Hungarian wines to sweeten Polish presidency?

A statement on the Hungarian presidency website says that “before the two countries’ foreign ministries sign the relevant agreement, the [wine] will be carefully selected once more, so that Hungarian wines matching Polish dishes best can be served in the gala dinners.”

The move comes after a cultural event held near Warsaw on 14 May which was attended by the President of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek, at which Hungarian wines were also “evaluated”, as explained by the Hungarian presidency website.

The promotion of Hungarian wines during the country’s ongoing EU Council presidency “will [also] play a key role in enhancing the favourable image of [Hungary] abroad,” says Helga Gal, the Hungarian presidency’s sommelier.

Commenting on the decision to serve Hungarian wines during the Polish presidency, Hungarian MEP Gyorgy Schopflin told thenews.pl “I’m glad to hear it! Over the last 20 years Hungarian winemaking has come a long way, and I would put the wines in the top five in Europe.”

Poland has been importing Hungarian wines since the 16th century, with the “commercial relationship […] clearly shown by the fact that the name of one of the most popular wines of Tokaj, Szamorodni, is of Polish origin. The Polish word ‘samorodny’ means ‘as it was grown’,” the Hungarian website informs.

As the Hungarian presidency website writes, “the commercial relationships and the friendship of the two countries were recorded in several sayings,” including the most popular rhyme known in both countries: ‘Pole and Hungarian, two good friends, joint fight and drinking are their ends’ (the saying in Polish: ‘Polak, Węgier, dwa bratanki, i do szabli, i do szklanki’).” (jb)