeat. Holed up in a castle in the Eger region, a Hungarian captain told his men they were going to die, but first, they were going to drink.

The scruffy soldiers, overwhelmed by battle, raided the castle cellar and its thick, red wine. When the Turks pushed forward, the inebriated Hungarians marched out, their beards and clothes covered in the wine.

The Turks believed the Hungarians had sacrificed bulls and drank their blood to inherit the power of the animal for battle.

“Here these crazy Hungarians come out and they were all red,” Gabor said. “It scared the Turks away and from then on, it became that Hungarians make Bull’s Blood.”



<i>Source: News-Review archives</i>