Hegyközségek Nemzeti Tanácsa
The National Council of Wine Communities – HNT was founded on March 28 1996. It represents through its 23 members the 313 Hungarian wine communities.
It is a body which defends the position of Hungarian wine sector and coordinates the technical and economical interest of the wine regions. Hungary has approximately 130,000 hectares for grape-growing, out of which the «wine communities» control 76,000 hectares, i.e. almost 60%.
Its missions are to:
- Harmonize, coordinate and guide wine production and trade
- Promote an uniform image of the wine sector
- Guarantee the protection of Appellations of Origin wines
- Regulate and control planting as far as location, variety and other specific regulations
- Prepare and control the implementation of rules for the wine communities
- Issue the certificates of origin for each quantity of grape produced
- Provide legal advice to its members
Key figures:
- Hungarian global wine production: 3.400.000 hl in 2010
- 2010 production estimations: Appellation of Origin wines – 2.300.000 hl ; Geographical Indication wines – 1.030.000 hl