Furmint is Clearly Hungary’s Number One White Grape Variety – Interview with Wojciech Bońkowski

Furmint February is gaining popularity not only in Hungary but also abroad. In Warsaw, it has been introduced thanks to Wojciech Bońkowski, the visionary and host of the Polish Furmint Grand Tasting. We asked one of the most enthusiastic ambassadors of Hungarian wines, Poland’s first and only Master of Wine about the polish trends and the way to success for Hungarian wines.

In general, how has the Polish wine market and consumer attitudes changed in recent years with a particular focus on the perception of Hungarian wines?

The Polish market is in continuous evolution, we have seen very dynamic growth in the years preceding COVID and, and just after COVID, like on many markets.

There was a very enthusiastic, approach to wine drinking but then we've had for the first time in 30 years a little stagnation in 2022-23. But also I think the structure of the market is changing because we now have really a lot of young people drinking wine in Poland. This is what makes Poland quite special in the context of Europe and other countries.

Because wine is definitely still seen as something that is fashionable and fascinating and interesting for people. Even though the cocktail culture is also developing, but we see a lot of interest in wine. Both natural wines, and that is of course a strong, a strong trend and a strong magnet for young consumers.

But also with classic wines, there was a big change of the last few years, strong focus on white, rosé and sparkling. So we are moving from a very red wine oriented market, which used to be even 65 percent red, into a much more balanced panorama. So the countries are slightly shifting.The styles are slightly shifting. We have a lot of aromatic white wines. We have sparkling, including pet-nats, charma, also traditional. We have pink, and also the red wines are becoming much lighter that are appreciated. So these are global trends in a way, but they have their own special intensity here in Poland and their own special sort of context.

Now, Hungary, I think, is suffering a little bit from those changes because it is still perceived in Poland whether it's true or not predominantly as a red wine country. This is why I say it's a little bit of a paradox, but Egri Bikaver and other red wines from Hungary used to be a very dominant market presence, together with the Tokaj.

And, of course I have to say this, but there has been definitely a moment of, slip for Hungarian wines when the war broke out and there were big political differences between Hungary and Poland. And so there were even boycotts. Poland has a very strong stance regarding the war, and we are one of the most sort of extremely anti Russian societies in Europe, and so countries that have a more nuanced approach to this issue, for reasons that we don't need to discuss here, are also suffering.

So I think now is the challenge to overcome several of these difficulties, the structural difference in terms of how Hungary is perceived as a wine country. People have no idea about the new contemporary styles of Móri Ezerjó, Balatoni Kéknyelű or Olaszrizling or the Etyek wines. The people have no idea here, unless they travel to Hungary and they discover them, because you're not going to get these wines in Poland. So this is the problem. This is the structural problem of availability and, and awareness. We have to overcome some of the political sentiment and reinforce the message of the Polish-Hungarian alliance and friendship.

And that has been historical even though during this history there have been many moments when there were differences, notably the first and second world war when we had differences. So this is, the current situation is nothing new, but of course it is impacting what is happening, on the market right now.

And I think there is a big marketing and communication issue to overcome is to present the new Hungary. The young Hungary, the dynamic Hungary, the forward looking Hungarian wine industry. To this new generation of Polish wine drinkers, because people in their fifties and sixties in Poland, they know that Hungary makes good wine.

But with the young people, it's a completely different story. I think also they don't really know Hungary as a country. It's not really a tourist destination that people go to. They go to Croatia, they go to Italy, they go to Greece. Everything is connected, and I think these are some of the aspects that we would need to tackle.

What do you think would be the best way to make a change in this?

Look, everything is important. I think importers are doing an important job. Wineries can also have things like websites in Polish. But I'm a big believer in a structured, coordinated communication. I think if you have a master plan, if you have a global message, it is going to resonate sooner or later.

You can see this with countries that are very active, for example, for tourism in Poland, like Austria and Germany is promoting their tourism very strongly and it's showing in the numbers. People are paying attention. This is also an opportunity, a weakness can become an opportunity because if you look at the tourism, for example, people have been to Croatia so many times, they want to discover something new.

And so if you tell them, hey, you know, Hungary has got lakes, wineries, historical cities, great cuisine, art, fantastic nature, I always find Hungary very green as a country. Then, then this is gonna be a message. But you, you need to tell people that you can go kayaking in Hungary. Little things like this, because they go kayaking to Latvia. Okay, why not Hungary? Yeah, you drink better for sure in Hungary during the kayaking or after, you know, in the emix. So little things like this.

So I think, creating a, a coordinated, coherent, completely innovative message, it makes sense. And for example, you know, last year I was at the Hungarian Wine Summit in Budapest in April. And for me this was a phenomenal event, it was great. It was exactly transmitting that sort of young, energetic, dynamic message, you know, come rediscover us, we have changed, you know, we've got new things, we've got plenty of stuff for you to discover. And the quality of the message, how it was articulated, I think it was absolutely fantastic. So this was for me, an example of how things can be done really well that give fruit. And I think, in Poland, that's definitely the strategy, that I would encourage.

