The founders, Zoltán and Ágnes Heimann, both alumni of the Corvinus University’s predecessor institution, the Budapest University of Economics (Közgáz), and active members of the Rajk László College for Advanced Studies, began shaping their vision even before the political transition in Hungary. 

“We had a vision back in the 1990s — we wanted to build a high-quality family winery, though we weren’t yet sure of its scale,” recalls Zoltán Heimann. 

Starting with just half a hectare inherited from Zoltán’s Swabian great-grandparents, they produced 2,000 bottles of wine per year. Today, they cultivate 25 hectares of vineyards and produce 130,000 bottles annually. Yet, from the very beginning, their focus has always been on quality rather than quantity. 

Ági and Zoli both studied international economics between 1979 and 1984, and were already a couple during their university years. Although only Zoltán was an official member of the Rajk College, Ági admits that the community deeply shaped her worldview as well: 

“The Rajk College gave us a different perspective — its students were always more critical, always questioning things,” she says. 

“It was exciting and inspiring to be a university student and a college member back then — so much new knowledge was flowing in from the global academic world, and I absolutely thrived in that environment,” adds Zoltán. 

In the 1990s, the couple began gradually building their family winery. For years, Ági managed the operational side of the business while Zoli worked in corporate leadership positions, reinvesting all their savings into the vineyard’s development. By 2009, they reached a turning point: Zoltán could finally dedicate himself full-time to winemaking, and the family permanently moved to Szekszárd. 

Ági believes that their economics studies gave them a strong foundation for entrepreneurship: 

“The Közgáz equipped us with a mindset for conscious business development — we always planned with sustainability and profitability in mind.” 

“One of the most valuable outcomes of our university years was learning long-term, future-oriented thinking,” concludes Zoltán. 

The video featuring the Heimann couple can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/QtnU4pugALo