Ep. 2799 The Hungarian Wine Market, Italian Wine & the Journey to Master of Wine with Sue Tolson MW | Clubhouse Ambassadors' Corner

Welcome to Clubhouse Ambassadors' Corner and Episode 2799 of the Italian Wine Podcast. In this episode, Roza Zharmukhambetova IWA is in conversation with Sue Tolson MW, exploring her path to achieving the prestigious Master of Wine title and her experience of the Hungarian wine market. Sue shares insights into the development and character of the Hungarian wine market, including the role of importers, how consumers discover and purchase wine, and the changing dynamics of the local wine trade. The conversation also looks at the position of Italian wines in Hungary, exploring how Italian wine is perceived, where it fits within the market, and the opportunities and challenges for Italian producers. These sessions are recorded from Clubhouse and reproduced here for the Italian Wine Podcast. About today's host: Roza Zharmukhambetova has a background in foreign languages and education. She discovered her passion for wine in Beijing, where she gained two years of experience in wine sales. Since returning to Kazakhstan, she has focused on studying Italian wine and exploring its regions. Roza holds certifications as an Italian Wine Ambassador (VIA), Italian Wine Scholar (WSG), Langhe Wines Ambassador (BBA), and Valpolicella Wine Specialist (VEP). She is also a member of the Kazakhstan Sommelier Association. Since the end of 2024, she has been a member of the Italian Wine Podcast (IWP) team, contributing her passion for Italian wine. Connect:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rozazharmukhambetova/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/le_vin_en_rose/?hl=en  More about today's guest: Sue Tolson is a Master of Wine Sue Tolson is a freelance wine writer, wine judge, wine educator, consultant and specialist translator and editor. Originally from England, she is now based in Hungary. She focuses on Hungary and other Central and Eastern European countries as well as Italy. She is one of Vinitaly International’s few Italian Wine Experts. Interests also include indigenous varieties, volcanic wines and old vines. Sue has also contributed to Vince, Trink, Glug and Decanter supplements as well as writing regularly for online CEE wine magazine WineSofa (as Managing Editor) and Wines of Hungary. She also judges regularly both within Hungary and internationally, particularly within the CEE region, as well as at International Wine Challenge, Wine Vision at Open Balkan, Decanter and Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. Sue studied Italian and French at university and also speaks fluent Hungarian and German, which she can put to good use in the wine world. Connect: Website: https://www.mastersofwine.org/sue-tolson-mw  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suetolsonmw/  Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sue-tolson-mw-8661141/  _______________________________ Let's keep in touch! Follow Italian Wine Podcast on our social media channels: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/italianwinepodcast/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ItalianWinePodcast  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/italianwinepodcast  Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mammajumboshrimp  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mammajumboshrimp    If you feel like helping us, donate here: https://www.italianwinepodcast.com/donate-to-show/  Until next time, Cin Cin! Follow Italian Wine Podcast for more great content – winery interviews from the Clubhouse sessions! Psssst…FYI, this show is our most popular show, find out why by tuning in!