József Törley

József Törley (January 10, 1858 – July 28, 1907) is credited as having established one of the most successful brands of sparkling wine outside of the champagne region in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

In the 19th century, production of champagne style sparkling wines became popular in Europe and rapidly spread across the continent. J.E. Hubert established the first Hungarian champagne factory in Pozsony, Hungary, in 1825 and by 1876, Littke was producing champagne in Pécs. In 1882, a new champagne producing center emerged in Budafok, Hungary under the name of ‘József Törley and Co.’

József Törley was born in Csantavér, Hungary, in the municipality of Szabadka which is now in modern-day Serbia, since peace treaty of Trianon 1920. While studying at the Academy of Trade in Graz, Austria, Törley met Theophilus Roederer (1843–1888), a distant cousin (5th grade) of the famous Louis Roederer. Theophilus invited Törley to Reims, France to learn the production of champagne. In the 1870s Törley apprenticed in Reims; at first for the Roederer plant and later for Delbeck and as a result, he became very knowledgeable about champagne production. In Reims, Törley set up his own champagne factory and began to bottle. He would buy base wine from local French producers and then proceed to turn the base wine into champagne.

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