Regarding Hungarian wines, how is furmint? Why did you decided to extend the Tokaj day and focus on furmints from every region this year?

I can see that Furmint is extremely successful on markets like the UK and the US. Also gradually, for example, in France. So why not also do this? I'm very fond of Tokaj, of course, it's my special region, but I'm also aware and I'm also very keen on the Furmints from Somló, from Badacsony, and from Eger, from other regions of Hungary, and there is no reason why these regions should not be showcased.

Also I think Furmint is now at a great moment in its history. I think it is now appreciated for the quality of the wines it gives, but also for the little subtle things. For example, the lower alcohol that it can give to many wines, the higher acidity. Which are very topical and people are talking very seriously now that it's one of the grapes that are best in conditions of global warming.

Furmint was always grown in Central Europe, outside what is today Hungary. But today you see people in Austria, for example, or in Croatia, taking Furmint very seriously. They are phasing out other varieties that are struggling with global warming. For example, Grunewetliner in some hotter places. And they are planting furmint anew. They are replanting furmint after not having it for several decades. I think sooner or later we're going to have the first furmint also grown in Poland. You know, we already have Austrian grape varieties grown in Poland.

Poland is also becoming a wine country. This is never going to be a competition against Hungarian wines, but the fact that we will be growing the same grapes can only help Hungarian wine exports to Poland. So I think Furmint is definitely the number one star in terms of white grapes for Hungary and Kékfrankos is becoming the number one red star.

And I'm a fan of complexity. I like the little specialities in each region, the orange, or sárfehér, the little stuff that you have everywhere in Hungary like everybody has in Europe. But also I think it's a good lesson in today's globalized world and the simplified communication, it is great to have hero products. And even though I like Olaszrizling, I think Furmint has much more power to win people's hearts, because in a way, I think it's a more versatile grape. You can have sweet wines, you can have sparkling wines, orange wines, it's good in blends, with many other grape varieties. And so I think it's a great strategy for Hungary to, consider, to focus on Furmint and Kékfrankos as the ambassadors for the whole country. And then the other grapes will also follow. It's not to the exclusion of the other stuff, but you have to showcase something. And for me, Furmint is fantastic. People know it in Poland.

They are aware of the grape. I don't have to reintroduce the grape, but what I can introduce and I do with pleasure and I see the surprise of people. is they didn't realize that you can make a sparkling wine or a natural wine, out of furmint.

So, so suddenly they, they knew that there is a dry Tokai wine in a given style, but suddenly there are many more styles. And so they can see the versatility of furmint, which is very important.

Don’t you thinkt that the fact that Austria and Croatia also hitting the market with their furmint in Poland, will be the competitors of Hungarian furmint?

No, not really. No, they have very little of the furmint and it's mostly grown for the local market, but of course, it's enhancing the visibility because from a local grape, it became regional, and now it's becoming a global grape and soon it's gonna be followed in. I know people who plant furmint in Italy or France, because the characteristics that furmint has make it a great grape to grow in many different places. Maybe not the hottest places, maybe not in, you know, southern Australia, but probably many of the sort of semi cool climates from around the world will benefit from having a look at furmint. Of course, it's not an easy grape to grow and to make, but I definitely think now there is an awareness.

I see many similarities with countries that were struggling with being completely unknown and having only local specialities nobody could even pronounce. And suddenly they become global stars. If you look at Greece, Assyrtiko used to be a rustic wine from some island somewhere, and now it's a global superstar. So, I think furmint definitely has the potential, and I can already see that people are seriously seeing furmint as one of the best grapes in Europe especially also in terms of the future.

Knowing all the problems, you mentioned what are the messages, sayings, keywords that consumers pay attention to when choosing wine in Poland, in general, and also maybe in Hungarian wine.

I think we can always talk about quality, it's obvious. There is such big competition on the market now. The wines really have to be very good. There are a lot of very good wines in Hungary, but that is definitely a prerequisite. I think at the moment people are looking for authenticity. For local character, local grape varieties, also local styles, like Aszú and Szamorodni. Sweet szamorodni is selling really well, while dry szamorodni is something that people are very intrigued about.

Also blends of local varieties. Focus on what is really your tradition? What, what wines do you make? And it doesn't mean making a wine in a barn with cows. It means, staying true to your roots, not making international style using new oak, you know, imported grape varieties.

So I think this authenticity and genuinity is very important. Also sustainability, sometimes I think it's an overused word. I think everybody is talking about being sustainable up to a point when it means very little. But certainly if you talk to young consumers, they want to have a wine that is going to have less impact on the environment.

They want to have a wine that is made with respect towards nature. And I'm actually very happy to see that in a not an easy environment because of the climate. A lot of producers in Tokaj, for example, are going organic or in conversion, so that's very important. Of course you can be green for commercial strategy reasons and you can be genuinely, honestly green. And I think people, who work in the field, work in the vineyard, they see the impact. So they become honest because of themselves, but that's a great message. Because when you believe in what you do, and that's also the authenticity that I touched upon, it becomes a very strong message.

