wine industry news
Jul 21 '10
Once-Legendary Egervin on Block; Administrators to Liquidate Winery, Wines
For many foreigners - and probably no small number of locals - "Egervin" was the first brand they ever saw on a bottle of Hungarian wine. Now the successor to the once-leading Eger winemaker and distributor - which went...
Jul 15 '10
Is it Taxes or Apathy that Have Kept Bottles of Fröccs From Store Shelves?
While the government has changed laws pertaining to some drinks, that isn't the case everywhere. Despite a ready market and demand for it, don't expect to find bottled fröccs at a store near you anytime soon, index.hu reports. The culprit,...
Jul 14 '10
Hungary's Vineyards Shrink Over the Previous Decade
The size of Hungary's vineyards has shrunk, mno.hu reports via MTI. In 2009, there were 83,555 hectares used as vineyards, a 9% drop when compared to 2001, data from the Central Statistics Office revealed. Of these vineyards, 76,436 hectares were...
Jun 03 '10
Demeter Leads the Pack in Hungary's Impressive Performance at French Wine Challenge
Hungarian wines brought in an impressive haul at the 34th annual Challenge International du Vin competition held in France last month, winning 7 gold, 17 silver and 18 bronze medals, deluxe.hu reports. Of the 42 awards received, 16 belonged...
Jun 03 '10
Szekszárd Wines Cruise to Victory in Szekszárd Kékfrankos Wine Competition
The International Kékfrankos Wine Competition, meeting the "international" designation through the participation of four other countries and held in Szekszárd, has "shockingly" announced that Szekszárd wines were the best, deluxe.hu reports. Even with wines competing from Burgeland (Austria), Vojvodina, Slovakia...
May 06 '10
If People Won't Buy Hungarian Government Bonds, Why Would They Buy Hungarian "Wine Bonds"?
As if anything could be more dismal that yesterday's story about the hopeless commercial position of state-owned trading firm Tokaj Kereskedőház Zrt., today we've got something even worse. Late last week the Hungarian media reported on a truly strange...
Feb 16 '10
Hungarian Winemakers Unable to Keep Concerns About New Marketing Agency Bottled
Many Hungarian winemakers are concerned that the Ft 1.3 billion (€4.8 million) collected over the past two years for a common marketing fund will not be spent wisely, index.hu reports. Following the collapse of the winemaker-created Magyar Bormarketing Nonprofit Kft...
Aug 27 '09
Hungarian Winegrowers Under Increasing Pressure to Produce Better Wine for Less
Hungarian winegrowers tend to consider themselves to be a cut above foreign competition, particularly from those upstarts in the new world. But as much as Hungarians would like to claim their wine is superior in every way, the recent deluge...
Mar 11 '09
Eger Winemaker Goes into "Liquidation"
Integrált Borgazdaság, the legal successor to state producer Egervin, is liquidating its assets, and in this case quite literally. The troubled winemaker is offering to pay its 440 suppliers in kind instead of the Ft 300 million it owes them...
Feb 20 '09
Bull's Blood Bloodied at Budapest Eger Expo
Last Saturday the stately Academy of Sciences building on Pest's Roosevelt tér played host to the Egri Borok Gálája ("Eger Wine Gala"), a now-annual event during which many top Eger winemakers show their wares to the trade in the...
Jan 14 '09
Television News Anchor Releases Book on 100 Best Hungarian Wines
The 2009 edition of television news anchor István Pálffy's guide to the 100 best Hungarian wines was recently released, deluxe.hu reports. The guide not only helps its readers choose a wine for under Ft 2000, but also adds which ones...
Dec 12 '08
Hungarians' Favorite Bottles of Wine Still Jugs, Study Shows
Market research GfK recently conducted an in-depth survey of Hungarians' wine-drinking habits, and attitudes towards wine. According to business daily Napi Gazdaság, the survey found that Hungary's wines are a source of growing pride, and most consuers will choose a...
Dec 08 '08
Konyári Hungary's News "Winemaker of the Year"
As dubious as we are about the general practice of giving out awards for wines or winemakers - especially in a country like Hungary, where too much time is spent on such PR stunts - it should be noted for...
Nov 25 '08
Hungarian Wine Industry Pours Scorn on Heavy Metals Research
International reports, most notably in the Washington Post, that Hungarian wines contain unhealthy doses of heavy metals, including vanadium, copper, manganese, nickel, zinc, chromium and lead, have been rubbished by Hungarian winemakers in what seems like a typical knee-jerk reaction...
Nov 25 '08
Attila Gere Lands Surprise International Nomination
In good grape news to counteract the bad this week, winemaker Attila Gere has scored a direct PR hit by winning a nomination for international "winemaker of the year" award from Germany's Wein Gourmet Magazine, writes tabloid Bors. This is...
