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Harvest Next to Brandenburg Gate

Hungarian Harvest has Become Tradition in Berlin

December 04th, 2014
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Horst Hummel - founder of Villany winery

From the idea of the first winemaker who had moved to Villány, Hungary in the early nineties, came the program series “Hungarian Harvest”, in which Hungarian wines and food are presented. This has become a prestigious gourmet event and tradition in Berlin.

What is the “Hungarian Harvest”?

The “Hungarian Harvest” is organized this year at the Embassy of Hungary in Berlin for the fourth time. The idea of the event is related to a lawyer from Berlin, Horst Hummel, who founded the “Villány” winery in 1998. The event consists of a wine-tasting series entitled “Villány Bottle Party”, in which the treasures of the wine region are presented. The “Villány Bottle Party” has proved to be a great success since 2010.

The “Hungarian Harvest” is meant to increase the understanding of the Hungarian wine regions. The event takes place at the end of November at the Embassy of Hungary, near to the Brandenburg Gate.

What does actually happen at the “Hungarian Harvest”?

The event is technically a gala event to which 700 partners are invited, including high-ranking German politicians, diplomats and representatives of economic and social organizations. The event is not to only to strengthen diplomatic and political relations, or to improve the image of the country, but it helps Hungarian products to find their way into the German market, through meeting acquisition managers of different businesses.

During the daytime, the event seems more like a market, but in the building of the Embassy, there are different seminars, product tours and business meetings held. This year, the wines were presented to more than 120 German dealers, wine, food and culinary professionals under the lead of the German sommelier Billy Wagner.

What has “Hungarian Harvest” reach so far?

This year the “Hungarian Harvest” was expanded with confectionery products, being named “Sweet Hungary” at the gala dinner, and 1200 Hungarian cookies being offered. The exhibitors will continue their work after the event in order to create and improve business relations, such as the German store network Galeria Kaufhof, introduced the processes used at the company - from packaging through product placement to organizing sales - to representatives of 22 wineries and 11 breeders of mangalitsa.

Hungary’s income on the German market has increased with 25 per cent this year according to the past two years, (15 million euros being the income last year) and Hungarian products are expected to reach well known, Michelin-starred restaurants, such as the Berliner Grill Royal, the favorite place in Berlin of George Clooney and Matt Damon.

Germany is the most important agricultural market for Hungary reaching 1.3 million euros and it is expected to grow.

This year the “Hungarian Harvest” took two days and was organized in Berlin by the Ministry of Agriculture, Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and the cooperation of CEOs of the Hungarian National Commercial House inc. and the Hungarian Tourism inc.

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1.German sommelier Billy Wagner

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2.Hungarian Embassy


References and Links

News from Berlin
Berlin Global