Zoltán Varró established Varrodesign 20 years ago. The acknowledgements of the highly ranked competitions of New York and Hong Kong awarding hotels and restaurants made several Hungarian hotels well known worldwide – thanks to his job. Honourable for us that we can regard him the friend of the family and that with the help of him many important venues of Villány renewed.
How long do you know the wines of the winery?
As all Hungarian wine lovers I know Gere wines for long time. Many years ago our life shaped that way that we got into friendship with Andrea’s. We met several times in Villány and for me the time we spent together had always a strong influence on me.
How the friendship turned into a cooperation?
I remember that during a weekend spent in Villány we visited the estate and Andrea recommended to visit the tasting hall too because she wanted to renew it a bit. We had a look and started to speak about it. They asked could it be turned into something good? Then I told I was ready. Since then it became an iconic sentence between us.
All of my works are determined by the intuition about the client and task and the atmosphere at the venue. These feelings help to create the concept.
Such a situation built on friendship makes the work easier or harder?
The process was smoother this way since I knew them and as a professional I knew what they wanted. And from the guest side the experiences were also given. Characteristically we started from designing a tasting hall I could not stop and I introduced such a plan which renewed the whole estate. I will never forget that moment when Attila looked the presentation. Emotion was in his eyes and he said his dream would come true with this.
The presentation was made in March 2018. We had not much time for the construction because in that year the 6th Gere Jazz was held on the estate 6th June and till then we had to finish all works.
What was the starting point?
When Attila built up the winery he knew exactly what he wanted. Simply everything matched. The building has a good atmosphere fits into the environment, into the Mediterranean felt climate of the wine region. And the sight from the estate is remarkable. What we formulated that the brand became so big now that the interior and outer venues and the tighter environment have to also grow up to it. So it was clear that we can not think about one room, we had to span the centrum of the whole winery.
What was the core of the concept?
If I think of the Gere brand it always got into my mind that for me they represent the serious family dealing with wine the most. And this truly covers many more generations now. I see it really unique how all of these are realized: how father and daughter working together equally. I experience that not only me that the wide range of consumers feel this family tradition.
And this is a very important starting point. At the serious family wineries of Tuscany, California or Bordeaux the building of the estate centre is the part of the brand. I would like it to be here this way too.
The secret of Crocus – which is the hotel of the winery – is that the hospitality of Gere family is all around it. I wanted to establish this feeling on the estate too alloying with that to make an iconic building which can not be compared to any other.
