Current developments could determine the future of winemaking for decades

Zsolt Feldman emphasized that the traditions of Hungarian winemaking must not be forgotten, but that we must respond to changing circumstances. Producers are facing a serious challenge due to the decline in demand, as wine consumption in Europe has fallen by almost a quarter in the last 10 years. Hungarian winegrowers and winemakers have accumulated a huge amount of knowledge, but their product developments can only be successful in the long term if they take into account the needs of future customers, he drew attention to this.

According to the Secretary of State, customer decisions can be influenced by many aspects beyond price and quality, from packaging to alcohol level. Anyone who plants a plantation or prepares a business strategy must take into account that for today’s young people, that is, for the consumers of the coming decades, wine is part of entertainment and experience.

Those born around the turn of the millennium grew up in an accelerated world, they like light wines and are happy to choose a product that comes to them in interesting, colorful, easy-to-open packaging

– he said.

So we should not do what we did 20 years ago, instead we should see what will happen in 20 years, and we should direct innovations and plan the product range accordingly – Zsolt Feldman said. He also announced that the innovation investment support to be released in the spring will help developments that produce innovative wine products or new types of packaging materials, in line with changing consumer needs.