Oct 07 '08
Tokaj Villages Threaten to Abandon World Heritage
Although Hungarian tourism bunf never fails to mention the country's half-dozen UNESCO World Heritage sites, several villages in the renowned Tokaj-Hegyalja region reportedly see the prestigious title as more of a hindrance than a help, reports Népszabadság. The strict environmental...
Sep 01 '08
Hungary's Most Predictably Boring Wine Award Awarded
Wine buffs in the English-speaking world often refer to unexpectedly great bottles as "sleepers." But the other, more traditional use of the word "sleep" might be better employed to describe my reaction to the oh-so-predictable announcement last week that Vylyan...
Aug 18 '08
Early Harvest in Villány as Rot Threatens Exceptional Red Vintage
While wine folk out in Tokaj often spend their Augusts praying that their grapes will be infected with the "noble rot" known as aszú, down in the red wine country around Villány, people are worried about the increasing spread of...
Aug 07 '08
Hungary's '08 Harvest Threatened by Rain, Hail, Frogs
Even though most vineyards in Hungary will not be picked over for at least another month, some grape growers are already fretting over how the '08 harvest will shape up. According to daily Népszabadság, up to a third of...
May 28 '08
Tokaj Wine Just Got Even Healthier
The important medicinal and therapeutic effects of Hungarian wine are old news, but few could ever imagine Tokaj's finest (pictured sliced above) would ever be made into anything other than the respected culinary accoutrement. Yet combining the two biggest...
May 08 '08
Have Yourself an Alcohol-Enhanced Weekend with Wine and Pálinka
You may have noticed that today is the kick off to the Pálinka Fesztivál held in the City Hall Park, which is quite different from the pálinka-soaked Sziget Fesztivál which will be held later this year. The event will...
Apr 18 '08
Monarchia Portfolio 2008: The Tasting Never Ends
What if someone put on a tasting with so many wines that, even if you spit after every sip, you'd still absorb enough alcohol through your tongue to put you in the hospital? Well, Monarchia has done it again,...
Mar 17 '08
Winemakers Propose Alternative to Strict Hungarian Drunk-Driving Laws
Over on Caboodle.hu there is a chilling story today about a new proposal by the Hungarian national police to stiffen up the country's already draconian drunk-driving laws. While we're a little hazy on the planned new regulations (if the current...
Dec 03 '07
A Toast to Everyone Putting "Tokaj... Off the Beaten Track" on Track
Back in October we attended a refreshingly excellent culinary event in the dining room of the A38 Boat launching an interesting promotional campaign aimed at educating local and visiting gourmands and restaurateurs about the glories of Tokaj wines. Called...
Sep 07 '07
Hungarian Vintners, Festival Drinkers Whipsawed by Extreme Weather
As of sometime early this afternoon, the 16th Budapest International Wine and Champagne Festival - this year's biggest gathering in Hungary of winemakers, drinkers and hangers-on - was half-over. But we can't yet tell you how it's going, because...
Aug 13 '07
Heated Debate Over Impact of Heat on 2007 Vintage
After several months of unusually clear skies and record temperatures across Hungary, it is already certain that 2007 will turn out to be a vintage to remember. The question is whether the wines produced during this year of savage...
Jul 24 '07
Villány Wine Harvest Brought Forward to August, Even Melons Wither in Heat
This year's freak weather is having a dramatic effect on Hungarian crops. After a May freeze nipped fruit trees in the bud, winemakers in Villány have announced that they will be picking this year's harvest of oporto grapes in August....
Jul 10 '07
Hungarian Culinary Crisis (III): The Chew.hu Manifesto
Several weeks ago, when we published a translation of the so-called "Culinary Charter" addressing the alleged crisis in Hungarian dining and culinary culture, we promised to publish our own thoughts on the matter in "a few days." Well, it took...
Jul 10 '07
Hungarian Culinary Crisis (II): More Wisdom from the Experts
Below is a follow-up to an earlier post of a translation of the so-called "Culinary Charter" signed by dozens of Hungarian culinary figures decrying what they see as a crisis in Hungarian dining and food culture, and how to address...
Jun 28 '07
Jumbo Heist Provides Vital Publicity for Hungarian Winemaker
Some rare international wine news just in from the Pheonix Business Journal that an underworld wannabe (at least judging by his nickname) known as János "Giovanni" Konc has been charged with stealing 737 cases of Tokaj wine from the Hungarian...
