I’m not a business person, I’m a historian. Nevertheless, even to my untutored eyes, it seems that Hungarians could do a better job of promoting themselves and their businesses. There are so many beautiful and interesting places to see in Hungary, sometimes it boggles the mind. But, the Hungarians don’t always make it easy for you to experience these. Let me give you a few examples, and I think you will understand what I mean.
Our friends Carol and Tom had heard from their colleagues at the University of Pecs that it was possible to take a tour of a local champagne factory. No one seemed to know where or when one could take the tour, or even how to go about finding out more information. Tom stopped in the shop and found a xeroxed piece of paper with some information and prices, but no one spoke English and he can’t read Hungarian. When B and I arrived, we went sight-seeing and after our tour of the Cathedral and its crypt (which was stunning, by the way), we strolled down the street and ended up at the Pezsgőház Restaurant and Wineshop. We inquired about organizing a tour and after some calls, a young man appeared who said he could do it for us the next day. The minimum number for the tour was ten, but we persuaded him to do it for our group of eight. He said he didn’t speak much English, and although I speak Hungarian, I worried that I wouldn’t have the vocabulary…especially about varieties of grapes, production and bottling terms, etc. He said between the two of us we would work it out.
Well there was some confusion — some of our colleagues emailed us that they couldn’t make it and we weren’t sure if it would be a go or not. We decided to show up at the wine shop and see if he would go ahead with the tour anyway. (I should have called him earlier in the day, but between the uncertainty over the number and the last minute preparations for the panel, I forgot.) Initially, he was not too happy to see us. I apologized profusely for not having called earlier and explained the situation. Our Hungarian colleague, László, said I should stop apologizing. After all, he would be making money from our tour…this was business, after all. Tom agreed with him; I still felt badly. After some negotiations, (he had to call over to the restaurant to arrange for a last-minute champagne tasting after the tour), we commenced. It was really cool.
This young man, who is about the same age as my son Bernie, was really knowledgeable not just about the company and its history, but about wine and champagne production in general, and the differences between the Hungarian “classical” method and the French approach. I am very sorry that I did not get his name. Between László and me, the translation went smoothly. We descended into the cellars–there are five levels and they extend for 2 kilometers under the city. This factory was originally established by a Hungarian businessman in the 1850s. He had traveled to France extensively and brought the wine making knowledge back with him. The business stayed within the family until WW II…at that point, it was closed until the 1960s, when the cellars were reopened as a state-run enterprise. Not surprisingly, most of the millions of mass-produced bottles champagne was shipped east to the Soviet Union. The young many commented dryly that it was quantity, rather than quality, that mattered most to the Russians. After 1989, the business was privatized. A Hungarian who had immigrated to Sweden during the 1956 revolution, returned home and bought the business. Immediately, production was reduced to about 110,000 bottles a year using the classic Hungarian method that had made the champagne renowned in the first place. Increasingly, the cellar is shifting to wine, rather than champagne, production, partly because of the high level of competition from other cellars, and partly because fewer and fewer Hungarians are buying champagne.
As you can see from these pictures, we had a wonderful time and learned a lot.
BUT, the experience could have been better and it potentially could be a money-maker for both the cellar and the restaurant attached to it. It shouldn’t be so hard to find out about the tour and how to arrange for one. A short brochure with some pictures, a map, and outlining the key events in the development of the cellar in English would have been very helpful. When we sat down to taste the champagne, Carol and I remarked that we would have been happy to pay a little more and have some canapes or appetizers served with the champagne. This could drum up business either for the restaurant, or for local producers of cheese, sausage, local bakeries…etc. I have a friend in Rhode Island whose business is to produce RI Hospitality baskets…he includes wines from local vineyards, chocolates, cans of chowder, etc. The baskets both promote and support local businesses. It seems a natural relationship, but we haven’t seen it developed to any significant degree in Hungary, but perhaps I am wrong about this.
Before we returned to Debrecen, we toured the Zsonalyi Museum. The Zsonalyi family began this porcelain and ceramic business in the 1852, and it is one of the most famous ceramics and fine china producers, not just in Hungary, but the world. We were particularly taken with the architectural ceramics. Important buildings throughout Hungary, including the Parliament in Budapest, are decorated both inside and out with their wares. This photo is of the Post Office in Pecs…you can see the tiles on the roof and front facades.
We have seen gorgeous examples of their work on buildings in every city we have visited. The factory won numerous international awards during the era of the great exhibitions at the turn of the 20th century. In contrast to the champagne tour, the Zsolnayi Museum is extremely well organized and set up…there is a wealth of information available in numerous languages and the exhibits themselves are breathtaking. Carol and I fell in love with the tiles. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, many European homes were heated with large ceramic stoves. The Zsonalyis produced incredible tiles that were used to decorate the stoves, similar to the Dutch, but with uniquely Hungarian designs, colors, and glazes. Absolutely breathtaking. I remarked to Carol that I hoped there was a museum shop. I would love to be able to buy a ceramic tile, either as a piece of functional art for my kitchen, or to frame and hang on my wall (they are that beautfitul). But when we went into the museum shop, all we found were little tsatchkes and dust collectors…Carol looked at me and said, “they are really missing an opportunity here.” Tom, who is a businessman, agreed. What to do?
I have a few suggestions. Artisans and manufacturers should cooperate with the local museums to produce more goods for sale at museum shops. For example, the MFA in Boston or NY, have a wonderful variety of wares available, influenced by the art in their exhibits and I know that it is an important source of revenue for them. I wish the Hungarian national government or the local municipalities would launch a litter campaign. There are a lot of people out of work–the highways and areas along the railroad tracks need to be cleaned up. Wash the windows on the trains. Make sure the conductors on the trains announce each stop…visitors from the US or anywhere else, who don’t know the language, will then be able to enjoy their trip and get off at the appropriate destination with fewer hassles. Hold fora for local businesses on ways in which they can cooperate to promote more business…link them up with the local tourist offices. The universities that have English and British Studies Departments should coordinate with the Business Departments and local businesses to help them provide more tourist information in English. It’s pretty clear that not a lot of Americans will be able to learn Hungarian, but if you make it easier for Americans to travel and visit, they will contribute more to the Hungarian economy…it’s another win-win situation.
That’s it for today. I leave you with one more photo. I loved these ceramic lions. You can see them in the courtyard of the Zsolnayi Museum.
Thanks for tuning in and best regards,
Marcsi
PS: If you are interested in Zsolnay, click here.
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