I think in the future we need to be self sufficient as a region. I'm very happy for the successes of Hungarian wine on the American market. And I'm very happy that if I really want to, I can easily buy a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand in Poland. But in the end, 600 years ago it was like this, and it's gonna be like this in 600 years. The best commercial links are the closest ones. It's best to speak and sell to your neighbor rather than, going on a ship and touring the world. Which is very exciting, but in the end, the real links are the closest links. So I think people are now realizing this more and more. In terms of consumption, you've got this all sort of carbon footprint stuff that is coming into the equation now. You want to have more of a Central European sort of family of things in terms of food,  in terms of products that you use.

I know people who say, I'm not going to be going to Thailand on vacation because it's just not sustainable. I'm going to explore the regions. I'm going to go to the Czech Republic to discover the castles. So, why not next time the Balaton Lake? So things like this. So I think we have to be local – not local in terms of the wine that is grown in Poland, because in Poland it is never going to be a big topic. What we produce in wine is 1 percent of what we drink. So we’ll always need to import wines. But it's much better to import wine from Hungary than Spain, for a hundred of reasons.

And what do you think of the boycott you were saying? Is it possible to overcome this in the near future?

Look, I think it has to change from several aspects. I'm not going to go into politics, but of course, I think people also have to realize that you cannot connect these things. You cannot connect Mr. Barta who makes wine in Tokaj with his horse. I think it was a strong belief at the beginning of the war. I think, some people are still on that phase. Some people have moved on, but it's also my job and the job of communicator saying like, guys, you know, we understand the whole sentiment. We just have to realize that these things have nothing to do with each other.

I mean, boycotting Hungarian products because you disagree with what the Hungarian government is doing is a great gesture that mostly works for yourself. It doesn't really make an impact on the world. The best thing in these circumstances is actually to buy Ukrainian products, if you really want to help. That is real help. That is actually helping people. But boycotting Hungarian wines doesn't make sense. And also I think in the end, if we bring politics into this, it's going to be impossible to buy any products because how are you going to ascertain that, you know, this producer doesn't vote for Trump.

I don't want to go into these things because it's a one way issue. Of course, if a wine producer is showing up in political situations. Then, of course, they are taking responsibility for the impact on their business. But otherwise, if someone is focusing on making wine, please, please, let's just not mix it up.

And this is a message that we have to convey. But I think, time is going to be changing this. I am talking about the medium term, not what is going to happen tomorrow. It's important for wineries to sell wine tomorrow. But when we talk about these things from a broader perspective, we have to be building the structure for the mid and long term growth.

And I think definitely Poland and Hungary are bound to be connected in the future. We are neighbors or more than neighbors. We are cousins. In Hungarian you say friends, we say cousins. In Poland, it's cousins. So, I think, we have to go back to the basics of what really connects our nations.

It's not only history. History happened because there is an affinity between the two nations. There are similar characters. There is a similar sort of approach to things, and so this is why we have always liked the wine. It was also a matter of commercial links and commercial convenience, but that's fine.

So we can build it up on the structure., so I'm optimistic about this. I think New Zealand Sauvignon is a nice wine, is a good wine. It can be a great wine, but it is also a fashion. Hungarian wine in Poland can be a fashion, can suffer from the fashion, but in the long term it is a key product.

You regularly visit Hungary. Is there a wine region that you haven't discovered yet, but really keen to?

I'm going to Szekszárd on my first trip, so I'm really excited. I have a masterclass at the Szekszárd bottle event for sommeliers from Budapest, organized by the winemakers of Szekszárd, so I'm super excited, because I'm going to have a very in depth experience - meeting all the winemakers and drinking all the wines in the Szekszárd bottle and everything else.

So yes, I still have a lot to discover. I have never been to Bükkalja, for example, and I know it's a very beautiful place and with the potential to make maybe some really exciting wines, but you know, still sort of in the making. I think I'm very excited at the moment by the volcanic wines from Balaton and Somló. So even though I've been in those places I would like to go again because what does it mean to discover? You discover something, but then it changes and after a few years, it's a completely new reality. So my story with Hungarian wine is I know them well, but all the time there are surprises and I'm discovering new things all the time. So yes, I'm gonna go to Szekszárd, I would love to go back to Eger, because I haven't been to Eger for a long, long time. I still discover things when I go to Tokaj. You know, there are new wineries, there are new styles, new restaurants, new ideas. So that is also very exciting. And there is a producer from the east of Hungary, which is outside any wine region that I have tasted now in Poland. She's importing already in Poland, Reka Kontz. And that is for me the next frontier of Hungarian wine. I think it's on the Ukrainian border somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Really cool climate wines. So I'm going to go on a mission to discover this completely isolated planet in the galaxy of Hungarian wine.

Photos: Wojciech Bońkowski and Hungarian Wine Marketing Agency