Jun 24 '07
Hungarian Culinary Crisis (I): An Open Letter from the Experts
Is Hungarian cuisine and culinary culture in crisis? According to some members of the country's culinary elite, the answer is yes. Following is a (mostly) unabridged translation of an "open letter" signed by almost 100 leading members of the Hungarian...
Jun 14 '07
Tasting Fatigue (I): Sponsor's Mega-Pour Marred by Lack of Lousy Wines
If we can blame our absence yesterday on anyone but ourselves, the blame would fall on one of our esteemed advertisers, leading Hungarian wine producer/wholesaler/retailer Monarchia, which on Tuesday hosted a tasting of 92 wines at the Búsuló Juhász...
May 24 '07
Report Finds Hungarian "Pill Wine" Being Replaced by Other Headaches
Although use of the term tablettás bor (wine made from soluble tablets, rather than actual grapes) continues to be widespread in Hungary, the latest evidence suggests that this trick is a thing of the past, at least in Eger, reports...
May 04 '07
Fruit Crops in North-western Hungary Ravaged By Freak Freeze
It may seem that spring has arrived and long balmy summer nights are just around the corner, but farmers in north-eastern Hungary have not been sleeping easy. According to a variety of sources cherry-picked by us, a series of spring...
Apr 12 '07
Liquidation of Keszthely Winery Results in Balaton-Sized Lake of Bargain Wine
From our wine business desk comes the news that a liquidator appointed to oversee the dissolution of Keszthely-based wine producer Öregbaglas Borászati és Kereskedelmi Kft has announced that it is putting up the defunct company's stocks for sale. The almost...
Apr 03 '07
Desperately seeking Kadarka, and Other Educated Alcoholic News
In addition to our own first-hand research into the world of Hungarian food and wine, part of what we like to do here is act as a "filter" for the Hungarian-language media, highlighting some of the news and views...
Mar 30 '07
Hungarian-Italian Wine War to Escalate on Monday
As we reported last September, an EU court gave wine producers within the EU until this April to adhere to a 2004 ruling by the European Commission and stop calling their wines "Tokaji," or any similar name that might make...
Mar 27 '07
Terroir Club Breaking New Ground With Obscure Wines
We found our way to the Terroir Club, Budapest's newest wine shop, via a friend-of-a-friend relationship and, to be perfectly honest, that's probably the only way would would ever have found it. The small store is located in a...
Feb 06 '07
Low Prices Plus Forint Risk Equals Feeding Frenzy for Foreign Wine Buffs
As we reported last month, the post-holiday season generally offers good values in local wine stores. But February is looking even better. We stopped in the other night at our local Bortársaság, and discovered that most or all of...
Jan 23 '07
Non-Tesco Wine at Tesco Prices
January sales reach every corner of the Hungarian market, and as a post on Művelt Alkoholista, the country's leading wineblog tells us, wine shops are no exception. Most shops are eager to sell their remaining stocks so they can replace...
Jan 09 '07
King of Tokaj Snubbed by Fawning American Journalists
Several readers have written in over the past week to see if we'd seen a certain feature article in the New York Times about the Hungarian wine region of Tokaj. (Note that the story is likely to go behind...
Dec 05 '06
Some Sweet News and Not-So-Sweet News About Royal Tokaji
Even in the world of wine, news is seldom all good or bad, and today's item about leading Hungarian sweet wine producer Royal Tokaji is no different. Following tradition, we'll give the bad news first. We've just heard news...
Nov 30 '06
First Pics of Wunderlich's Fantastisch New Villány Digs
If you've ever visited the Hungarian red-wine capital of Villány, you've probably noticed that, for a relatively famous wine-producing center, there is relatively little "there" there. The town itself is unremarkable, the pincészetek of even the better-known producers are...
Nov 28 '06
Fear, Loathing and World-Beating Mangalica Ham at Foodapest '06
Until last Friday, the last food trade show I attended was the "Fancy Food Show" in New York, where the exhibitors practically throw food at you, shove wine glasses in your face, and then send you away with more...
Nov 24 '06
Tokaji Tips (II): The 2003 Late Harvest Sárgamuskotály from Royal Tokaji
As we just said, there is a lot more innovation and risk-taking going on in Tokaj than some would have you believe. Today's second example comes from one of the most tradition-minded producers in the region, Royal Tokaji. Last...
Nov 24 '06
Tokaji Tips (I): The 2004 Dobogó Dry Furmint
Around Hungary and the world, even some educated winos continue to think of Tokaj as a region lacking in innovation. While there are good reasons for this - especially the whacky appellation rules that result in some otherwise delicious...
Nov 22 '06
Famous Restaurant to Host Obscure Wine and Cheese Festival
In addition to the "Foodapest" festival currently underway in Budapest, another potentially interesting chewing and boozing event will take place this weekend at the Gerbeaud Étterem, the sister restaurant of the famous Café Gerbeaud . We can't find anything about...
