One hundred and thirty small and large wineries produce sparkling wine in Hungary today.

Imre Hubai reminded that a decade ago, the number of wineries producing sparkling wine was only a fraction of this.

He noted:

Since 2012, excise regulations have allowed wineries to produce limited quantities of traditional, bottle-fermented and matured sparkling wine without having to provide an excise guarantee to start the activity.

The State Secretary emphasized that the expansion of the possibilities for producing sparkling wine has also brought about a change in the culture of sparkling wine consumption.

“Good quality champagne is part of the elegance of everyday life, while high-quality, serious, large champagne has remained the essence of great moments,” he said.

He added that, based on trends, there is also a strong demand for non-alcoholic versions and champagne-based cocktails in the Hungarian market.

According to Imre Hubai, it is cause for optimism that champagne consumption is increasing worldwide, while world champagne production has increased by 70 percent since the turn of the millennium, making it 8 percent of wine production. In addition, consumer demand for non-alcoholic champagne and champagne-based cocktails can be expected to continue to grow in the coming years.

The state secretary highlighted that in Hungary, winemakers request the marketing of approximately 2.5-2.6 million hectoliters of wine and wine products annually, 5-6 percent of which, approximately 140-160 thousand hectoliters of champagne.

Hungarian sparkling wine exports are developing favorably, and after the decline due to the pandemic, their volume has increased significantly: last year it already approached five million liters, its value was 10.8 million euros, almost double the value of 2021. The momentum will continue in 2025, because a significant, almost 30 percent increase can be experienced compared to the same period last year – he explained.

The State Secretary spoke about the golden yellow disease, which is the biggest problem for grapes, and against which the Ministry of Agriculture is taking decisive action to curb and keep the spread of the disease under control.

He added that they are urging compliance with plant protection rules and continuous monitoring of plantations, because early detection of the disease is very important.