The most recent project is Borbulvar.hu, a Hungarian language online magazine with entertaining wine news. She was former editor of the Hungarian edition of Decanter and former editor of Vince wine magazine (altogether for 12 years).

She created and organised Vince Budapest Wine Show, the first and most prestigious wine event of Hungary (for 8 years).

Ágnes Németh is the founder of the international writing contest WebWineWriting (went for 7 years).

Founder and creator of InterWine Award (web contest for wineries), writer of articles published in several international publications (Glug magazine in the UK, Gilbert & Gaillard in France, SparklingSpain in Spain). Speaker at wine events (eg.: Bulk Wine Expo in Amsterdam, RoVinHud in Timisoara, Wine & Spirit Show in Sofia, Vinitaly in Verona. She lives in Spain, in Penedés wine region, where she organises wine tours, mostly for professionals.

Awards: Pro Turismo Award (Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Par Excellence Award (Hungarian Sommelier Association), Best Wine Writer Millesima Blog Award (France)

Click here to virtually visit Hungarianwines.eu
 

1. Where did you grow up?

I grew up near the Austrian border, early childhood in Körmend, then grammar school years in the tiny, gorgeous town of Kőszeg. Kőszeg has a medieval atmosphere with cobblestone streets and a castle, and also with rustic, old wine cellars. Probably I wanted to go on living in this atmosphere, because I went to study in the east part of Hungary, in the city of Eger – with a medieval castle, wine cellars and cobblestone streets.

2. If you could be an expat anywhere in the world, where would you choose?

Actually I AM an expat. I am quite active in Hungary organising events, publishing every day about Hungarian wines, but I spend more time in Spain, in Catalonia, in the capital of the Spanish sparkling wines. Of course I am first and foremost Hungarian, I keep saying that my heart is divided, and the bigger part is Hungarian, but I feel at home in Catalonia as well. Maybe because it is a small nation as well. Only 7 million people live in Catalonia, and yet I speak the language (or at least I try to), it was important for me to put effort into it.

3. What would you miss most if you moved away from Hungary?

Since I return to Hungary quite often, there is no time to miss anything. And many friends, relatives, guests visit us frequently, so there is no chance to feel homesick. I might move farther later, when my youngest daughter leaves the house, then I may move to another continent, then I can tell more...

4. Friends are in Budapest for a weekend - what must they absolutely see and do?

I get this question quite often. I think a spa experience is unmissable, whether it is an interior Turkish spa, or a random hot water pool outside with old locals playing chess while bathing. I also love the “ruined pubs”, but I try to avoid the most obvious ones. A river cruise on the Danube is also a safe tip, especially with a smaller boat, with a more intimate tour. And the cable car to “János-hegy”, that is also so lovely!

5. What is your favourite food?

Oh, I can’t pick even one nation! Mexican, Indian, Balkan, Spanish, Hungarian – I eat everything. If it comes to Hungarian dishes, well, an evergreen for me is the “sztrapacska” with sheep cheese and crispy fried bacon. I know that sztrapacska is not exactly Hungarian, but more or less it is, and I enjoyed it a lot in my school years. I also like lecsó, and as for the desserts, I love császármorzsa, szilvásgombóc and mákosguba. I often make mákosguba for my Spanish / Catalan friends, because poppyseed is not used here, and I can speak about the rage when Hungary joined the EU and people were afraid of losing the right to use poppyseed...

6. What is your favourite sport / form of exercise?

I run every day, one hour, it helps me survive and it is also a creative time of the day. I also love swimming, hiking, cycling. Skiing and skating was missing from my childhood, I learned to skate (or something like that) as an adult, I also tried skiing, but I must admit that I will never learn that sport...

7. What is your favourite place in Hungary?

Szent György-hegy, no doubt. That mountain is magnetic. When I am in Hungary, that mountain is my home. But I love many other places, like the cool city of Pécs, the picturesque Szentendre, the bicycle route along the Danube through Dunakeszi, Nagymaros, etc.