Nov 16 '06
Badacsony Wines Take Russian Gold at Moscow Trade Fair
The Russians may be dubious about Hungarian fruit and vegetables, but they seem to think Hungarian wine is just fine. According to the appropriately named website orientpress.hu, entries from Badacsony's Varga Pincészet won top awards in two of the...
Nov 15 '06
Tokaj Vineyards Hit By "Ignoble" Rot
So if you didn't already know, the distinctive aroma, flavor and sweetness of Tokaj's famous aszú wines are actually caused by an infestation of the fungus Botrytis cinerea, which results in what wine snoots call "Noble Rot." Unfortunately, such delicious...
Nov 13 '06
Christmas Comes Early for Villány Winemakers
The skies over Villány were unseasonably white the weekend before last, when I popped down for a visit to Southern Hungary's red-wine Mecca. And according to many winemakers I spoke to, Christmas may also have come early, in the...
Oct 27 '06
New Program to Protect Villány from Wine Villains
As we reported last month, Hungary's Tokaj wine region is so popular that some unscrupulous winemakers have magically transported it to Ukraine. Now, to combat similar deceptions, winemakers in Villány will adopt an "origin protection" (eredetvédelmi) program to formally lay...
Oct 17 '06
Masters of Wine Bullish on Eger Whites, Bearish on Bull's Blood
Several "Masters of Wine" visited Hungary for the second time last week, and on their way to Tokaj for an event sponsored by the Tokaj Renaissance stopped in Eger to taste the local wines. According to deluxe.hu, their take on...
Oct 06 '06
Clock Ticking Down On 2004 Kopár From Attila Gere
Hungary's luxury winemakers are not yet giving France a run for her money, but a few are catching up in at least one important area of Bordeaux-style marketing: en primeur sales, meaning the practice of selling certain wines before they...
Oct 06 '06
Autumn Winemaking Death Season in Full Swing
As we reported a few weeks back, Hungary's autumn mushroom picking "death season" is in full swing, with numerous people having been poisoned after failing to discriminate between those wild gomba that are safe, and those that are deadly. Unfortunately,...
Oct 05 '06
Italian-Hungarian Shocker (I): We Thought That Ham Tasted Familiar
So last week's mondo-Italiano food and wine night apparently featured more than just some good olasz eats and drinks. According to a follow-up on deluxe.hu, figures announced at the event show a dramatic increase in food and wine trade between...
Oct 04 '06
Tokaj Production Stopped Up By Lack of Bottles
Tokaj winemakers could be millions of forints out of pocket after a delay in the bottling process - namely that there are no bottles. By wine law, the world-famous Tokaj Aszú, Eszencia and Szamorodni dessert wines (find out more about...
Sep 27 '06
Pretty Girls Fail to Win Sexed-Up Wine Bottle Competition
Back in June, our sister site Pestiside.hu published a short preview of the now-annual "Most Beautiful Hungarian Wine Bottle," contest in which it was suggested that the winner would no doubt feature some sort of sultry Hungarian bombshell, or...
Sep 27 '06
Mondo Italiano Food and Wine Night at the New York Palace
So somehow this slipped our attention until now, but tomorrow night the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Hungary is hosting what appears to be the mother of all Olasz nights, at the swanky new (and Italian-owned) New York Palace hotel....
Sep 26 '06
EU Ruling Leaves Italian "Tocai" Producers Facing Cold Turkey
As we've just proven, it doesn't take much to justify a celebration over wine in Hungary. But this week Hungary's Tokaj region has another reason to celebrate: according to a report in the Austrian press picked up by various media...
Sep 25 '06
Any Wine is Good Enough to Celebrate in Csákberény!
You may not have noticed it if you're a Budapest-bound city slicker - or are reading from a far away branch of the world-wide Internet vine - but Hungary's 2006 grape harvest has begun in earnest. We know this...
Sep 14 '06
Wine News (II): How About a Nice Ukrainian Tokaji with Your Borsch and Holubtsi?
It's not just the producers of Hungarian banknotes who are worried about counterfeiting in neighboring Ukraine. News portal Index.hu recently got hold of a bottle of "tokaji" muskotály and hárslevelű made in Beregszász, Ukraine. Hungarian experts said the bottles are...
Sep 14 '06
Wine News (I): Hungarian Consumers Growing Sweeter on Wine
According to a study conducted by market research institution GfK Hungária digested on btl.hu, more and better quality wine is being bought in Hungary than in recent years. Most consumers buy semi-sweet wine in discount stores. Among Hungarian households, 50%...
