Can you tell us about the Winelovers Wine Awards Buyers Program?
The Buyers Program is organised parallel to the third edition of Winelovers Wine Awards international wine contest. It is also a great networking opportunity, since apart from the buyers, about 50 international wine experts will be there as well as members of the jury. The program takes place in the heart of Budapest, in the conference centre of the five star Corinthia Hotel Budapest on June 28-30.
What content can buyers expect and what is the itinerary for the event?
The Winelovers Wine Awards is offering buyers the chance to take part in its first hosted Buyers Program
First of all we take care of the buyers' flight – we find the best option for them and we buy the tickets. They will be taken from the airport to the hotel, so they don't even have to look for a taxi.
Our aim is to provide a five star service so they feel good and can concentrate on the wines only. The buyers can enjoy a welcome dinner on June 28 and then on the 29th they will have the chance to meet 20 wine producers and taste their wines in a series of rapid B2B meetings.
After lunch, they can then take part in a small wine exhibition where they can have the chance to meet more wineries and taste wines not only from Hungary, but from other Central Eastern European countries.
A gala dinner closes the program and the buyers are free to leave on June 30 - again we will handle all transfers and flights. If buyers would like to stay longer and tour the wine regions of Hungary and the neighbouring countries they are very welcome to do so.
What masterclasses are you putting on?
Piotr Pietras MS will be hosting a masterclass at the event
The masterclasses are still "under construction", though some are already confirmed. On Saturday afternoon Piotr Pietras Polish Master Sommelier will conduct an interesting, interactive training session for sommeliers. We plan to have a masterclass with the wines of the guest country and more details will be announced in due course.
We also plan to have one or two masterclasses to educate our guests about Hungarian wine styles and grape varieties, like the Tokaji Szamorodni or the Villány Franc masterclasses from the previous years.
How many producers are taking part and from which countries?
In the B2B tastings only 20 wineries can participate, while in the exhibition 50 wineries will have the chance to present their wines. We will definitely feature wines from Bulgaria, Austria, Ukraine, Romania, Slovakia and certainly from Hungary. Some more countries are to be confirmed.
Why have you decided to host this event now?
The wine competition gives producers the chance to have their wines tasted and assessed by the wine experts in our jury, but we know we must also offer them. The overall aim of the competition is to help wineries sell their products so this year we are giving them the chance to meet potential buyers as well.
Who are you hoping will apply?
We have 20 places available for the hosted Buyers Program who can take advantage of our free flight, transfers, hotel, meals service, plus helping to organise any further wine visits after the event. We have 12 already taken You can see who is coming here.
We now hope to attract some UK buyers looking to spice up their portfolio with some "exotic" Central Eastern European wines.
How do they apply and what criteria will you choose the buyers?
It is very simple, they only have to fill in this form. Then we read through the applications thoroughly, we contact the most promising ones, and then we decide to invite the most serious ones. We look at people’s websites and social media to find those buyers who are really looking for wines from our region, and for whom our passionate service can be a serious help.
How many buyers do you hope to have at the event?
There will be 20 buyers and 50 jury members. We have confirmed buyers from the US, Sweden, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Poland. The UK is one of the most important markets for our region which is why we are keen to have representatives from there.
We know arranging travel to a target country can be a hassle: queuing to rent car at the airport, finding acceptable accommodation close to the winery to visit, getting around a country with a different language – it can be a nightmare.The organisers of Winelovers Wine Awards take the burden over and arrange everything from travel to meetings. Plus, they help find the most suitable wineries to start with and give advice and help in case participants would like to extend their stay.
For those that don't know the Winelovers Wine Awards can you explain what they are?
Wine Lovers Wine Awards attracts entries from all over Central Europe
The international wine contest and its side events are organised by Trinety Media Ltd, an independent company with long history in the wine business.
WWA 2024 is the perfect showcase opportunity and platform for wineries from countries in the CEE region which are considering exporting outside or within the region. The award-winning wines will also be featured in an English-language digital publication and distributed to more than 4,000 key international decision makers (importers, head sommeliers, wine merchants and wine writers). World-renowned international experts will give feedback on entered wines, providing an effective international marketing tool for wineries who enter their wines.
When does the competition start this year and how do producers and wineries get involved?
The competition starts on June 28. The entry period has already begun, we have already received hundreds of entries. Producers can enter here, and if they want to participate in the Buyers program, they can contact us here by getting contact with our senior account manager colleague.
Anything else you would like to say?
Please keep in mind that this event is held in Hungary, but it is not a Hungarian event. The educated wine consumer is always looking for something new, particularly the Gen Z drinkers. Central Eastern Europe has an exciting, colourful wine scene with less known grape varieties, thousand-year-old traditions, devoted winemakers and stories that sell the wines.
More and more importers are looking to add something unknown to their usual French, Spanish, Italian or New World wines, to tap into those consumers who are eager to discover and happy to try wines with weird names of grape varieties. Cserszegi Fűszeres of Hungary is a challenge they are happy to accept and they are curious about the story of the Romanian Fetească Neagră (meaning Black Maiden). Once they have tasted, they want to know more about the Czech Pálava.
Hungary is a gateway between East and West, in Budapest the participants of the Buyers Program can get a deep insight of Hungarian wines, but not exclusively: other Central Eastern European countries will also share the limelight.
More information:
Apply for the Buyers Program here: https://wineloverswineawards.com/application-for-buyers
The buyers already signed up to take part are:
https://wineloverswineawards.com/buyers
For more information about the awards see below:
https://wineloverswineawards.com
