B(or) to B – wine to business

At the end of the last decade it was recession and the new one starts with a bad vintage: winemakers, retailers and restaurateurs need to cooperate to survive hard times. János Eszterbauer, the owner of Eszterbauer Winery is of the opinion that wineries are fighting for survival because of cheap import wine from Italy, bureaucracy and the bad vintage of 2010. Ferenc Szlávik, head of wine division at Zwack Izabella Borkereskedés says that survival is only possible if: 1. wineries make great wines that give value for money; 2. retailers present a structured selection with a targeted sales strategy and efficient brand building in cooperation with wineries; 3. bars and restaurants offer quality wine, services and a great atmosphere to make their guests return. Lajos Varsányi, the owner of Varsányi Winery sees a stronger connection between winemakers and restaurateurs – a result of economic recession. Tamás Bukovinszky, estate director at Tokajicum Borház Kft. opines that there is an increased interest in quality wines, despite the recession. Drinking wine is trendy these days but people are still price-sensitive so retailers are in a better position than bars and restaurants. We should make simpler and lighter wines a daily drink, just like they do it in Italy, Spain or France. Spritzer is a Hungarian invention and it would be great if young people would drink it more often in bars and clubs.