Polish Presidency will serve Hungarian wines

“Primarily, Tokaji Aszú, Szamorodni and Bull’s Blood received much appreciation,” Helga Gál, the sommelier of the Hungarian Presidency said, revealing a few details to eu2011.hu about the result of the latest official selection. She added, there is no final list yet; the decision will depend on how the specific Hungarian wines can be matched to Polish cuisine.

The Poles could first taste the carefully selected beverages, as guests in the Hungarian Presidency’s events. This gave the idea that Poland could also serve these wines in its events, after taking over the Presidency in July. The latest evaluation of these beverages took place on 14 May in a cultural event, held near Warsaw, also attended by Jerzy Buzek, the Polish President of the European Parliament. “The Polish Ambassador will receive us next week, this is when we will discuss the schedule further,” Helga Gál explained, adding that the final agreement will be concluded by the two countries’ foreign ministers.

New opportunities for Hungarian wines

“It is not quantity that matters, but prestige,” stressed Ms Gál, who believes that the agreement to be concluded will provide excellent marketing opportunities for Hungarian wines, and call attention to their excellent quality. According to the sommelier, in the recent decades, only a few marketing events have offered such opportunities for Hungarian wines, as the Hungarian Presidency’s term and this cooperation scheme. “This is a good starting point for us to present an entirely different picture to the world about Hungarian wines, which are characterised by excellent quality and individual terrier,” Ms Gál stressed. The sommelier especially welcomes this, the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs takes on the task of popularising Hungarian wines abroad, which she believes, “Will play a key role in enhancing the favourable image of our country, abroad.”

Historical relationship

Polish–Hungarian wine diplomacy is not a novelty in history. Polish nobility imported wines from Hungary dates back to as early as in the 16–17th centuries. The major source of Polish wine imports was the Tokaj Hegyalja wine region. According to historical records, in the 1700s, Hungarian wine was already transported to Poland in large quantities. The intensity of this commercial relationship is clearly shown by the fact that the name of one of the most popular wines of Tokaj, Szamorodni, is of Polish origin. The Polish word „samorodny” means “as it was grown.” This refers to the technique that during the production of this wine, the so called asszú grapes that developed the "noble rot" (Botrytis cinerea) mold on bunches, are not separated but processed together with the rest of the grapes. The commercial relationships and the friendship of the two countries were recorded in several sayings, such as the one which is known in both countries, “Pole and Hungarian, two good friends, joint fight and drinking are their ends”. (The saying in polish: „Polak, Węgier, dwa bratanki, i do szabli, i do szklanki”.)