12 March 2025 / Sue Tolson
This year, Wines of Hungary supported Furmint February in four capital cities: Paris, Seoul, Warsaw and London.
Furmint speaks French at Furmint Février
Wine merchants, négociants and sommeliers gathered at the Hungarian Embassy in Paris on 13 February to enjoy one of Hungary’s flagship white varieties in all its guises. The timing was perfect, as Wine Paris now takes place in February, thus ensuring healthy interest from local and national wine professionals. Wine enthusiasts could explore sparkling Furmint, dry Furmint, blends or the delicious, botrytised Aszú at a walkaround tasting. Besides current vintages, exhibitors also brought along older vintages, so attendees could enjoy, for example, a Hétszőlő wine from 2011, a Tokaj Kikelet from 2009, a Samuel Tinon from 2008 or even, incredibly, a 1968 Grand Tokaj 6 Puttonyos Aszú! Those who wished to explore Furmint in more depth could participate in three masterclasses focusing on Furmint and Aszú.
Koreans meet the thousand faces of Furmint
A few days later, Péter Blazsovszky, Wines of Hungary’s gastronomy and wine expert, took the momentum of Furmint February to Korea and experienced the symbiosis of modernity and traditions in Seoul – a perfect match for Furmint. Influencers, importers, key sommeliers and wine merchants were introduced to the thousand faces of Furmint and Hungary’s heritage through a nine-wine tasting. The masterclass gave participants the opportunity to learn about Hungary’s wine culture through Furmint. In this culture that values personal contact, Wines of Hungary naturally went personally to showcase Furmint and Aszú wines. And nobody would be disappointed when falling in love with the uniqueness of a particular Furmint, as all wines featured in the tasting were selected from wineries who took part in last autumn’s Daejeon International Wine Expo. Furmint enthusiasts would actually be able to purchase any wine they fell for.
Furmint heads to the Hungarians’ Polish brothers’ capital – Warsaw
Closer to home, friend of Hungarian Winemakers, Polish Master of Wine Wojciech Bońkowski organised Furmint February for the second time on 20 February in Warsaw. The afternoon session allowed sommeliers, importers, journalists and on-trade professionals to explore wines from 27 wineries, 20 of which were from Tokaj, although Somló, Villány and Sopron were also represented, along with several wineries from Serbia and Slovakia, while the evening was open to wine enthusiasts curious about Furmint or wanting to indulge their existing passion for the variety. Wojciech Bońkowski MW also presented a masterclass on Furmint for both audiences. Bońkowski, who wrote his Master of Wine research paper on Tokaj classification, has already started planning next year’s event – truly a friend of Hungarian wine and winemakers – and has long-term plans for the event. So it seems Furmint is here to stay in Warsaw!
London celebrates Furmint February for the seventh time
Furmint February has been part of the London wine calendar for seven years now, thanks to the work of Wines of Hungary UK and Caroline Gilby MW. Last year shone the spotlight on Furmint fizz at a dedicated bubbles bar, while this year, Furmint’s versatility and love for food was showcased in a masterclass with food pairing inspirations held by Caroline Gilby and Klearhos Kanellakis, Head Sommelier at the exciting Nordic restaurant Ekstedt at the Yard.
A roundtable discussion held by wine trade magazine Harpers last year concluded that the London wine trade is now universally familiar with the diversity and excellence of Furmint, so it’s time to build greater awareness among consumers. Thus, this year, the afternoon trade tasting on 26 February was followed by a consumer tasting, giving wine enthusiasts the chance to catch up with the professionals in their knowledge and experience of Furmint.
Furmint loves food
Moreover, unlike Furmint February in the other capitals, Furmint was in the spotlight in London throughout February, with not just a one-off tasting event, but rather a month-long campaign targeting consumers as well as the trade. This included a 4-page spread in the Foodism magazine about food pairings for Furmint as well as working with food and wine influencers who posted about Furmint’s versatility and food friendliness. Many producers also actively promoted Furmint through sales support activities with their importers throughout the month, making February truly Furmint February in the UK wine scene.
Furmint is not just for February
Thanks to the local organisers and the support of Wines of Hungary, professionals and wine enthusiasts in these four cities are now increasingly familiar and enamoured with Furmint. We’ll hopefully see Furmint fever in February spreading to more cities around the globe in the future. But remember, Furmint is not just for February. Thanks to the versatility of Furmint, it can be enjoyed on many occasions throughout the year. Drink it dry, fizzy, sweet, botrytised, orange or even in a blend, just drink it, and enjoy! Oh, and spread the word!
Photos: Hungarian Wine Marketing Agency, Wines of Hungary UK
