“Pálinka” (a certain type of eau-de-vin, brandy) is a Hungaricum, a special product of Hungary, looking back on a long past. It is a priority task to preserve it and to make it more popular, Minister of State for International Relations of the Ministry of Agriculture (AM) Zsolt Belánszky-Demkó stressed at the Hungarian pálinka evening held on the sidelines of ProWein.

At the event organised by the Consulate General in Düsseldorf, the Deputy Minister of State underlined that 72 companies, including four spirit distilleries, presented their products to interested visitors at the No1 wine and alcoholic beverages trade fair of the world this year. In Hungary, everything is given for making excellent quality spirits, since we have high-quality ingredients and excellent professionals to make the beverages that consumers will put on the table, he said.

In the past years, pálinka corresponding to more than one million hectolitre of pure alcohol was marketed; this means around 4 million bottles of spirit a year, Mr Belánszky- Demkó added.

The Deputy Minister of State of AM held negotiations on the sidelines of the exhibition with Markus Del Monego, Vice President of the German association of sommeliers, sommelier world champion, and with Christian Schwörer, Secretary General of German Wine Producers (DWV). They had consultations on the export opportunities of Hungarian wines and alcoholic beverages and the premium products of Hungarian agriculture.

The exhibition held from 17 to 19 March 2019 introduced some 7000 exhibitors to a professional public of around 60 thousand. As in previous years, all important wine-growing regions of the world were represented there. In addition to wines, some 450 alcoholic beverage and some 150 champagne producers were also present with various specialities.

(AM Press Office)