07 November 2024 / Dániel Ercsey
The alarming trend of recent years seems to be gaining momentum: an ageing and shrinking wine-drinking population and an almost complete lack of replacement. It seems that young people are no longer moved by wine but by other drinks. This may be caused by the pandemic that has recently hit society, but it is also contributed to by the new wave apostles of health-conscious living and eating. The answer, as always, lies in education. If today’s students are introduced to the moderate consumption of wine, and indeed to wine culture itself, during their education, and if we can arouse their interest, then they will be the ones who will tip the scales - albeit not within a year or two. It is a cliché, but it is a fact: the wine lovers of the future are still in school today!
When did you start to develop the programme that eventually appeared as BorKatedra (WineCathedra) for students on Neptun?
Gabriella Mészáros, Csilla Sebestyén and Gergely Ripka and I wrote the programme a year ago. Under the project name of wine education, as requested by the Hungarian Wine Marketing Agency, we are bringing wine culture closer to the students: they will learn about the process of making wine from grapes, about Hungarian and international grape varieties, and about Hungary’s wine regions. The aim is to make people understand that wine is first and foremost culture, so we don't just drink it, we talk about it. Finally, they will learn how to taste, but they won’t have to think about something abstract, we’ll simply explain why we hold the stem of the glass, why we swirl the wine, which aromas we like and which we don't, what to look for once the wine is in their mouths and how to describe what they are tasting.
These are purely professional considerations, aren’t they?
Yes, but not from only from a professional perspective. When presenting the wine regions, we illustrate the regions with photos, so the students can get to know the landscape visually, and the presenters obviously share their own experiences with the students, who get not only a wine but also a touristic perspective, which may result in them visiting one of Hungary’s wine regions.
Is the aim to train the wine tourists of the future?
It is more complex than that. We want students to have an understanding of current wine market trends, wine and food pairings and sustainability in the wine sector, to learn what is and is not natural wine, and to recognise that it is not necessarily a quality category, rather a philosophical category on the one hand and a market category on the other. In other words, in the future, we’d like these students to become conscious consumers who are not afraid to experiment and are not frightened by the words 'late harvest', 'battonage' or 'Malbec' on the label. In short, the aim is to educate the wine tourists of the future.
Csilla Sebestyén DipWSET
Where would I have to go to university to be lucky enough to be a student in the programme?
The course is available in Hungarian at the University of Óbuda, Semmelweis University and Károli Gáspár Reformed University, and in English at Semmelweis University. It is important to know that this is a one-semester course, which is advertised on the Neptun educational platform. Students receive two credits for completing it, and of course they will be examined on what they have learned.
Do students also encounter wine? I mean, do they get to taste in class?
The universities asked us - quite logically, by the way - to limit the amount of tasting, because they can't manage the logistics of having a hundred glasses, fifty spittoons, pourers, water, napkins, bottles, etc. for every lesson. We have chosen to have tastings only when Hungary’s wine regions are presented. (laughs) Obviously the students look forward to these sessions the most, because they are curious about the practice, not the dry information.
How many students are there in a class?
We limited applications to fifty, which was full at each university in no time at all.
dr. Gabriella Mészáros DipWSET
Is wine tasting cool?
Anyone who has signed up for this course will already have some interest in wine. But it's cool if, after the course, you know that you can only taste Cirfandli in Pécs in Hungary, and even cooler if you order the same wine in a restaurant or wine bar. I don't think that values have been lost from one generation to the next, but the form, the way in which they are transmitted has changed. But even today, you can still hook a girl or boyfriend with a well-timed quote from Kosztolányi, with a little help from a jacket or a glass of Cirfandli and the story behind it. Young people nowadays appreciate attention, education, culture and thoughtfulness, we just have to show them that it's cool!
In connection with the WineCathedra educational project, the communication of the principles of Wine in Moderation (WIM) is of significant importance. The Hungarian Wine Marketing Agency, as a partner in the Wine in Moderation initiative launched by the European wine sector, took care to dedicate a separate chapter in the WineCathedra curriculum to the effects of wine on health, while simultaneously emphasizing the importance of moderate wine consumption – stated Vera Szűcs-Balás, Head of International Relations at the Hungarian Wine Marketing Agency, referring to the "Choose | Share | Care" message of the social responsibility program within the framework of WineCathedra.
Why is this course only being offered at three universities?
First of all, because there are two universities in Hungary where such courses have been offered for decades, every year, with uninterrupted success. Hundreds of students have been learning about wine and wine culture in Pécs and Szeged, although I could also mention that there had been a wine club for decades at the University of Óbuda before this course was launched. It is no secret that the Hungarian Wine Marketing Agency aims to roll out the course to other universities in the country, once this first course has been completed and they can draw the appropriate conclusions from the experience. We are happy to see that there has been great interest!
What conclusions do you mean?
It should be essentially experiential training. We will use the feedback from both students and trainers to gauge what is too much and what is too little, what reaches the students' threshold and what leaves them cold. For the next semester, we may then need to change the curriculum accordingly.
What will the exam consist of?
I don't think the point of this course is the exam, but to enjoy learning and to discover Hungarian wines. But I understand that there is no university course without an exam requirement, so they will draw a topic in groups of five, which they will work on for a few days and present to the examining committee.
When would you be satisfied with the course?
If the trainers can get the students to interact, if the students pay attention, ask questions, laugh and are serious, if we get them interested, then we have achieved our goal. We need to show them that Hungarian wines are delicious and enjoyable, that they can be poured into a wine glass anywhere in the world, and that they can be proud of the quality and the history of Hungarian winemakers and their work, and of course of themselves if they have this knowledge. Because wine, as you have already pointed out in one of your questions, is part of our culture and it is cool!
Cover photo: András Horkay DipWSET holding a class