8. What career other than yours would you love to pursue?

I would love or rather I would have loved to become a writer, a writer of literature. It still may happen:)

9. What’s a job you would definitely never want?

Shop assistant. I tried once, for four hours, and I literally escaped from the shop, I did not even look back. What a boring thing to do!

10. Where did you spend your last vacation?

My whole life is a vacation, I live near the Costa Dorada in Spain, and when I am in Hungary, I am near Lake Balaton. Plus I am often invited to wine contests and other wine events, so I travel quasi every month. But we also do “real” vacations, my son is the chief organiser. The last time, it was a year ago, we went to the Pyrenees mountain and spent a week in a lovely stone house in a remote Catalan village. While my three kids + partners were skiing, I was happy not doing so… Oh, and there has been a big family wedding recently in Valencia, on the beach, again a few days of happiness.

11. Where do you hope to spend your next one?

Well, I am afraid I have to wait more for the next whole family thing, since my son is getting married in August (on Szent György-hegy), and my elder daughter is also planning her wedding. But I still keep travelling, it is part of my life. I am going to Paris in February, and sure there are more trips to come.

12. What was your favourite band, film, or hobby as a teen?

Like all the teenagers I tried many things from playing the violin to folk dance. I really enjoyed being member of a drama team, and I put a musical on stage with my schoolmates, we even toured with the show, with live music, I am really proud of it. As for films, I used to watch many Woody Allen movies, it was a movie club, I loved them. Then I got addicted to films, when I lived in Budapest, I kept going to art movies alone, I really enjoyed watching weird movies alone.

13. Apart of temptation what can't you resist?

I cannot resist any. I get addicted easily, for example when I started to play Sid Meier’s Civilization, a complex, strategic video game, I could not stop. I had to do a “detox” of it.  

14. Red wine or white?

Both, plus rosé or any other colour. If I am in Tokaj, after a while I die for some red wine. In Bordeaux I am so happy that each chateau has a Champagne brother company. It is great to have so many different wines, why should I pick one? Though when the sun goes down, I prefer red. So before going on writing, I will open a bottle of red wine...

15. Book or movie?

Both. Before going to bed, I always read, every day, even if only a few pages and then I fall asleep. At the weekends I read in bed in the morning, with a coffee, I love this luxury. And I love watching movies, especially the “big ones”, with a message, and yes, with real actors and actresses. I also watch series, maybe more than I should, but less and less. I try to watch only the really good ones, most of them is just meaningless waste of time.

16. Morning person or night person?

Well, I hate getting up early, but I have to (I still drive my youngest child to school), which is good, because I am more efficient in the morning. But I also like staying up, it has a different vibe… It is 10 pm right now, some friends are staying with us, they are coming home in a minute, I am sure we will chat a few more hours.

17. Which social issue do you feel most strongly about?

Which don’t I? Being human is to be sensitive about social issues. Poverty, racism, injustice – I try to do what I can as a conscious citizen. And being a mother of three, the harm to children is the worst for me. I have some plans for my upcoming years (I am 53 and single again), and one of the options is to do some voluntary work in a third world country to help children in need.

18. Buda or Pest side?

Well, I am a country person, I spent only some years in Budapest. Then I was fascinated by the busy cultural life and night life of the city, mostly in Pest, so I would say Pest.

19. Which achievement in your life are you most pleased about?

I am really proud of my talent being a parent. Three kids from two fathers, and they are all intelligent, sensitive, tolerant, wonderful people. I must have done something well, mustn’t I?

And of course I am proud of my projects, but there are too many, I cannot pick one.

20. What would you say is your personal motto? 

That is easy! “Our life is constant bubble refreshment!”. Okay, I know it needs some explanation. So, I love sparkling wine, mostly champagne, but of course here I drink cava or corpinnat (the Spanish sparkling wines). And when we are together with family and friends, I keep pouring sparkling wine, even if the glasses are not empty yet, saying that “I am just refreshing your bubbles”. My son wrote a song once for my birthday, and this line was the refrain, as motto, as a symbol of our constant happiness and joy, no matter what happens.