Hungarian producers of the unique Tokaj wine are seeking further possibilities to enter the European market.
In a statement, state owned Tokaj Keresked?ház Zrt (TK), the largest producer of the nectar-like Tokaji dessert wines said it is working on a new product structure that it hopes would increase its year-on-year revenues tenfold. Following market research conducted in 10 countries by Claessens International, TK wants to target Germany, France and also China. In these countries, less than 5 per cent of top restaurants offer Tokaj wine, the company says. In comparison, 20 and 29 per cent of top restaurants in the US and UK, respectively, carry their wines.
The new product structure requires further analyses, TK’s statement goes on to say, adding that is remains to be seen if dry Tokaj wines would also have a chance to achieve market penetration. As of now, the sweet Tokaji Aszú dessert wine is the best known product of the tiny region, roughly the same size as Burgundy’s Cote d'Or, located in the north-east of Hungary, near the border with Slovakia.
The aszú (botrytized) wines for which Tokaj is known are made from grapes affected by benevolent Botrytis cinerea fungus. This beneficial fungus dehydrates the grape berries, concentrating their sugars and leaving a trademark honeysuckle aroma in the wine, according to Wine-Searcher.com.
© 2014 European Supermarket Magazine – Europe’s grocery retail magazine, for all your breaking supermarket, convenience-store and FMCG news. Article written by László Juhász.
