At the invitation of Minister for Rural Development Sándor Fazekas and Minister for Foreign Affairs János Martonyi, the Ambassadors and Agricultural Attachés accredited to Hungary took part in the Patricius Winery's harvest in Bodrogkisfalud in the Tokaj wine region.

It's no secret that we would like our excellent quality Hungarian wines to be among the world's best. That wine and tourism should unite and attract a host of foreign visitors from all over the world to the country's magnificently beautiful countryside and regions. That there should be more and more successful wineries in Hungary such as the Patricius Winery, whose wines have won several gold medals at prestigious international competitions from England and France to as far away as Japan – said Sándor Fazekas in his welcoming speech to the over one hundred diplomats.

The unique microclimate, the soil, the grape varieties cultivated here and the centuries of tradition have made the Tokaj wine region the jewel in the crown of Hungarian wine and viniculture. The winemakers' idea and the government's wishes met successfully when the Ministry of Rural Development reopened the Tokaj Wine Region Viticulture and Wine-Making Research Institute in Tarcal, which had been on the brink of ceasing operations in recent years. In addition to the preservation of biological bases, research and development, the results of crossbreeding and the development of new wine-producing techniques will all serve to further enrich the bouquet and flavour of Tokaji wines.

Tokaji wine is Hungary in a bottle. Where a bottle is open and the wine is tasted, Hungary is present in the aroma, the colours, the flavours, the memories and unforgettable experiences. I sincerely hope that our common experience of the now traditional diplomats' wine harvest mean that you will slowly become almost ambassadors of Hungarian wine and winemakers, and will spread our good reputation throughout the world – said Sándor Fazekas at the end of his welcoming speech.

(Press Office of the Ministry of Rural Development)