From Curiosity to Commitment - Interview with Astrid Karamira international wine importer

Astrid Karamira’s importing journey began with a spark of discovery – and turned into a full-time passion for the wines of Central Europe. From her base in Portugal, she now works to bring attention to producers whose stories deserve to be told. Hungary’s diverse wine culture offers endless ground to explore, and at events like BOR 2025, she adding new names – and new regions – to her growing portfolio.

Hungarian Wine Marketing Agency: What initially drew you to champion natural, artisanal wines from Central Europe – and how does Hungary fit into that vision?

Astrid Karamira: I had a business plan for a wine import and distribution business into Portugal. All I needed was the wine. In April 2022 I went to the Orange Wine festival in Izola, Slovenia. I didn't know any of the producers and randomly started tasting with a Slovenian producer. And I was star struck.

I had never had such an elegant and fantastic orange wine in my life. On top of it I was also enchanted by the winemakers, Maja and Marko Reia. A father and his daughter who is slowly taking over the winery. So right there on the spot I said to them "I am planning to open a business of importing wines to Portugal. Would you like to work with me?" And she immediately said Yes and invited me to come and visit their place, which I did a few days later. I opened the business with 9 wines from 3 Slovenian producers (Reia, Emeran Reya and Guerila). From there I decided to focus on Central Europe.

HWMA: Hungary’s wine scene is incredibly diverse, with 22 districts and countless grape varieties. Do you find that complexity daunting – or part of its charm?

A. K.: I think complexity is always kind of charming. Hungary is a big country, so a diverse wine scene is only natural.

HWMA: Looking ahead, what would you need from Hungarian producers to confidently bring their wines to Portuguese tables and retail shelves?

A. K.: As of now I only work with two Hungarian winemakers. One reason for that is that Hungarian (like Austrian) wines are being imported by several importers in Portugal. Thus, we do have quite a few Hungarian wines on the Portuguese market.

HWMA: How do you educate your customers about new wine origins like Hungary?

A. K.: That is indeed a challenge. Everyone knows about French, Italian and Spanish wines. People often look at me with big eyes and ask "They make wine in Central Europe?". It is a constant educational task. At the same time people are also interested in trying new things and learning about new wines. During tastings I give my clients a lot of background information about the region, the producer, the grapes, etc. After three years I almost got a little fan club of people who like and appreciate those wines.

HWMA: What wine programs in Hungary are you the most interested in?

A. K.: I was mostly looking forward to visiting the Tokaj region, as I have never been there and had already the pleasure of trying some fantastic wines from there. I hope that I will get the chance to visit in the near future.