“We’d like to tell the world about the uniqueness of Eger wine!”
Recognized as one of the world’s top scoring wineries, St. Andrea Vineyard has been invited to the exclusive Great Wines World 2024 event in the US. The wines of Egerszalók will be presented at the wine trade show and business event opening in Miami in the last days of February.
Organized by the international wine critic James Suckling, the event in Miami features over 350 exhibitors and 900 tastings over two days. Internationally award-winning St. Andrea will be one of the eight Central European wineries to be invited.
On both days, St. Andrea Vineyard will represent Hungary, and Oremus and Disznókő, also from Tokaj, will also participate on one day each. In addition to the exhibition, the show also provides a great networking opportunity to meet the cream of the wine world in person at a more casual event.
“James Suckling’s invitation to the trade show came as a great surprise since we’ve never attended such a high quality international event before. We are very excited to meet the various wineries exhibiting – Vega Sicilia, Marchesi Antinori, Champagne Laurent Perrier, Chateau Angelus, Chateau Pichon Baron, to name just a few world-famous estates. They are truly part of the world elite and we are so proud to represent our wine region, Eger, alongside many exceptional wineries. We‘d like to tell the world about the uniqueness of Eger wine, and now we feel that this is truly justified by international standards. We want to learn from winemakers around the world, and we believe that we can spark interest in the United States as well,” says György Lőrincz Jr.
At the event, the wines of the St. Andrea Vineyard will be presented by winemaker György Lőrincz Jr. and Ákos Lőrincz – the estate is bringing four wines to the exhibition: Örökké, Mária, Merengő and Agapé. All of these wines scored above 94 points, but there will be some batches from Egerszalók that have already reached the absolute international top with 98 points.
As a dedicated vineyard in the Eger wine region, St. Andrea has been operating for over two decades, managed by Dr. György Lőrincz and his family. The wife and mother – the eponym – Andrea is behind the day-to-day running of the estate and is responsible for all the unique events but her three sons also play an important role in the life of the winery. St. Andrea has 50 hectares of vineyards, the most characteristic of which is the Nagy-Eged hill with its exceptional soil and microclimate.
The current US debut is a continuation of previous international recognitions in the history of the vineyard. Last year, St. Andrea Vineyard’s Agapé Egri bikavér 2018 received 98 points from James Suckling, ranking it the 48th best wine in the world. This is the second time that a St. Andrea batch has been ranked among the best internationally. In 2021, the St. Andrea Nagy-Eged vineyard’s 2017 Bull’s Blood was awarded Best in Show at the Decanter World Wine Awards and was selected among the 50 best wines in the world. The trip to the US could be an entry into a new market and bring new opportunities for the winery in many areas.
“It is perhaps a well-known fact that the US is one of the fastest growing wine markets, given its huge territory and the growing wine consumption. This is where wine lovers are willing to pay more for a wine if they get more in terms of experience, and therefore the country offers potentially the greatest possibilities in the wine world. Hungary and Eger can only compete in this market with outstanding quality and uniqueness, and in Eger we believe that this is hardwired” says György Lőrincz “We must present something that is unique and different from what can be tasted anywhere else, which is why Egri Csillag and Egri Bikavér have the best chance. We are confident that we can represent worthily our fantastic wine region among the most renowned wines in the world.”
Besides the trade show, György Lőrincz and Ákos Lőrincz will have several business meetings during their trip to the US, which could open new doors in the life of St. Andrea Vineyard, the wine region of Eger and Hungarian wine.