01
The beginning
A house with a three-hectare vineyard
We came to Hungary for a different life. The first rows start directly behind the house. We wanted to do more than live next to them; we wanted to understand what grows here.
Our story · Kecel, Hungary
We are Herbert and Patrick.
We bought a house in Kecel with a three-hectare vineyard. Since then, we’ve been learning what the vines need, filming everything that goes right and wrong, and selecting Hungarian wines that we enjoy drinking ourselves. Brinkenberg is our way of sharing that directly with you.
Our story
Kecel, Hungary
Our house, our vines and the red Belarus tractor, which is simply part of the landscape here.
Our story
We thought we were buying a house. We were also taking on a vineyard.
Behind the house are rows of vines, and with them comes the work: machines that do not always cooperate, weather we cannot control and Karcsi, who knows the land better than anyone.
We learn by doing, right between the rows.
02
Learning to read the land
Karcsi, the Belarus and us
Karcsi knows every row and can often hear that something is wrong with a machine before we can. We do not always share the same words, but we do share the work. With him, we learn what the vines need, one season at a time.
03
Two perspectives
Two cameras. One story.
Patrick films in Dutch. Herbert in English. We each show a different side of the same life: old machines, small wins and the days when our plans fall apart.
04
Our direct route
From Kecel to the Netherlands
We select our wines in Hungary and arrange the shipment to the Netherlands ourselves. You can see where we taste, what we choose and how the bottles reach your table.
Herbert, Patrick and two bottles
Two flavours that suit us surprisingly well.
We didn’t just give the wines any old name. De Overloper suits Herbert. Het Zonnetje suits Patrick.
Herbert
My wine is De Overloper.
Step away from the usual and join me in Hungary. De Overloper is a full-bodied red for anyone who would rather discover something new than order the same wine again.
Patrick
My wine is Het Zonnetje.
Fresh, fragrant and made for the terrace. My kind of wine for friends, a long afternoon and one more glass because no one is in a hurry. Het Zonnetje puts sunshine in your glass.
A quick visit to Kecel
Watch it in the order it happened.
We film almost everything: the work between the rows, the wrong turns and the people who help us. Herbert speaks in English, Patrick in Dutch. Start with the first chapter or just watch whatever takes your fancy.
Patrick 01
Why we moved to Hungary
Here we explain why Kecel marked the start of a completely different life for us.
Patrick 02
A house with a vineyard
Suddenly we had our own land, our own grapes and, above all, a great deal to learn.
Patrick 03
Buying a machine together
Together, we’re preparing for a season that simply can’t be planned.
Patrick 04
Working between the rows
Weeds, water and nutrients. This is what goes on behind the scenes of those lovely images.
Patrick 05
More work than expected
We underestimated how much work three hectares require. Fortunately, we don’t have to figure it out on our own.
Patrick 06
The first wines on their way
We’re getting the first two wines ready to ship from Hungary to the Netherlands.
Herbert 01
The house came with a vineyard
This is where I begin my series about what we are building in Kecel.
Herbert 02
Luckily, we have Karcsi
He knows the land and is teaching us how things work here, even when we do not speak the same language.
Herbert 03
Three hectares and our grapes
Kékfrankos and Bianca on our own land, with a long way to go.
Herbert 04
Frost affects our harvest
A severe spring frost showed us straight away that the vineyard does not follow our plans.
Herbert 05
Our first trial batch was a failure
We try things, sometimes get them wrong and only put wines in our shop that we would drink ourselves.
Herbert 06
Tasting at our winemaker’s
We pop round to taste the wines, ask questions and put together our initial selection.
Herbert 07
The route to the Netherlands
We select the wine in Hungary and handle the first shipment to the Netherlands ourselves.
Patrick
@patrick23datcom
Patrick 01
Why we moved to Hungary
Here we explain why Kecel marked the start of a completely different life for us.
Open original video
Patrick
@patrick23datcom
Patrick 02
A house with a vineyard
Suddenly we had our own land, our own grapes and, above all, a great deal to learn.
Open original video
Patrick
@patrick23datcom
Patrick 03
Buying a machine together
Together, we’re preparing for a season that simply can’t be planned.
Open original video
Patrick
@patrick23datcom
Patrick 04
Working between the rows
Weeds, water and nutrients. This is what goes on behind the scenes of those lovely images.
Open original video
Patrick
@patrick23datcom
Patrick 05
More work than expected
We underestimated how much work three hectares require. Fortunately, we don’t have to figure it out on our own.
Open original video
Patrick
@patrick23datcom
Patrick 06
The first wines on their way
We’re getting the first two wines ready to ship from Hungary to the Netherlands.
Open original video
Herbert
@theherbinator555
Herbert 01
The house came with a vineyard
This is where I begin my series about what we are building in Kecel.
Open original video
Herbert
@theherbinator555
Herbert 02
Luckily, we have Karcsi
He knows the land and is teaching us how things work here, even when we do not speak the same language.
Open original video
Herbert
@theherbinator555
Herbert 03
Three hectares and our grapes
Kékfrankos and Bianca on our own land, with a long way to go.
Open original video
Herbert
@theherbinator555
Herbert 04
Frost affects our harvest
A severe spring frost showed us straight away that the vineyard does not follow our plans.
Open original video
Herbert
@theherbinator555
Herbert 05
Our first trial batch was a failure
We try things, sometimes get them wrong and only put wines in our shop that we would drink ourselves.
Open original video
Herbert
@theherbinator555
Herbert 06
Tasting at our winemaker’s
We pop round to taste the wines, ask questions and put together our initial selection.
Open original video
Herbert
@theherbinator555
Herbert 07
The route to the Netherlands
We select the wine in Hungary and handle the first shipment to the Netherlands ourselves.
Open original video
To be continued
We’re far from finished.
The vines keep growing, we keep learning, and the next video usually starts before we have solved the previous problem. Follow along, taste with us and come back later. There is always more work waiting.
