Best of Budapest & Hungary

The Eger Wine Meetup returns to its decades-old tradition this year, taking place in the quieter early part of the year for the viticulture and wine sector, on 15 and 16 February at the Eszterházy Károly Catholic University. The two-day conference will remain faithful to last year's renewal, with four key themes, Hungarian and international speakers and a Bring Your Own Bottle tasting evening.

    "Last year was a milestone in the life of our professional conference, which has been running for more than two decades. We rethought its concept, its themes and its image. This year we have continued along the same path, building on the feedback from our guests. For example, we have changed the date of the event, bringing it forward by one day a week to Thursday-Friday in order to better fit in with working hours," said Dr Zoltán Kálmán Váczy, Vice Rector for General Affairs of Eszterházy Károly Catholic University.

    This is a conference for professionals in the field of viticulture, oenology and estate management, and like last year the organisers have invited the most prominent players and experts in the sector, who have written a success story with their winery or are considered specialists in their field. The aim of the event is to use their stories as a source of inspiration and their knowledge as a point of reference for winery managers who, every day, are looking for ways to improve and move forward.

    The two-day conference will be divided into four thematic blocks. Firstly, on the theme of community, visitors to Eger will be able to look at models of cooperation beyond the boundaries of wineries, whether it be a partnership between wine regions, a professional programme organised around a grape variety, or joint work in neighbouring countries. This year's second theme will once again take participants into the realm of winery building, where they will look at how to develop a winery for both domestic and international markets from different angles.

    The second day will focus on vines and vineyards, a key determinant of wine quality, and will cover a number of areas that are set to become increasingly important in the future. The wine market section will look at the state of the domestic wine trade, with an eye to international best practice.

    In addition to the exchange of professional information, the 2024 Wine Meetup will continue to focus on the experience of personal encounters, and to provide an opportunity to continue the conversations started during the conference breaks, a Bring Your Own Bottle tasting evening will be organised on Thursday evening, where participants will be able to present themselves through their wines.