Latin America Pays Attention to Pécs

2022

Jan

25

A workshop with ambassadors from Latin American countries serving in Hungary - Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru - was held at the Research Institute of Viticulture and Oenology of the University of Pécs on 20 January. The event was initiated by Dávid Bencsik, Deputy State Secretary for International Affairs of the Ministry of Agriculture.

"The roots of South American winemaking go deep, so it is worth cooperating in both marketing and research."

- said Dávid Bencsik, adding that Hungary sells 121 million litres of wine annually on the international market, but the revenue from this - even though Hungarian wines are winning international competitions - is significantly below the expected level. "The place of Hungarian wine should not on the bottom shelves, but alongside Austrian and other regional players," Dávid Bencsik emphasized.

The other common point is that grape production is facing similar challenges worldwide: everyone is looking for more resistant varieties due to the changing climate. The current collection of grape varieties in Pécs consists of more than 1,500 lots, which could be mutually extended with the largest collection of 300 varieties in Chile.

"Pécs has also become indispensable for professionals looking for varieties adapted to climatic conditions."

- highlighted Dávid Bencsik, Deputy State Secretary.

"We will integrate the data of the UP Research Institute of Viticulture and Oenology into a cloud-based database, and the vines will be equipped with RFID chips. Our aim is to be able to track how different varieties perform under different climatic conditions."

- Zoltán Madaras, head of the research institute, explained this year's plans. He added that the real-time measurements will allow viticulture to respond to climate change in the most meaningful, most effective way.

The vine was also pruned, followed by blessing of the vines by parish priest Zsolt Cziglányi. According to the tradition of St. Vincent's Day, the sausages placed on the vine symbolize the hope for the next rich harvest. The ambassadors also helped with the pruning.