Importer of the Month: Wijndruppels

Sometimes life takes unexpectable turns. A talented little girl might help expand the market of some Hungarian wineries in a country where – at the moment – more South African wines are sold. Let us hope that as featherlight the ballerina’s steps are, so smooth will be the entrance of these wines to the Dutch wine market. We have spoken with Ervin Bonecz, who founded Wijndruppels with his wife, Aki.

By Ágnes Németh

Webshop:
www.wijndruppels.nl

Labels so far: Bodri Winery (Szekszárd), Borbély Family Winery (Badacsony), Fehérvári Wine Estate (Somló), Feind Winery (Balatonfüred), Frittmann Winery (Kunság), Légli Ottó (Balatonboglár), Lelovits Tamás Winery (Villány), Pajzos (Tokaj), Szentesi Winery (Etyek–Buda), Tóth Ferenc Winery (Eger)

– How did you end up in the Netherlands?
– Our 12-year-old daughter, Franciska studies ballet dancing, and two years ago she won a contest in Amsterdam. Her prize was a month at the National Ballet Academy of the Netherlands. It was last year, and at the end of her academy training she had a chance to take an entrance exam. There are 10 times more applicants, yet she has gotten admitted! We were discussing how to go on, and with my wife together we agreed on moving to Amsterdam. We also have a son, he is 24 years old and he has also studied in the Netherlands for four years.

– How did you “get infected with wine”?
– Wine has always played an important role in our everyday life. A friend of ours is the former mayor of Szekszárd, the centre of Szekszárd wine region – he introduced us to many wine producers, and we have always been active in the wine life of Hungary.

– Being a winelover does not make one a wine merchant automatically…
– It is true, but when we moved here, we missed Hungarian wines so much! Why would I drink South American wines, which travelled through the world with huge ships to get to my table?

– Do you have any business background?
– Well, I do have marketing experience, since earlier I spent 20 years with marketing of culture, I was also member of the Ministry of Culture. My wife got her degree in music and choir conducting, but instead she spent 15 years at a large Japanese multinational company.

– Did you get any help?
– Yes, the team of the Embassy of Hungary has been very supportive from the beginning. The webshop works, we have already had some orders – everything functions properly. As for the delivery, the shipments are in good hands: we have a contract with the Dutch Post.

– How did you choose your suppliers?
– We were looking for wines that are made of grapes grown only in the Carpathian basin. What would be the point to present another Chardonnay? We aim to introduce wines that are unique and made exclusively in Hungary. Rózsakő, Kéknyelű, Irsai Olivér – only we cultivate these grapes and they are more than worth tasting.

– What is your plan for the marketing of the webshop launch?
– We have already started to post actively on social media, especially on Instagram. Considering the fact that Hungarian wines are not known in the Netherlands and there are grape varieties that are exclusively available in the country, we wanted to use our social media channels not just to promote our wines but to drop some educational content, too. We also plan to hold events, conduct tasting, present wines for wine influencers.

– Is there a headquarters of Wijndruppels?
– No, at the moment there isn’t. However, we have good connection with the Amsterdam Wine Academy, and we plan to hold events in their building.

– I was surprised to see that you offer sushi and wine pairings on your webshop. Meanwhile I have found out the reason: your wife, Aki is Japanese, isn’t she?
– Yes, indeed, she was born in Japan. She had lived in Hungary for 30 years, she speaks perfect Hungarian, just like you and me.

– When it comes to oriental food, usually aromatic wines are mentioned – though oriental is too broad, of course. What are the best matches according to your experiences?
– Well, the bottle fermented brut sparkling from Balaton works really well! Surprising, but a slightly chilled Kadarka is also a perfect partner of sushi.

– Do the Dutch wine drinkers know Hungary?
– Not really, and this opinion is shared by the professionals of the Amsterdam Wine Academy. Hungary is very under-represented in the wine market of The Netherlands. Even though they are open, they mostly drink wines from the well-known wine countries, and the cheap options from the above-mentioned New World countries. They mostly drink white wine, red is also consumed, but less than white. Rosé is not popular – strangely enough, and sweet wines are hardly known.

– So, you have a lot of work ahead. Yet, if things go well, will you widen your selection?
– Certainly, since there are several wine regions missing from our range at the moment. Later we would be glad to present wines from Sopron, and lesser-known Hungarian wine regions, like Mór, Pannonhalma or Zala.