18 January 2025 / Edit Szabó
For years, the qualifying tasting to see which wines can be included in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade's wine selection has been a highly anticipated event. What exactly is the role of the wines selected here?
It is important for Hungary's diplomatic missions abroad to offer their guests at the events and functions they organise wines that represent the best of the Carpathian Basin and best express Hungarian identity. It is up to the Ministry to decide what exactly will be included in the wine selection, I simply present the results of the tasting and tell them which wines performed best in their respective categories.
Hungary has 130 diplomatic missions around the world. Will the wines you choose go everywhere?
Yes, but not in equal quantities, of course. Countries and cities with a very developed wine culture, such as Germany, France, Spain, the Scandinavian countries or Washington, have a different weighting than, for example, a Muslim country with a very different perception of wine consumption. But of course there is also a reasonableness limit because of the distance, obviously different numbers of bottles are shipped to European countries than to Australia or New Zealand. Cultural institutes abroad responsible for the transmission of Hungarian culture may also order wines from the selection, but this is only an option for them, not an obligation.
Is the selection by invitation only, or can anyone submit their wine?
The wineries are invited by the ministry based on my recommendations and our shared experience, so the selection is by invitation, but there is no real reason for exclusion, anyone can submit their wines. We rely primarily on producers who have proven for years, even decades, that they meet our quality and quantity criteria.
What kind of wines were you looking for?
The emphasis is on the native Carpathian Basin varieties, so Furmint, Hárslevelű, Juhfark, Kéknyelű and Ezerjó have a good chance of being selected, but - although they are not native varieties - Olaszrizling and Kékfrankos are also included, and we cannot imagine a representative wine flight without Bikavér. Villányi Franc, which has been given special status in the Villány wine district, is also an option, but we are also very happy to have a good representative of the old Hungarian grape varieties, be it Kadarka, Csókaszőlő or even Laska. The main thing is to select wines that show what the Carpathian Basin is capable of in terms of wine.
How does the selection process work?
Very much like a quality wine competition. Invited wines arrive by the deadline, we check each bottle, then sort and order the wines. It's a lot of work, as at least 200-250 wines take part in the selection every year. The tasting is blind and takes place over two days - two five-member panels taste, score and evaluate in parallel. The judges are experienced wine experts with the WSET diploma. It is important that they each have an international perspective, because if you only taste Hungarian wines, you may not be following the same criteria that we should bear in mind. Winemakers and wine merchants cannot be members of the jury, as impartiality and fairness are of the utmost importance. Most of the wine experts are returning members of the judging team year on year, and it has become a matter of prestige to be involved in the selection process.
Retasting after judging
How many categories do you divide the wines into, and how many wines per category may make it into the selection?
We evaluate in seven categories: sparkling, dry white, Carpathian Basin white, light red, full-bodied red, late harvest and Tokaj Aszú. A maximum of two wines per winery will be accepted, as we want as many people as possible to have the opportunity to participate. I then present the wines with the highest scores to the Ministry. I usually name two or three wines per category, while the National Council of Wine Communities and the Hungarian Wine Marketing Agency may also make recommendations, but as I said, the final decision is made by the Ministry. Usually, one or - in the case of an insignificant point difference - a maximum of two wines per category are selected, but here price is an important issue, as is whether there is enough of the wine in question available.
Why do we need these seven categories?
Because diplomatic missions and consular posts organise different types of events. There are some where 150-200 people are invited - think of a commemoration on 23 October, for example - and so they then serve wines that are easier to understand. And there are serious meetings, small, seated ambassadorial dinners where special, unique wines are served.
Rest break
Are there any natural wines on the list
Not yet, because you can't expect a diplomatic mission staff member to offer you a type of wine you may never have seen before. Maybe the time will come, but now is too early.
What size orders can producers of the selected wines expect?
According to the call for entries, the winery must have at least 2,000 bottles of the wines submitted for selection, but it is possible that more than this may be ordered of an individual wine. The average quantity is 2-3,000 bottles, or 1,000-1,500 bottles of Tokaji Aszú.
Are there any recurring or permanent names among the selected winemakers?
There are no permanent names because the circle of invited wineries changes constantly. Of course, there are returning names, such as Garamvári, Kreinbacher and Carassia, but also Sauska, Tokaj Kikelet and Tokaj Nobilis are often among the selected wines.
dr. Gabriella Mészáros DipWSET
To what extent does the foreign affairs wine selection represent the quality of Hungarian wines?
I am confident that we will give a comprehensive picture and show the best of the sector. I have been responsible for selecting wines for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade since 2002, but never in any year has the selection been criticised
How much has the quality and style of the wines selected changed over the years?
A lot. In the early years, producers submitted what they had left in the cellar, whereas nowadays it is a matter of prestige for a winery to have one of its wines selected. At the beginning, we struggled constantly with extremely tannic, heavy red wines, while during the 2022 selection we had the pleasure of evaluating such beautiful wines that the average score was around 90 points. And last year the white wines were very strong. Sweet wines have never been a problem, with Aszú it's more a question of whether they fit within the budget.
The 2024 tasting took place recently, but the evaluation of the judging is still ongoing. How was the field this year?
We maintained the same level in terms of quantity, with 200-250 wines, but I was delighted to see new, emerging and smaller wineries among the names too. Since the establishment of the Hungarian Wine Marketing Agency, we have been able to work closely with Pál Rókusfalvy, the Government Commissioner for National Wine Marketing, and this has brought areas into focus that have received less attention in the past. I was looking forward to this year's tasting, because I'm always curious to see if there are any new, promising wineries or really great wines among the submissions.
Photos: Ganriella Mészáros / Hungarian Wine Marketing Agency
