Lithuanian wine experts were thrilled by the unique character of Hungarian wines
2021.06.18.
Bikavér, Leányka, Egri Csillag, Tokaji Aszú – these four wine categories unique to Hungary were also included in the flight of 18 items representing the scope of Hungarian winemaking at a market development event in Vilnius organized by Agricultural Marketing Centre (AMC).
This was the fifth event of the Hungarian Wine Business Program, a scheme aimed at supporting foreign market development and it was organized in cooperation with the Hungarian Embassy in Vilnius. The category met with the highest appraisal by local wine experts was that of traditional Hungarian varieties but all the wines on show managed to garner fans. Due to the international travel restrictions made necessary by the pandemic the event was organized in a hybrid format: the participants of the masterclass were able to attend in person while the representatives of Hungarian wineries introduced their businesses online. The Lithuanian importers, distributors, sommeliers and wine journalists were introduced to the wines of Bükk, Eger, Pannonhalma, Sopron, Szekszárd, Tokaj and Villány. The 18-item flight presented an exciting cross section of the wide diversity offered by Hungary’s wine regions. „The Lithuanian market is open to novelties and Hungary has a lot of individual, indigenous varieties and good value wines to offer. There are several Hungarian wine regions with excellent potential for vine growing and also boasting great traditions in winemaking. From a foreign perspective Hungary seems to excell in producing wines from some highly popular international varieties like Cabernet Franc, but the country could also benefit from the global surge in demand for sparkling wines, in this category Somló and Tokaj stood out”, said dr. Arūnas Starkus, one of the presenters at the master class. Mr. Starkus who is the editor-in-chief of Vyno žurnalas wine magazine, the founder the Lithuanian Sommelier Academy and the organizer of several major wine shows also added:
„Hungary has a lot to offer and it is my hope both personally and professionally that the merits of the country’s unique sweet wines will be recognized by Lithuanian sommeliers, and consequently they will soon appear on wine lists here.”
The Hungarian Wine Business Program started in the autumn of 2020 with the organization of online shows and meetings made necessary by the pandemic induced travel restrictions. Reception so far is highly positive, participants in Germany, the Czech Republic, Finland and Russia have not only shown remarkable interest in Hungarian wines but the events have led to direct contacts between distributors and wineries, what’s more, some major orders have already been placed. It was very satisfying to learn that the participants of the event in the Czech Republic have started organizing a second show targeting sommeliers.