President of the German Sommelier Association Yvonnne Heistermann is no novice when it comes to Hungarian wines

Wines of Hungary hosted six successful, full-house masterclasses at ProWein this year, two of which were presented by Yvonne Heistermann, first female president of the German Sommelier Association and author of a book about Hungary and its wine regions, written seventeen years ago in German. With more than thirty years working as a sommelier and sommelier educator, we were curious to find out what contact she has with Hungarian wines now and what she feels about their international potential, particularly in hospitality.

This was the first time you have worked directly with Wines of Hungary. What was your overall impression of Hungarian wines now?

Well, I also give lessons on Hungarian wines at the hotel and sommelier schools in Germany, so I taste and present Hungarian wines regularly, meaning I have a pretty good impression of them now too. And I have to say that our students are constantly impressed by the high quality of the wines and the diversity that they represent. And so am I. This means I already had a very high opinion of Hungarian wine before ProWein.

So it really seems like you’d already had a fair amount of contact with Hungarian wine prior to this year’s ProWein? How far back does your experience with Hungary and its wines go?

Quite a way! I first went to Hungary in 1986 as a child. My parents and I spent some lovely holidays at Lake Balaton. I then returned later in 2007 and 2008 as I was writing a book on Hungarian wine, called ‘Weinland Ungarn’, which means ‘Wine Country Hungary’ in English. So, with the help of Klara at the Hungarian wine marketing organisation at that time, I managed to visit a lot of Hungary’s regions and many wineries. It gave me a really great insight into the country, its wine regions and wines, and was a great help in writing the book. I then visited the Tokaj region in 2014 with some other sommeliers. And I’d also already presented Hungarian wines at Prowein together with dee-wine.com. So, I’m by no means a Hungarian ProWein novice!

You gave two full-house masterclasses for Wines of Hungary. The first was ‘An exciting journey through Hungary’s wine regions.’ Which regions and wines did you present here, and which did you find the most exciting?

This masterclass presented a Sauvignon Blanc from Etyek-Buda, a white blend from Pannonhalma, of course a Juhfark from Somló, a Szekszárdi Bikavér and a Cabernet Franc from Villány. So it was truly an exciting journey through the country, focusing on some of its most prominent regions and really showcasing the diversity that your country has to offer. It’s difficult to say which I found the most exciting – they all were. Perhaps the wine from Pannonhalma in this line-up. But I also love the fresh dry white wines from Tokaj or the Balaton, especially the Olaszrizling. And I have to say I’m a real fan of Kadarka, which I think is a truly underestimated grape variety. Although of course there wasn’t time to showcase all of Hungary’s diversity in this one masterclass.

The second masterclass was entitled Kékfrankos rediscovered – a class of its own. As Hungary’s most planted black variety, grown in practically every wine region, how do you see its potential in Germany and internationally?

This grape variety, known in Germany as Lemberger, is currently very fashionable and represents good quality wines with good ageing potential, so its potential in Germany and internationally is quite high. Moreover, I have to say I like the style of Kékfrankos produced here in Hungary. And we had a great selection of wines in the masterclass, really showing how it performs differently in different parts of Hungary. From right in the warmer south in Villány and Szekszárd to the cooler climes of Sopron and Eger and of course, one from the volcanic north shore of the Balaton.

Did you taste any other wines at the Wines of Hungary stand? What did you find the most interesting and why?

Yes, I did, despite not having much time! ProWein is always a busy time for me. But I’d like to highlight the red blends from the Villány region made from the Bordeaux varieties. I think they not only have great potential, but they also have a good price-quality ratio. They would be a good match for the German market.

You have over 30 years’ experience working with wine, wine education and hospitality. What do you think Hungarian wine’s breakout points could be, particularly in the on-trade?

I think you simply have to make Hungary wines better known. Hungarian wines are not well enough known and they should be – given their quality and diversity. It is absolutely crucial to make them better known, as I think they are certainly far too unknown in Germany, even though there are many Germans who spend their holidays in Hungary, who visit Budapest and spend their summers at the Balaton. I believe masterclasses would be the way to go, especially at restaurants, wineshops and in education. I think this could really help raise the profile of Hungarian wines in German hospitality settings. That would be your break-out point!

Photos: Hungarian Wine Marketing Agency