Reshuffle of the Management Committee
Ottó Légli was elected as the National Council of Wine Communities’ new president on 8 December 2015, taking over from temporary president János Frittman. The decision was unanimously supported by the representatives of the members from the twenty-two wine regions. His election and the reshuffle of the management committee mark a turning point and new direction for the organisation.
Ottó Légli has been producing wine in the South Balaton region for more than twenty-five years and has played a significant role in the increasing recognition of the wine region. His range of wines includes vineyard-selected Olaszrizling, Chardonnay and Riesling, which have featured prominently in the quality Hungarian wine segment for some years. He was recognised for his professional work in 2010, being awarded both the Winemakers’ Winemaker and Winemaker of the Year. Prior to his election as president, he had been a member of the management committee since 2013, primarily focussing on issues relating to subsidies.
Dr Dávid Brazsil will fill the post of Secretary General from 1 January 2016. He comes from generations-long wine-making tradition in the Balaton Felvidék, then also studying in France and working for the National Council of Wine Communities, representing Hungarian winemakers in Brussels.
The general assembly also elected a new member to the management committee, Dr János Nyilas. The viticulture specialist has been managing his 220 hectare estate in the Mátra since 1995. He was also previously involved in the work of the National Council as the viticulture representative of the Mátra wine region.
At the same time, the Council amended its statutes in order to facilitate more democratic leadership and decision-making, consistent implementation and transparency to its members as regards the organisation’s future work. More information will be provided to local wine communities via the website, emails and also a planned publication all members will have access to.
Activities of the National Council of Wine Communities
The National Council of Wine Communities is the largest professional organisation in the vine and wine sector, comprising 60,000 producers and small companies. It plays an indispensible role in the government’s agricultural policy and the community of viticulture and winemaker members. It believes that it is crucial to continue to strengthen and pursue regular, open, constructive and proactive cooperation with government bodies, thus playing a key partner role with both the Ministry of Agriculture and the Prime Minister’s Office, and other professional organisations.
The organisation’s next task is the development of a medium-term strategic plan for the sector, in cooperation with other professional organisations, which will then be finalised with agricultural government bodies. It aims to move forward with a similar strategy to that which it has been pursuing since May, concerning research, education, communication and marketing.
The National Council also pays a key role in controlling the quality of wines, and has increased its control over lower quality wine and also low quality wine imports, whose quantity has fallen significantly. It was able to respond effectively to the Italian wine scandal, where poor quality wine was being imported for as little as 180HUF per litre, working with the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Food Chain Safety Office to freeze further cooperation with the suspicious items and bring them to the attention of the Italian authorities.
The National Council was pleased to report that more grapes, and of higher quality, were harvested this year than in previous years. An excellent vintage is predicted, which is good news for exports, as Hungarian wine exports are also growing, a clear indicator that Hungarian wines are becoming better known and more popular worldwide. This raises the necessity of creating a more homogenous image for Hungarian wines in the future, linked to the concept of focussing on a lower number of varieties, rather than the current 100 or so. In addition to this, the question of prestige wines and their categorisation arises and to what extent the National Council should get involved in local initiatives, such as those in Tokaj, Szekszárd and Csopak. Hungary has moved from a German-style quality-based system to a more French AOP system with each wine region setting its own standards. It is clear that there is a need for some kind of consensus and cooperation in the industry to achieve some kind of balance, but with local associations organising their own activities, such as events and education, in order to improve quality as a whole over the long term.
The National Council is also playing an active role in helping to popularise Hungarian wine in international markets, participating in tastings at Prowein, London Wine Fair, Crakow Enexpo and Shanghai Prowein. Wines presented included award-winning wines from the Hungarian Bormustra and the Wines of Excellence programme; it also supports wines in foreign wine competitions.
Other activities of the National Council in support of its members include: the development of a new computer system to reduce and simplify online administration; the production of educational materials for members, thus helping to remove grapes from the list of risky products; and support in negotiations between producers and grapes to agree a core price, beneficial for both parties and structured on market trends.
